THE BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND in association with The Arts Council of Northern Ireland. and The Music Department, Queen's University 1976-77 SEASON SEVENTH RECITAL ELLY AMELING (soprano) DALTON BALDWIN (piano) Friday, 6 May 1977 feallsvol ent at 7.30 pm Elmwood Hall, Queen's University

2 W.A.Mozart (1756-1791) Of Mozart's 36 solo songs with piano accompani- ment only a few contain the essential constituents of drama, mood-painting and inspired tunefulness which make up the Lied, developed to a supreme degree by Schubert. Das Veilchen is one of these Goethe's text found a kindred spirit and Mozart wrung the last ounce of expressiveness from it. By comparison many of the other songs are merely charming 18th century trifles but none the less valuable for that! Das Lied der Trennung (Schmidt) The angels of God weep when true lovers part. How can I live, O maiden, without thee? And you? Perhaps, Louisa, you will forget me for ever. Als Louise die Briefe verbrannte (von Bamberg) 0 words of love, that in an hour of passion he wrote to me, how false you are. To the fire I surrender these tender declarations, and yet my heart cherishes the flame of fierce desire. Abendempfindung (J.M. Campe) It is evening, the loveliest hours of life speed away. Soon the curtain falls, soon I will fly to a land of rest. If you weep by my grave I will appear and bear you towards heaven. Dedicate a tear to me and in my diadem it will be the finest pearl. Das Veilchen (Goethe) A violet stood in the meadow (it was a dear little violet). A shepherdess came along the meadow and sang. "If only I were the loveliest of flowers and this dear girl would gather me...just for a quarter of an hour!" But alas, the girl trod the violet under foot. As it died yet it was glad..." I die at her feet" (It was a dear little violet!)

3 And die Einsamkeit (J.T.Hermes) Come gentle grief and comfort me. You shall be my physician, from you I will borrow fresh solace. An Chloe (J.G.Jacobi) When love shines out of your blue eyes and my heart glows with joy, dear maiden...I sit enchanted by your side. das A Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Schubert wrote over 600 songs and is the acknowledged master of the Lied. He could transform. all the world into music - natural phenomena (a rippling brook), man-made objects (a hurdy-gurdy), human types (a deserted lover), emotions and gestures, yet his great gift never tempted him to facile imitation: Brahms said of him "There is not a song of Schubert's from which we cannot learn something". Im Frühling (E. Schulze) I sit idly on the brow of the hill: the gentle breeze plays in the green valley where I was once so happy... yet if I were a little bird I would stay among the branches here and sing a sweet song of her the whole summer day. Frühlingsblaube. (Uhland) The mild breezes are awake, they rustle and stir by day and night...the world grows lovelier every day. Now, poor heart, forget your pain, now everything must change.lump An Sylvia (Shakespeare) Who is Sylvia? what is she, that all our swains commend her?... She excels each mortal thing... to her let us garlands bring.

4 Die junge Nonne (C. de Jachebutta)exce How the howling storm rages through the treetops. Rage on, wild and mighty storm. In my heart there is peace, the loving bride awaits the bridegroom. Listen how peacefully the bell sounds from the tower. Its sweet wust sound calls me to the eternal heights. Hallelujah! I...nobiem asb tot tiw Der Musensohn (Goethe) Rambling through woods and fields I go from place to place... as soon as I see young people by the lime-tree I stir their blood. Dull fellows preen themselves, gawky girls turn to my tune. You give my feet wings... dear muses, when may I rest again in the bosom of my love? 11 bordot to rotasm bs s) smemonadq istudan- otaum ofni bisoweit iis (xbus-baudas) stogido hem-(coordatiqgis setutee's brie enoitomenadreseb a) INTERVAL altost of min botqmet even ftig teor de Snoe s tom at eroNT" mid to bisa emland "gardienoa misal Jomo owiol MOI? E Francis Poulenc (9xIndo2.3) (1899-1963) es99nd altro pdt :Ilid siit to word odt • Vggad There is no doubt that Poulenc's finest work lies in the field of vocal composition, which fincludes 146 mélodies ranging from the craziest buffoonery to the most delicate lyricism. He wrote "The musical setting of a poem should be an act of love, never a marriage of convenience". When he wished to write songs for the female voice he liked to set really feminine poems and he found them in the charming and elegant works of Louise de Vilmorin. The Fiançailles pour rire, roughly translated as "Whimsical betrothals" does not constitute a real cycle, but is a well balanced group of songs. (01segeoxene) * Biewe nuo ile teda ed at hed S ...int (atron does algoxe 9:2 30lnd abnefisyen (

5 Fiançailles pour rire (1939) Poems by Louise de Vilmorin La Dame d'André André does not know the woman he took by the hand. Has she a heart?.....He loved her for her colour.... will she fade on the pale autumn leaves? Dans l'herbe.... I can say nothing more nor do anything for him. He died for his beautiful one... in open countryside, in the grass. But as I was far from him, he died alone in the woods. he died alon ith gead Il vole.... the setting sun is reflected in the polished surface of a table like a round cheese. But where is the crow? He flies. (The poem plays on the words Il vole, meaning "he flies" and "he steals". There are also hints of La Fontaine's fable, The crow and the fox. The message is - bring me back my fickle lover, thief). soveel my god mesteret Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant... my corpse is as limp as a kid glove and my hidden pupils make two white pebbles of my eyes. Children, bear away the memory quickly, go, go, my life is done. Violon... an expressive portrait of a violin and its player in a sleazy Hungarian nightclub. Fleurs ... a melancholy poem of a lady burning her flowers, souvenirs of a faded love. dolx odt Jenlage Hover Jou Ievalt Ernest Chausson (1855-1890) "agal sito" as batales Les Papillons (Théophile Gautier) the snow- coloured butterflies fly in swarms over the sea. If they would lend me their wings, do you know where I would go? I would go to your half-closed lips... and there I would die. ...

6 Le Colibri (Leconte de Lisle) ... the green humming- bird darts into the air like a ray of light. He descends to the golden flower and drinks so much love from the rosy cup that he dies.....likewise my soul wished to die of the first kiss which perfumed it. Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Les Roses d'Ispahan (Leconte de Lisle) The roses of Ispahan have a fragrance less sweet, O pale Leilah, than your light breath.... Oh that your young love may return to my heart on quick sweet wing. La Rose (Leconte de Lisle) I tell of the gracious rose, perfumed breath of the gods. Happy the stream where your leaves float away. The jealous earth brings forth the rose. Greetings, beautiful flower. Erik Satie (1866-1925) Erik Satie was a strange eccentric figure, with a liking for absinthe and umbrellas. Although not a member of Les Six he was the guide and inspiration of much of their philosophy. His music is mostly in a simple style in direct revolt against the rich chromaticism of Debussy and Ravel. The poet Léon- Paul Fargue was a drinking companion although Satie. was attracted as much to his verse as to his personality. "Ludions" is translated as "Bottle imps". The verses are witty and bizarre and full of puns, drollery and illogicality.

7 Ludions (1923) Poems by Léon-Paul Fargue L'air du rat....a nonsense piece ("Un jo, un joli goulifo") set to a galumphing tune which by mis- placed accents stresses the incongruity of the words. Spleen.... pictures a crumbling old city square in the rain, drenched and desolate in its morose despair. La Grenouille américaine... the frog gazes at the poet over the top of his glasses, but he is a bubble, perhaps in the coffee-pot. (The accompaniment derives from the music hall and the singer is instructed to adopt an American accent.) Air du Poète... an involved Carollian squib set to a grave melody playing on the words Papouasie (Papuan), Papouète and cacahouète (peanut). Chanson du chat.....a grown-up nursery rhyme, with many a Tirelan and Tirelo. La Diva de l'Empire One of Satie's music-hall songs, written for Paulette Darty in 1904. It pays homage to the Queen of the Empire Hall in amusing Anglo-French, set to a march tune in jaunty ragtime. Notes by Michael Swallow

8 Elly Ameling was born in Rotterdam and never remembers wanting to do anything else but sing. She studied in Holland and then in Paris with Pierre Bernac, where she acquired a first-hand knowledge of the repertoire of French song. She won her first prize in 1956 and two years later won the International Song Contest She has performed Oratorio, Bach Cantatas, Opera by Handel, Mozart and Schubert, Mahler and Bruckner Symphonies, and modern works by Britten, Martin and Dallapiccola. in Geneva. Jersey. Dalton Baldwin comes from Summit, New He studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York, and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, where he became associated with the singer Gerard Souzay and worked with Francis Poulenc. His extra-musical interests include gardening and Oriental religions.