Music on Thursdays
|
|
Thursday 12th September 2024
|
|
Sophia Yan Jin
soprano
André Bertoncini
piano
Programme
Jonathan Dove (b1959)
Text: Alasdair Middleton
from the chamber opera The Enchanted Pig (2006)
Adelaide's aria
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
from Twelve Romances Op 21 (1900-1902)
Text: Ekaterina Beketova (1855-1892)
5 The Lilacs
Text: Ivan Tkhorzhevsky (1878-1951) after Jean-Marie Guyau (1853-1888)
3 Twilight
Text: Glafira Galina (1873-1942)
7 How fair this spot
Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (1860-1903)
Texts: Eduard Friedrich Mörike (1804-1875)
from Mörike-Lieder (1888)
12 Verborgenheit. Laß, o Welt, o laß mich sein
Seclusion. Let, O world, O let me be !
31 Wo find' ich Trost ? Eine Liebe kenn' ich
Where shall I find comfort ? I know a love
from Italienisches Liederbuch II Teil/2nd Book (1896)
Text: Paul Heyse (1830-1914) after Italian folk songs
21 Schweig' einmal still, du garst’ger Schwätzer dort !
Shut up out there, you odious ranter !
Dame Ethyl Mary Smyth (1858-1944)
Text: Ethel Carnie Holdsworth (1886-1962)
from 3 Songs (1913)
2 Possession
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Text: Emanuel von Geibel (1815-1884)
from Lieder und Gesänge, Vol II Op 51 (1842)
1 Sehnsucht Longing
Ned Miller Rorem (1923-2022)
Text: Anon, before 1612
The Silver Swan (1949)
Achille Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Quatre Mélodies (de Jeunesse)
Text: Paul-Marie Verlaine (1844-1896)
I Pantomime
II Clair de Lune Moonlight
Text: Théodore Faullain de Banville (1823-1891)
III Pierrot
Text: Stéphane (Étienne) Mallarmé (1842-1898)
IV Apparition
Gabriel Urbain Fauré (1845-1924)
Text: Paul Armand Sylvestre (1837-1901)
from Three Songs Op 23 (1879)
3 Le Secret
Text: Paul Verlaine
from Cinq mélodies "de Venise" Op 58 (1891)
1 Mandoline, or The Gallant Serenaders
Text: Paul de Choudens (aka Paul Bérel) (1850-1925)
from Three Songs Op 6 (1878)
3 Sylvie
Text: Sully Prudhomme (René François Armand P, 1839-1907)
from Three Songs Op 23
1 Les Berceaux The Cradles
courtesy of the Royal Academy of Music
Concert duration approx: 50+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Sophia Yan Jin
Sophia Jin, one of the winners of the Royal Academy of Music’s Early Music Prize, is a captivating singer whose lively and engaging performances have enthralled audiences. Having begun her musical journey at the Purcell School of Music in London, Sophia furthered her studies at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Catherine Malfitano. She currently pursues her Master of Music at the Royal Academy of Music, guided by Giles Underwood and Iain Ledingham.
Sophia’s impressive performances have graced renowned venues such as Wigmore Hall, Westminster Abbey, St James’ Piccadilly, St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Rachmaninoff Hall in Moscow, and Carnegie Hall, New York. As both a soloist and choral singer, she has showcased her talent in works including Bach’s Magnificat in D, St John Passion, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, Requiem, and Sir Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man, continually expanding her repertoire and deepening her passion for music. In many projects, both within RAM and outside, Sophia has worked with prestigious conductors including Masaaki Suzuki, Peter Whelan, Jane Glover, Eamonn Dougan, and many more.
Her versatility shines through in her portrayal of various characters, from Mozart’s Pamina to Offenbach’s Eurydice and Mozart’s Ilia, in the Vocal Faculty Scenes of the Royal Academy of Music. Sophia’s talent was recognised early on at festivals in the West Midlands and London, where she earned several first prizes. Her international experiences, including studying under Natalia Pustovaya of the Bolshoi at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, have enriched her understanding of different teaching methodologies and cultural influences.
In addition to her vocal pursuits, Sophia has been actively engaged in outreach programs for primary and secondary school students, sharing her passion for music and teaching piano. She also holds an ARSM diploma in violin and enjoys participating in chamber groups and orchestras across the UK and Europe. As she continues her studies at the Royal Academy of Music, Sophia remains dedicated to both vocal performance and exploring her passion for the violin.
Sophia’s impressive performances have graced renowned venues such as Wigmore Hall, Westminster Abbey, St James’ Piccadilly, St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Rachmaninoff Hall in Moscow, and Carnegie Hall, New York. As both a soloist and choral singer, she has showcased her talent in works including Bach’s Magnificat in D, St John Passion, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, Requiem, and Sir Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man, continually expanding her repertoire and deepening her passion for music. In many projects, both within RAM and outside, Sophia has worked with prestigious conductors including Masaaki Suzuki, Peter Whelan, Jane Glover, Eamonn Dougan, and many more.
Her versatility shines through in her portrayal of various characters, from Mozart’s Pamina to Offenbach’s Eurydice and Mozart’s Ilia, in the Vocal Faculty Scenes of the Royal Academy of Music. Sophia’s talent was recognised early on at festivals in the West Midlands and London, where she earned several first prizes. Her international experiences, including studying under Natalia Pustovaya of the Bolshoi at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, have enriched her understanding of different teaching methodologies and cultural influences.
In addition to her vocal pursuits, Sophia has been actively engaged in outreach programs for primary and secondary school students, sharing her passion for music and teaching piano. She also holds an ARSM diploma in violin and enjoys participating in chamber groups and orchestras across the UK and Europe. As she continues her studies at the Royal Academy of Music, Sophia remains dedicated to both vocal performance and exploring her passion for the violin.
André Bertoncini
André Bertoncini is a Brazilian collaborative pianist specialising in opera and chamber music. He graduated with Distinction from a Master of Arts in Piano Accompaniment at The Royal Academy of Music, under Professor Michael Dussek and James Baillieu.
André has particularly been collaborating with singers, performing at ‘Transcending Borders’ concerts series and being part of the ‘Academy Song Circle’.
Recently, he made his debut at Wigmore Hall playing for the Academy Song Circle: Beginnings. Since 2023, André has been working as assistant repetiteur for Morley Opera School.
Before coming to the UK, he worked as Assistant Collaborative Piano Professor at the State University of Maringá (Paraná, Brazil), coaching singers and instrumentalists, and coordinating an outreach project alongside students and the community through piano and vocal masterclasses.
He has also been Assistant Professor at the Music Festival of Santa Catarina, working with vocal professors in masterclasses, as well as répétiteur for opera rehearsals.
André holds a Bachelor degree from UNESPAR/EMBAP, (Escola de Música e Belas Artes do Paraná - EMBAP, part of the State University of Paraná in Curitiba) in the class of the Russian Professor Olga Kiun, with a scholarship from the Dieuwertje Meijer Project. Throughout his undergraduate programme, he took private Harmony and Music Analysis lessons with conductor Osvaldo Colarusso.
André has also participated in music festivals, as well as playing in masterclasses with Cristina Ortiz, Cláudio Soares, Ermis Theodorakis, Tim Ovens, Luiz Senize and Luiz Guilherme Pozzi. He was awarded 1st place at XXIX Latin American Rosa Mística Competition (2009) and 2nd place at X (10th) Prof Edna Bassetti Habith Competition (2014).
André has particularly been collaborating with singers, performing at ‘Transcending Borders’ concerts series and being part of the ‘Academy Song Circle’.
Recently, he made his debut at Wigmore Hall playing for the Academy Song Circle: Beginnings. Since 2023, André has been working as assistant repetiteur for Morley Opera School.
Before coming to the UK, he worked as Assistant Collaborative Piano Professor at the State University of Maringá (Paraná, Brazil), coaching singers and instrumentalists, and coordinating an outreach project alongside students and the community through piano and vocal masterclasses.
He has also been Assistant Professor at the Music Festival of Santa Catarina, working with vocal professors in masterclasses, as well as répétiteur for opera rehearsals.
André holds a Bachelor degree from UNESPAR/EMBAP, (Escola de Música e Belas Artes do Paraná - EMBAP, part of the State University of Paraná in Curitiba) in the class of the Russian Professor Olga Kiun, with a scholarship from the Dieuwertje Meijer Project. Throughout his undergraduate programme, he took private Harmony and Music Analysis lessons with conductor Osvaldo Colarusso.
André has also participated in music festivals, as well as playing in masterclasses with Cristina Ortiz, Cláudio Soares, Ermis Theodorakis, Tim Ovens, Luiz Senize and Luiz Guilherme Pozzi. He was awarded 1st place at XXIX Latin American Rosa Mística Competition (2009) and 2nd place at X (10th) Prof Edna Bassetti Habith Competition (2014).
Recordings of the works in today's concert
Jonathan Dove
Text: Alasdair Middleton
from the chamber opera The Enchanted Pig (2006)
Adelaide's aria
"You call this a tiara!" So we're off to an explosive start with soprano Stephanie Hernshaw and pianist Paul McKenzie:
Text: Alasdair Middleton
from the chamber opera The Enchanted Pig (2006)
Adelaide's aria
"You call this a tiara!" So we're off to an explosive start with soprano Stephanie Hernshaw and pianist Paul McKenzie:
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff
from Twelve Romances Op 21 (1900-1902)
Text: Ekaterina Beketova (1855-1892)
5 The Lilacs
The soprano in this first short song is Jeanne Gérard, with Renaud Capuçon, violin, and Tanguy de Williencourt, piano, performing at the Festival de Pâques d'Aix-en-Provence, in March 2021
Sergei Rachmaninoff
from Twelve Romances Op 21
Text: Ivan Tkhorzhevsky (1878-1951)
after Jean-Marie Guyau (1853-1888)
3 Twilight
Lyubov Petrova is accompanied by Rem Urasin in a 2020 recital from Moscow's Zaryadye Small Hall:
Sergei Rachmaninoff
from Twelve Romances Op 21
Text: Glafira Galina (1873-1942)
7 How fair this spot
And we return to Jeanne Gérard, Renaud Capuçon, and Tanguy de Williencourt for How fair this spot:
Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf
Texts: Eduard Friedrich Mörike (1804-1875)
from Mörike-Lieder (1888)
12 Verborgenheit. Laß, o Welt, o laß mich sein
Seclusion. Let, O world, O let me be !
This recording comes from London's National Opera Studio.
Founded at Morley College, the NOS how has its own premises in Wandsworth, where it trains 12 opera singers and four répétiteur pianists each year. Funding comes from the Arts Council and from the UK's six principal opera companies. Can you name them? The list appears at the foot of this page.
We shall hear Joanna Harries, mezzo-soprano, and Elli Welsh, piano:
Hugo Wolf
Texts: Eduard Friedrich Mörike
from Mörike-Lieder (1888)
31 Wo find' ich Trost ? Eine Liebe kenn' ich
Where shall I find comfort ? I know a love
The limited detail with this recording tells us we are hearing Ekaterina Chayka-Rubinstein, mezzo, accompanied by pianist Maria Yulin:
Hugo Wolf
from Italienisches Liederbuch II Teil/2nd Book (1896)
Text: Paul Heyse (1830-1914) after Italian folk songs
21 Schweig' einmal still, du garst’ger Schwätzer dort !
Shut up out there, you odious ranter !
From the Meckelhalle at the Haus van Walfisch (pictured below), a late Gothic building in the old town area of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, comes this recital by soprano Elisabeth Birgmeier. The pianist is Giulio Ferré:
|
|
Dame Ethyl Mary Smyth
Text: Ethel Carnie Holdsworth (1886-1962)
from 3 Songs (1913)
2 Possession
The colour-coordinated mezzo here is Gracyn Blu Louis, with accompanist Ellen Rissinger, piano:
Robert Schumann
Text: Emanuel von Geibel (1815-1884)
from Lieder und Gesänge, Vol II Op 51 (1842)
1 Sehnsucht Longing
We move to the Gartensaal of Munich's PrinzRegentenTheater for this 2020 performance by soprano Ayelet Kagan, and pianist Kota Sakaguchi:
Ned Miller Rorem
Text: Anon, before 1612
The Silver Swan (1949)
Ned Rorem set the same text that inspired Orlando Gibbons three centuries earlier. The soprano here is Brittany Michaelsen-Mulkey, her accompnist Dr Eunae Ko Han, piano. This is from Brittany's Master's final recital.
from her LinkedIn profile: Brittany obtained her Master’s degree with "summa cum laude honors" (meaning "with highest praise", typically awarded to graduates in the top 1%, 2%, or 5%) in Vocal Performance from George Mason University under the guidance of Professor Patricia Miller, and is a graduate of Texas State University where she received her Bachelor’s degree from the highly-acclaimed Music Education program.
Claude Debussy
Quatre Mélodies (de Jeunesse)
Text: Paul-Marie Verlaine (1844-1896)
I Pantomime
II Clair de Lune Moonlight
Text: Théodore Faullain de Banville (1823-1891)
III Pierrot
Text: Stéphane (Étienne) Mallarmé (1842-1898)
IV Apparition
This recording of all four songs is by Angela Yoon, soprano, with Jason Terry, piano, from Samford University's Mary Louise Hodges Faculty Recital Series. Samford is a small Baptist university in Homewood, Alabama. The university has a base in Kensington, London, where students can spend time studying abroad.
Gabriel Fauré
Text: Paul Armand Sylvestre (1837-1901)
from Three Songs Op 23 (1879)
3 Le Secret
For the first Fauré song we turn to the mezzo-soprano Anne Sophie von Otter, with accompanist Angela Hewitt:
Gabriel Fauré
Text: Paul Verlaine
from Cinq mélodies "de Venise" Op 58 (1891)
1 Mandoline, or The Gallant Serenaders
The first piece in this set, Mandoline, is describing what is similar to a Jean-Antoine Watteau painting. The piece describes characters in the painting dancing and singing underneath a tree at night with a mandolin playing in the background of the scenery.
The performers are soprano Madison Fitzpatrick, and
ccompanist Damien Francoeur-Krzyzek:
GabrielFauré
Text: Paul de Choudens (aka Paul Bérel) (1850-1925)
from Three Songs Op 6 (1878)
3 Sylvie
There seem to be three speeds for singing Sylvie. Gently, fast, and very fast. This is probably the fastest of the recordings, yet the enunciation is excellent. We hear Stuart Burrows with accompanist John Constable:
Gabriel Fauré
Text: Sully Prudhomme (René François Armand P, 1839-1907)
from Three Songs Op 23
1 Les Berceaux The Cradles
In our final recording we hear Patricia Petitbon, with pianist Susan Manoff in a recording for Le Figaro - Live:
Quiz Answer:
The six national opera companies co-funding the National Opera Studio's work are: Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
The six national opera companies co-funding the National Opera Studio's work are: Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
Previous concert
5 September 2024 - Ibrahim Aziz, bass & treble viola da gamba, &
Toby Carr, theorbo/lute - click here
Toby Carr, theorbo/lute - click here
Next concert
19 September 2024 - Flutes & Frets, Beth Stone, flutes/recorders & Daniel Murphy, lute/theorbo/guitar- click here
