DCXCVIII. HAYDN, Franz Joseph: Cassation #2 in B-Flat Major, K. 99

DCXCVIII. HAYDN, Franz Joseph (1732-1809)

Cassation #2 in B-Flat Major, K. 99 (1759)
1. Cassatio: Pastorale allegro (3:08)
2. Minuetto (3:50)
3. Allegro (2:46)
Members of the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble
Jakob Lindberg, cond.

This is an arrangement for lute and strings from String Quartet #1.

1. Cassatio: Pastorale allegro

2. Minuetto

3. Allegro

DCXCVII. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus / CZERNOWIN, Chaya: Zaide • Adama

DCXCVII. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791) / CZERNOWIN, Chaya (1957-     )

Zaide, K. 344  (1779-80) • Adama (2006)
Mojca Erdmann, Zaide
Topi Lehtipuu, Gomatz
Johan Reuter, Allazim
John Mark Ainsley, Sultan Soliman
Renato Girolami, Osmin
Noa Frenkel, Woman
Yaron Windmüller, Man
Andreas Fischer, Father
Paul Lorenger, Dancer
Bernd Grawert, Actor
Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg
Ivor Bolton, cond.
Österreichisches Ensemble für Neue Musik
Johannes Kalitzke, cond.
Act 1 (1:02:30)
Act 2 (1:06:48)

Zaide is an unfinished opera/singspiel, which Mozart composed for Emperor Joseph II's German opera company. The Turkish setting and the plot would inspire Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1782), but as he was writing Zaide, he began work on Idomeneo (1781), and never returned to the project.

Missing is an overture and third act.

**

In this 2006 Salzburg production, contemporary music and text were intermingled by the Israeli composer, Chaya Czernowin -- bringing the present day Israeli-Palestinian conflict into the mix. It makes for a powerful, unique operatic tableaux ...

ACT ONE

Opening Credits • ADAMA: Alone (Man, Woman)

Two sensitive, lonely people -- a Palestinian man and an Israeli woman -- are lost in thought.

ZAIDE: No. 1 Chorus: "Brüder, lasst uns lustig sein" (Chorus)

Gomatz, a Christian, is a prisoner in Sultan Soliman's harem, where he has to work in a quarry. The other slaves in the Sultan's work camp bow to their fate, while singing a confident song. Gomatz, by contrast, is in physical pain. He cannot understand how the others can be so unfeeling. Exhausted by the sheer hard work, he rails at his lot, longing for a chance to recover from his labours and ease his discomfort, before finally sinking into a deep sleep.

No. 2 Melologue: "Unerforschliche Fügung!" (Gomatz)

ADAMA: From Morning Till Evening (Man, Woman)

Words such as "unfeeling," "work," and "wounds" find an emotional echo in the Man and Woman. The Man thinks and speaks in Arabic, the Woman in Hebrew.

ZAIDE: No. 3 Aria: "Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben" (Zaide)

Zaide, whom the Sultan has courted in vain, sees the sleeping Gomatz, falls in love with him and leaves behind her portrait.

ADAMA: Work (Interlude)
ZAIDE: No. 4 Aria: "Rase, Schicksal, wüte immer" (Gomatz)

Gomatz wakes up and immediately falls in love with the portrait. His love of Zaide gives him the strength to bear his lot.

ADAMA: Trying (Woman, Man)

The Man and Woman approach each other very tentatively. Both are torn between feelings of attraction, fear and the memory of old wounds. The text revolves around the words "trying," "wounds," "come," and "in vain."

ZAIDE: No. 5 Duet: "Meine Seele hüpft vor Freuden" (Zaide, Gomatz)
ADAMA: Mouth (Man, Woman)

Zaide and Gomatz sing a love duet. The Palestinian Man and the Israeli Woman likewise admit to their love for one another.

ZAIDE: No. 6 Aria: "Herr und Freund, wie dank ich dir" (Gomatz)
ADAMA: Sun, Sky (Woman, Man)

Drunk with love, Gomatz thanks God for bringing him together with Zaide. The Man and Woman in Adama revel in visions of redemption. Given the similarity between the Hebrew and Arabic words for "sun" and "sky," what they say sounds very similar.

ZAIDE: No. 7 Aria: "Nur mutig, mein Herze (Allazim)

Allazim, who enjoys the Sultan's particular favour, encourages the couple and promises to help them escape.

ADAMA: Earth, Blood, Mother (Man, Woman)

A highly erotic encounter between the Man and Woman turns at its climax into their old hatred. In their fury, they hurl at each other the words for "earth," "blood," and "mother."

ZAIDE: No. 8 Trio: "O selige Wonne" (Zaide, Gomatz, Allazim)

Zaide and Gomatz, conversely, are united in love. They decide to elope together.

ACT TWO

ZAIDE: No. 9 Melologue und Aria: "Zaide entflohen!" (Soliman)

"Der Stolze Löw' lässt sich zwar zähmen (Soliman)

ADAMA: Interlude
ZAIDE: No. 10 Aria: "Wer hungrig bei der Tafel sitzt" (Osmin)

Soliman discovers that Zaide and Gomatz have fled and is beside himself with fury and wounded pride. Osmin tells him that it was Allazim who helped them to escape. He adds that he has already given instructions for the pair to be pursued and is confident they will soon be found. Solimon swears bloody revenge.

ADAMA: Interlude
ZAIDE: No. 11 Aria: "Ich bin so bös als gut" (Soliman)

ADAMA: Stoning (Father, Crowd)

The Man and Woman are punished by a member of their respective cultures, the archetypal father figure. They are additionally cursed by the furious crowd of their people. Both are condemned for betraying their people.

ZAIDE: No. 12 Aria: "Trostios schluchzet Philomele" (Zaide)

Zaide sings of the fate of the nightingale, whose song tells of its tears at having been robbed of its freedom.

ADAMA: Blood (Father, Crowd)

The Father and the crowd demand that the Adama couple be punished.

ZAIDE: No. 13 Aria: "Tiger! Wetze nur die Klauen" (Zaide)

Ziade longs for death.

ADAMA: Beating (Father)

The Father orders the couple to be beaten.

ZAIDE: No. 14 Aria: "Ihr Mächtigen seht ungerührt (Allazim)

Allazim seeks to mediate and pleads for compassion and mercy.

ADAMA: Tears

The characters from both Zaide and Adama appear together onstage for the first and last time in the work; they grieve. This grief is the only point they have in common, and it forms a kind of negative climax to the work.

ZAIDE: No. 15 Quartet: "Freundin, stille deine Tränen" (Gomatz, Allazim, Soliman, Zaide)

The final quartet brings no reconciliation: Zaide begs Soliman to kill her but to spare Gomatz. Soliman remains implacable: "Both of you must die!"

DCXCVI. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: Symphony #46 in C Major, K. 96

DCXCVI. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

Symphony #46 in C Major, K. 96 (1771)
1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Menuetto
4. Molto allegro
Academy of St-Martins-in-the-Field
Neville Marriner, cond.
(12:08)

Yes, another symphony with a number higher than 41 [see also Post CLXXXVI] ...

Since no autograph survived, there is some uncertainty -- but it sure does sound like the 15-year-old boy wonder!

First movement

Second movement

Third movement

Fourth movement

DCXCV. VIVIER, Claude: Lonely Child

DCXCV. VIVIER, Claude (1948-1983)

Lonely Child (1980)
Marie-Danielle Parent, soprano
Orchéstre Métropolitain de Montréal
Serge Garant, cond.
(19:07)

Spectral music

DCXCIV. BARTÓK, Béla: The Wooden Prince

DCXCIV. BARTÓK, Béla (1881-1945)

The Wooden Prince (1914-16)
1. Curtain
2. Dance of the princess in the forest
3. The prince starts on his way
4. Dance of the trees -- Stuggle-dance
5. Restored from his lassitude the prince walks / Dance of the waves -- an idea enters his mind
6. Anxious suspense
7. Dance of the princess with the wooden puppet
8. The prince behind in great despair. The fairy steps out of the forest
9. The fairy takes curly golden hair
10. The princess in her endeavour to make him dance
11. The princess tries to persuade the prince to her side to dance with her
12. Quite alarmed, the princess hurries toward him
13. Yet the prince persists and finally embraces her. Long kiss.
Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra
András Kórodi, cond.
(41:43)

"A prince comes across a princess in the midst of a flower garden, by a brook in the forest. The Fairy of Nature had just then driven the princess back into her palace. The prince tries to reach her but is prevented by the forest and the brook. Thereupon he carves a wooden puppet, adorned with his robe and crown and even cuts off his hair and puts it on the puppet's head. The ruse is successful. The decorated lures the princess out from her palace and she only has eyes for him. The love-lorn prince stands before her divested and bereft, in vain. The princess flees to the puppet in horror. At the fairy's command, however, the puppet becomes animated and begins a dance of fearsome demonical character. The princess dances with it and the broken, disillusioned prince remains alone. Nature takes pity on his sorrow. At the fairy's command, the trees and flowers bow before him, and adorn him with a crown of flowers. Meanwhile, the wooden puppet stumbles like a run-down toy and the princess grows weary of it. Now she notices the prince and would go to him but it is now she who is prevented by the forces of nature. She will only become worthy of the prince's love if she, too, voluntarily gives up her crown as sign of repentance. Nature raises both of them to herself." -- József Ujfalussy

DCXCIII. CAGE, John: Six Melodies

DCXCIII. CAGE, John (1912-1992)

Six Melodies (1950)
Hilary Hahn, violin
Cory Smythe, piano
(12:47)

DCXCII. HAYDN, Franz Joseph: Widow, Are Ye Waking?

DCXCII. HAYDN, Franz Joseph (1732-1809)

Scottish Songs: Widow, Are Ye Waking?
Lorna Anderson, soprano
Jamie MacDougall, tenor
Haydn Eisenstadt Trio
(2:20)

DCXCI. HAYDN, Franz Joseph: Symphony #21 in A Major

DCXCI. HAYDN, Franz Joseph (1732-1809)

Symphony #21 in A Major (1764)
1. Adagio
2. Presto
3. Menuett and trio
4. Allegro molto
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
Giordano Bellincampi, cond.
(16:28)

First movement

Second movement

Third movement

Haydn (1764)

No copyright law existed back then, or Haydn would have had a real good case!

Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (3rd mvmnt) (1787)

Fourth movement

DCXC. HARRISON, Lou: Symphony #3

DCXC. HARRISON, Lou (1917-2003)

Symphony #3 (1982)
1. Allegro moderato
2. Reel in honor of Henry Cowell
3. A Waltz for Evelyn Hinrichsen
4. An Estampie for Susan Summerfield
5. Largo ostinato
6. Allegro
Gabrillo Music Festival Orchestra
Dennis Russell Davies, cond.
(33:04)

DCLXXXIX. MYASKOSKY, Nikolai: Symphony #20 in E Major, Op. 50

DCLXXXIX. MYASKOVSKY, Nikolai (1881-1950)

Symphony #20 in E Major, Op. 50 (1940)
1. Allegro con spirito
2. Adagio
3. Allegro inquieto
State Academic Symphonic Orchestra of Russia
Evgeny Svetlanov, cond.
(27:02)

A typically gargantuan symphony from one of the greatest of all symphonists.

First movement

Second movement

A particularly poignant Adagio.

Third movement

DCLXXXVIII. VIVALDI, Antonio: Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins and Orchestra, RV 514

DCLXXXVIII. VIVALDI, Antonio (1678-1741)

Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins and Orchestra, RV 514
1. Allegro non molto
2. Adagio
3. Allegro molto
Nicola Benedetti, violin
Katharina Spreckelsen, violin
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Jonathan Cohen, cond.
(11:35)

First movement

Second movement

Third movement

DCLXXXVII. BACH, J.S.: Prelude and Fugue in E Minor, BWV 855

DCLXXXVII. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)

Prelude and Fugue in E Minor, BWV 855 (1722)
The Swingle Singers
(3:02)

They cut short the Prelude; the drummer (brushes) adds a lot of the energy to the Fugue.

DCLXXXVI. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: Sonata #33 in E-Flat Major for Piano and Violin, K. 481

DCLXXXVI. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

Sonata #33 in E-Flat Major for Piano and Violin, K. 481 (1785)
1. Molto allegro
2. Adagio
3. Allegretto
Julia Fischer, violin
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano
(21:52)

A late work, filled with great ideas and meticulously detailed attention to development.

First movement

For example, this movement -- in sonata form -- contains three different subjects in the exposition, all thoroughly developed ...

but a big surprise in the development is the introduction of a completely new theme, which should sound familiar:

from Symphony #41 ("Jupiter"):

Second movement

A soothing Rondo which modulates enharmonically to the distant keys of A Major and C-Sharp Minor.

Third movement

Theme and Variations which becomes increasingly more complex, with each new variation: