44. Opera 10: Exotic Atmosphere, ACJ Music Academy

How are you?

Following the last week, I am going to start my 44th lecture.

I had conducted music lectures at Art Collage JANG in Seoul, South Korea every Saturday from March 2015 to December 2017.

I am going to introduce the lecture by the lecture’s order every Saturday.

Please refer to the following link for my previous lectures.

https://blog.naver.com/csydr/220995605864

Today's lecture is five operas featuring “Exotic Atmosphere”, which were introduced in “The 44th ACJ Music Academy” on April 23, 2016.

1. Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart)

2. L'Italiana in Algeri (Rossini)

3. Les Pêcheurs de Perles (Bizet)

4. Lakme (Delibes)

5. Madama Butterfly (Puccini)

1. Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart)

It is a three-act opera Singspiel by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1782, with the German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's “Belmont und Constanze, oder Die Entführung aus dem Serail.”

The heroine 'Konstanze', her English maid 'Blonde', and ‘Pedrillo’ who is the servant of Belmonte, Konstanze's fiancé, are caught by pirates and sold to Turkey while on a boat trip. When they are locked up at the country house of the Pasha Selim, Konstanze’s lover Belmonte comes to the house of Selim, where they are locked up. Then, Belmonte realizes that Selim, who loves Konstanze, is courting her, Pedrillo is working as a gardener, and Blonde is given to Osmin as a gift. 

When Pedrillo introduces Belmonte to Selim, he lies that Belmonte is an architect who is supposed to come. Blonde and Pedrillo dance while discussing their escape plan in the garden, and Pedrillo continues to encourage Osmin to drink. Eventually, Osmin is completely drunk and lies down, and Belmonte, who went to the seashore to meet Konstanze, shares the joy of reunion with her. However, Osmin, who was so drunk, wakes up and grasps all the situation, and then he takes all of them to Selim with anger. 

Upon seeing Belmonte, Selim recognizes that he is the son of an old enemy who expelled him. However, Selim resolves to pay for good rather than revenge and releases Konstanze, Belmonte, Blonde and Pedrillo. The two joyful couples thank Selim for his grace and prepare for the voyage for return.

2. L'Italiana in Algeri (Rossini)

It is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca.

The Bey of Algiers, Mustafà, who is tired of his wife, wants to take Isabella, an Italian woman who has been sold to pirates, as his new wife, after driving his wife out. Isabella, who is looking for her missing lover, Lindoro, finds him working as a servant in Mustafà's house and plans to flee with him. Isabella deceives Mustafà with a ridiculous game and flees with her lover, taking all the Italians who were sold as slaves to Algiers.

3. Les Pêcheurs de Perles (Bizet)

It is a three-act opera composed by Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Michel Carré and

Eugène Cormon.

Leïla, becomes a priestess for a tribe living with pearl gatherings, due to her mysterious beauty and excellent singing skills. Her role is praying to the gods and singing beautiful songs at the beach all day for their safety and rich harvest while the men go into the sea and dig pearls. Before starting this work, Leila makes a pledge of purity that she will not close to any men in order to remain faithful to the priestess and will be punished by death if she violates this in front of the newly elected young head fisherman Zurga and high priest of Brahma Nourabad. 

On the other hand, Nadir, who has returned from traveling for many years, meets Zurga, a brother-like friend, and promises an eternal friendship, but realizing that the priestess Leïla is a woman he loved at the same time with his friend, he is again caught in flames of memories and desires. On a starry night, Nadir goes to the temple to meet Leila and at first she rejects him, but the two finally confirm each other's love. 

At this time, pearl fishermen and the priest Nourabad come to the scene and try to kill them. Zurga stops this, but soon realizes that Leila is a woman of the past and he changes his mind because of his friend’s betrayal and decides to execute the two. But accidentally looking at Leila's necklace and discovering that she was a young girl who had saved his life long ago, Zurga set fire to the village just before the execution to turn people's attention to the fire and let the two run away.

4. Lakme (Delibes)

It is a three-act opera composed by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille.

Lakmé, the protagonist, is the daughter of Brahman, the highest class in India. British officer Gérald, lagging behind other friends while they are out, stays in the courtyard of the Hindu temple, where he encounters Lakmé and the two fall in love in a wink. 

Lakmé's father finds out that the gentile has invaded the sanctuary, and to find and kill him for revenge, he takes his daughter to the marketplace and has her sing. Gérald, who is caught in the bait, is injured by Lakmé's father. 

However, Lakmé's servant takes Gérald into the forest and hides him in a hideout. Lakmé takes great care of Gérald in the forest, but a British officer, a friend of Gérald's, comes to this place to convince him to return to the army. Knowing that Gérald's mind is shaking, Lakmé secretly chews poison and chooses the way of death, and gives Gérald a drink of holy water and saves him from his father's hand.

5. Madama Butterfly (Puccini)

It is an opera written by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

While Pinkerton, male protagonist, is looking for a woman to enjoy while his warship is stayed at Nagasaki Port, he marries for fun with the heroine Cio-Cio-san, whose English name is "Butterfly". She, who had no choice but to become a geisha because of the fall of her family, bets her entire life on this love and marriage.

However, after returning to the United States, Pinkerton got married ‘formally’, forgetting his marriage with her, and later, through an American consul, he knows that Cio-Cio-san is waiting for him every day. Then, he goes with his wife who can't give birth to a child, and takes her son. Eventually, Cio-Cio-san, who lost everything, commits suicides herself with the knife that her father also did.

You can listen to all the arias selected in this course from following YouTube link.

1. “Martern aller Arten mogen meiner warten”, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart)

2. “Languir per una bella”, L'Italiana in Algeri (Rossini)

3. “Je crois entendre encore”, Les Pêcheurs de Perles (Bizet)

4. “Viens, Malika”, Lakme (Delibes)

5. “Un bel di vedremo”, Madama Butterfly (Puccini)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSmshmgJzYhdkyUD1NQXJ1NtjA2owGIDY

You can also review this lecture from following media.

YouTube

Blog (Korean)

Naver TV

Naver Post

Have a happy holiday with beautiful opera arias, and from next week, I will change the music genre as Jazz and lecture for 11 weeks.

Thank you.

41. Opera 7: Revolution/Reform, ACJ Music Academy

How are you?

Following the last week, I am going to start my 41st lecture.

I had conducted music lectures at Art Collage JANG in Seoul, South Korea every Saturday from March 2015 to December 2017.

I am going to introduce the lecture by the lecture’s order every Saturday.

Please refer to the following link for my previous lectures.

https://blog.naver.com/csydr/220995605864

Today's lecture is five operas featuring “Revolution/Reform”, which were introduced in “The 41st ACJ Music Academy” on April 2, 2016.

1. Fidelio (Beethoven)

2. Nabucco (Verdi)

3. Don Carlos (Verdi)

4. Andrea Chénier (Giordano)

5. Tosca (Puccini)

1. Fidelio (Beethoven)

This is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera with two acts. The German libretto was written by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly.

The title of this opera, which means ‘fidelity’, is the name of the female protagonist who disguised as a man. The real name is ‘Leonore’, but she approaches the prison guard and his daughter on purpose, calling herself Fidelio to rescue her husband locked up in a dungeon when he demonstrates the ideals of the revolution. 

The daughter of the guard already has a fiancé, but she falls in love with her as she thought Fidelio is a real man. After many twists and turns, Fidelio, who armed with love and fidelity for her husband, hands his enemy over to the judgment of the law and succeeds in saving her husband.

2. Nabucco (Verdi)

It is a four-act opera written by Giuseppe Verdi. Based on the Biblical story, a play ‘Nabuchodonosor’ by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornu and Antonio Cortese's ballet adaptation of the play, Temistocle Solera wrote an Italian libretto. The best-known song in this opera is "Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate", also known as the "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves.”

The opera ‘Nabucco’ is based on history, but rather focuses on the human conflict and psychological depiction of the main characters than on historical events. King Nebukadnezar in the opera has two daughters. His first daughter Abigaille, who was originally a slave’s daughter but grew up as a princess after many twists and turns, believes she will succeed the throne. Only the king knows the secret of her birth. Meanwhile, his second daughter, Fenena, loved Ismaele, the Hebrew prisoner in Babylon, and flees to Jerusalem with him. The problem is that her sister Abigaille also loves him. 

When the Babylonian army occupied Jerusalem’s temple, Fenena and Ismaele are caught and brought to the Babylonian palace, and Abigaille, who knew the secret of her birth from the secret documents in the palace, decides to kill her father and sister and become a queen. 

Nebukadnezar, who called himself a god, was insane struck by the thunders, imprisoned by Abigaille with losing his throne. Abigaille, who took all the power with the priests of Baal god, tries to execute the Hebrew prisoners and her younger sister. But Nebukadnezar, who returned to normal and regained his power, saves his daughter Fenena and the Hebrews, and Abigaille dies under the crumbling Baal’s statue, and the Hebrews are liberated.

3. Don Carlos (Verdi)

It is a five-act grand opera by Giuseppe Verdi to a French libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play of the same title by Friedrich Schiller. The French libretto was then translated into Italian and revised five times.

The story is set in Spain around 1560. King Philippe II's son, Prince Don Carlos, was in love with Elisabeth de Valois, but when his father, Philippe II, marries her for political reasons, he faces the tragic fate of being mother-and-son’s relationship with his lover. As a recipe for overcoming this personal despair, the Prince's best friend, Rodrigue, Marquis of Posa, urges the Prince to “go to Flanders (currently the Netherlands) to rescue the oppressed people and build peace”. 

Meanwhile, Princess Eboli, who is a mistress of King Philippe II and loves Prince Carlos, learns the relationship between Carlo and the queen, and tries to destroy them due to her jealousy. King Philippe II, who believes in 'powerful rulership makes the world peaceful,' even confesses his personal secret to the Marquis of Posa, who fearlessly refutes him from the front, because he trust him, but the Marquis eventually dies for Prince Carlos, not the King. The king, who does not have such a true friend, is sorrowful.

The head of inquisition asks the king to punish Don Carlos and Rodrigue, and ultimately, Rodrigue, whom King Philippe most trusts, is executed. Before leaving for Flanders, Don Carlos says goodbye to Elisabeth near the graveyard of his grandfather, former king, but the king, who saw them hugging, is jealous and tries to kill Don Carlos. Then the ghost of the former king appears and takes Carlos to the underworld.

4. Andrea Chénier (Giordano)

It is a three-act opera composed by Umberto Giordano, based on the life of French poet André Chénier, to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica.

The opera ‘Andrea Chénier’ shows the characters who are conflicting and ruining in the vortex of history for about five years from the revolutionary year to the time when Robespierre declared the Reign of Terror. 

A poet, who loves the nature and life of his native country France, Andrea Chénier, is invited to a party held at the Countess' mansion just before the outbreak of the revolution, where he meets her daughter Maddalena, but already armed with revolutionary thoughts, Chénier reacts indifferently to her interests. But Maddalena, who loved Chénier, continues to anonymously send letters supporting and encouraging his lines and activities, even after she completely lost her life as a noble due to the revolution. 

Meanwhile, Gérard, who was a former servant of the Count’s mansion but gained a high social status by joining the revolution, tries to execute the enemy Chénier while seeking for the place where Maddalena resides, whom he has loved since childhood. 

When Chénier is arrested and in danger of being executed, Maddalena appears in front of Gérard and asks for help, but when her true love moves him and he tries to save him, it's already too late. Maddalena then changes her name with a woman on the execution list and saves the woman, and heads to a guillotine to be executed with Chénier together.

5. Tosca (Puccini)

It is a three-act opera composed by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on the drama of the same title by Victorien Sardou.

Floria Tosca, the heroine of the opera 'Tosca', is a celebrated singer. She is the heroine of tragedy that ends with suicide at an early age as dramatic as her life on the stage. This tragic story takes place in Rome, Italy in 1800, when liberalism and republicanism waved after the French Revolution. 

At that time, the French revolutionary forces led by Napoleon were battling with British, Austrian, and Russian allied forces to defend autocracy. France, who occupied Rome, proclaims Rome as a Republic. However, Ferdinando IV and Queen Maria Carolina, who had been driven by Napoleon to the island of Sicily, again organized troops, attempted a counterattack, and destroyed the republic. The Italian revolutionary forces then retreat to the basement and begin fighting against the royalists. Although the opera starts from this historical background, it is a drama that focuses on the psychological tension and conflict of the main characters rather than the historical facts. 

Scarpia, the informer of the royalists and powerful man, is fascinated by a singer Tosca, who stands on stage as a soloist at every National major event, and is trying to get her into his hands. However, Tosca is secretly in love with a revolutionist and painter Cavaradossi. Scarpia, who knows that normal courtship cannot get her heart, wants to destroy Cavaradossi and get Tosca. 

She tries to save Cavaradossi, who is being tortured by Scarpia on charges of hiding Angelotti, and offers Scarpia a bribe. However, Scarpia, who is notorious for enjoying bribes in Rome, refuses the bribes at this time and demands physical relationship. Tosca, who doesn't want to allow her body, eventually stabs Scarpia with a knife and kills him, and her lover Cavaradossi is executed. 

Thinking that his execution is not real, Tosca runs to him and is surprised at his bloody body. At that time, Tosca, who avoided Scarpia's subordinate Spoletta, trying to catch her, throws herself under the castle.

You can listen to all the arias selected in this course from following YouTube link.

1. Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du him?, Fidelio (Beethoven)

2. Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate, Nabucco (Verdi)

3. O Carlo, ascolta, Don Carlos (Verdi)

4. La mamma morta, Andrea Chénier (Giordano)

5. Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore, Tosca (Puccini)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSmshmgJzYhey045ykgSVhSHYLgYBfISD

You can also review this lecture from following media.

Blog (Korean)

Naver TV

Naver Post

Next week, I will lecture 8th "Opera" course as my 42nd lecture.

Thank you.

36. Opera 2: Tragic Love between Man and Woman, ACJ Music Academy

How are you?

Following the last week, I am going to start my 36th lecture.

I had conducted music lectures at Art Collage JANG in Seoul, South Korea every Saturday from March 2015 to December 2017.

I am going to introduce the lecture by the lecture’s order every Saturday.

Please refer to the following link for my previous lectures.

https://blog.naver.com/csydr/220995605864

Today's lecture is five operas featuring “Tragic Love between Man and Woman”, which was introduced in “The 36th ACJ Music Academy” on February 27, 2016.

1. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)

It is a three-act tragedy opera written by Donizetti and Salvadore Cammarano wrote libretto based upon Sir Walter Scott's novel “The Bride of Lammermoor”.

Enrico Ashton tries to marry his sister Lucia to a rich Arturo to revive his family, but Lucia is in love with Edgardo, whose families were enemies between ancestors. Recognizing this relationship, Enrico interrupts the love of the two by intercepting and changing the contents of love letters from Edgardo to Lucia. Not knowing this, Lucia blames Edgardo for a change of his heart, accepts her engagement with Arturo, which her brother forces, and signs her marriage certificate. Then, Edgardo appears and Lucia knows the truth, but in despair, she stabs the groom and kills herself on the first night of the marriage. Upon hearing the news, Edgardo suffers affliction and goes to Lucia's grave to commit suicide.

2. La Traviata (Verdi)

It is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on “La Dame aux Camélias (1852)”, a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas fils.

The main character, Violetta, lives every day in nobles and bourgeois men who are enjoying parties with social prostitutes every night. One day a young bourgeois Alfredo, who was watching her, confesses his love to Violetta, whose health deteriorated with alcohol and cigarettes, but she knows that it is impossible to realize. In the end, however, the two live in a suburb of Paris, without marriage. But Alfredo, who has not yet inherited his possessions from his father, lives in the house where Violetta sells her stuff to make money for living. He doesn't even care about what money they're living, but after hearing from Annina, Violetta's maid, he goes out to earn money. In the meantime, Alfredo's father, Germont, comes to the country house where Alfredo and Violetta live to find his son. At first, he thought his son would feed the prostitutes and attack Violetta, but knowing that his son is living due to her, he changes his attitude toward her. However, Germont asks her to break up with Alfredo because Alfredo's sister has to marry, but the marriage might be broken due to the rumors that her brother is living with a prostitute. Eventually Violetta leaves and returns to the world of prostitution. Misunderstanding her, Alfredo appears at a party and insults Violetta and leaves. Finally, the truth is revealed, Alfredo returns to Violetta and Germont accepts her, but she dies of illness.

3. Evgeny Onegin (Tchaikovsky)

It is a three-act opera composed by Tchaikovsky and the libretto was organized by the composer himself and his friend Konstantin Shilovsky, based on a novel by the same name by Alexander Pushkin.

An aristocratic youth, Onegin, comes to a relative in the countryside to receive a legacy, becomes close to the poet Lensky. They go to the home of Lensky's lover, Olga, where Onegin meets Olga and her sister, Tatyana. Passionate Lensky falls in love with Olga, who has lively and active character, but Onegin is interested in Tatyana, who is a passive dreamer and a book lover. In a quiet rural life, Tatyana felt intense affection for Onegin and tried to restrain her feelings all night, but eventually wrote a letter for the confession of love to Onegin. But Onegin, who doesn't want marriage and family bondage, refuses to Tatyana’s love. At the ball at Olga's house, Lensky gets upset when he saw Onegin dances with Olga, and as Onegin and Olga laugh at him, infuriated Lensky filed a duel with Onegin. In the duel, Onegin killed his friend Lensky, and he wanders the world for a while, and reunites with Tatyana at the ball. Seeing Tatyana, who married to the Prince Gremin, the battlefield veteran, and became the social queen, Onegin begged her to start again. Tatyana bids him farewell forever, leaving him alone and in despair.

4. Werther (Massenet)

It is a four-act opera composed by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann, based on the novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The main character, Werther, loves Charlotte, who was engaged to Albert, but she is married soon. Werther, in desperate love, is obsessed with the poetry of the ancient Irish poet Ossian with the same sentiment. Werther and Charlotte, who were reading the poems of Ossian together, “Pourquoi me réveiller?,” feel passionate emotions, weep, hug and kiss. However, Charlotte declares an eternal farewell to Werther. Then, Werther leaves a long letter to Charlotte and commits suicide with the pistol of Albert.

5. La Bohème (Puccini)

It is an opera in four acts, composed by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on “Scènes de la vie de bohème” by Henri Murger published in 1851.

Set in the Latin Quarter of Paris, where poor artists and young people live, Rodolfo, a poet, talks with a painter Marcello in an unburned room, and when Colline, a philosopher, comes in, they burn the manuscript of Rodolfo's drama.

Musician friend, Schaunard, comes in and says, “I made money with a weird part-time job by playing music and killing annoying parrots” and he goes with his friends to enjoy Christmas Eve.

Rodolfo, who stayed for writing, falls in love with Mimì, who lives in a neighboring room and comes to get matches. The two begins to live together but Rodolfo, who couldn't make enough money, suffers from the fact that Mimi's illness of lung disease and the asthma is getting worse, and finally declares her separation.

However, Mimi, weakened by the despair of parting, eventually returns to Rodolfo after wandering and dies while his friends watch.

You can listen to all the arias selected in this course from following YouTube link.

1. Il dolce suono, Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)

2. Libiamo ne’lieti calici, La Traviata (Verdi)

3. Kuda, kuda, kuda, vy udalilis, Evgeny Onegin (Tchaikovsky)

4. Pourquoi me reveiller?, Werther (Massenet)

5. Che gelida manina, La Boheme (Puccini)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSmshmgJzYhcdfAIPSBt9L6xfSd9wFD2C

Next week, I will lecture 3rd "Opera" course as my 37th lecture.

Thank you.

KoreanBlog