The Twenty-Second Annual Spring Recital
Jane Bishop, mezzo-sopranoLeslie Crabtree, accompanist
with Darlene Moak, contralto
I. Two Romantic Songs by Leslie Crabtree
1. Evening Song (Willa Cather)
2. Madrigal (Michelangelo Buonarotti)
II. Franz Schubert: Die Junge Nonne (Jakob Nikolaus, Reichsfreiherr von Craigher de Jachelutta)
(Ms. Moak)
III. Two Depressing Russian Songs by Leslie Crabtree
1. Depressia (Aleksandr Pushkin)
2. Vyeter Voyet (Maria Petrovykh)
IV. Two UnrelatedSongs (Ms. Moak)
1. Gabriel Faure: Les Berceaux (Rene-Francois Sully-Prudhomme)
2. Johannes Brahms: Wie Melodien zieht es... (Klaus Groth)
V. Two Shakespeare Sonnets set by Leslie Crabtree
Sonnet XLIV: If the dull substance of my flesh were thought
Sonnet XLV: The other two, slight air and purging fire
VI. Three Poems by Matthaus von Collin set by Franz Schubert
1. Der Zwerg
2. Licht und Liebe (duet)
3. Epistel an Herrn Josef von Spaun, Assessor in Linz
VII. Three Songs involving a Forest
1. Wolfgang Mozart: Dans un bois solitaire (Antoine Houdar de la Motte)
2. Robert Schumann: Waldesgesprach (Johann Freiherr von Eichendorff)
3. Leslie Crabtree: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (Robert Frost)
VIII. Two Duets
1. Felix Mendelssohn: Abschiedslied der Zugvogel (Hoffmann von Fallersleben)
2. Leslie Crabtree: Duet from "Measure for Measure" (Jane Bishop, after Shakespeare)
Evening Song
Dear love, what thing of all the things that be
Is ever worth one thought from you or me,
Save only Love,
Save only Love?
The days so short, the nights so quick to flee,
The world so wide, so deep and dark the sea,
So dark the sea;
So far the sun and every listless star,
Beyond their light — Ah! dear, who knows how far,
Who knows how far?
One thing of all dim things I know is true,
The heart within me knows, and tells it you,
And tells it you.
So blind is life, so long at last is sleep,
And none but Love to bid us laugh or weep,
And none but Love,
And none but Love.
Madrigal
Come può esser ch’ io non sia più mio?How can it be that I am no longer my own?
O dio, o dio, o dio!O God, o God, o God!
Chi mi tolse a me stesso,Who took me from myself,
Ch’ a me fusse più presso,So that he could be closer to me,
O più di me, che mi possa esser io?Or more mine than I myself could be?
O dio, o dio, o dio!O God, o God, o God!
Come mi passa ‘l coreHow he passes into my heart
Chi non par che mi tocchi!Without seeming to touch me!
Che cosa è questa, amore,What kind of thing is this, love,
Ch’ al core entra per gli occhi;Which enters the heart through the eyes,
E s’ avvien che trabocchiAnd if it overflows
Per poco spazio, dentro par che cresca?Through a little space, seems to grow inside?
Die junge NonneThe Young Nun
Wie braust durch die Wipfel der heulende Sturm!How the howling storm rages through the treetops!
Es klirren die Balken, es zittert das Haus!The rafters are creaking, the house shakes!
Es rollet der Donner, es leuchtet der Blitz!The thunder rolls, the lightning flashes!
Und finster die Nacht wie das Grab!And the night is as dark as the grave!
Immerhin, immerhin,All the time, all the time,
So tobt’ es auch jüngst noch in mir!Once it raged like that in me!
Es brauste das Leben, wie jetzo der Sturm!My life raged, as the storm does now,
Es bebten die Glieder, wie jetzo das Haus!My limbs trembled, as the house does now,
Es flammte die Liebe, wie jetzo der Blitz!My love flamed, as the lightning does now,
Und finster die Brust, wie das Grab!And my heart was as dark as the grave!
Nun tobe, du wilder, gewalt’ger Sturm!Now rage on, you wild and powerful storm!
Im herzen ist Friede, im herzen ist Ruh!In my heart is peace, in my heart is rest!
Des Bräutigams harret die liebende Braut,The loving bride awaits her Bridegroom,
gereinigt in prufender Glut purified by the fire
der ewigen Liebe getraut.of eternal love.
Ich harre, mein Heiland, mit sehnendem Blick;I wait, my Saviour, with longing gaze,
komm, himmlischer Bräutigam, hole die Braut!Come, heavenly Bridegroom, take your bride!
Erlöse die Seele von irdischer Haft!Free my soul from its earthly prison!
Horch! friedlich ertönet das Glöcklein vom Turm;Hark! the peaceful sounds of the bells in the tower!
es lockt mich das süsse GetönThe sweet sound, all-powerful,
allmächtig zu ewigen Höhn.lures me to the eternal heights.
Alleluia! Alleluia!Alleluia! Alleluia!
DepressiaDepression
Ya pyerezhil svoi zhelanya,I endured my own longings,
Ya razlyubil svoi myechti;I fell out of love with my own dreams;
Ostalis mnye odni stradanya,I was left with nothing but sufferings,
Plodi syerdyechnoii pustoti.Fruits of an empty heart.
Pod buryami sudbi zhestokoiiBeneath the storms of cruel destiny
Uvyal tsvyetushchii moii vyenyets—My early promise faded –
Zhivu pyechalniy, odinokoii,Ilivesadandalone,
I zhdu: pridyot li moii konyets?I wait: is my end approaching?
Tak, pozdnim khladom porazhonniy,And so I feel the late cold,
Kak buri slishen zimniy svist,And hear the storm’s winter howl,
Odin — na vyetkye obnazhonnoiy,Alone – on the bare branch
Trepyeshchet zapozdaliy list!...One last leaf trembles!...
Vyetyer voyet
Vyetyer votet, vyetyer svishet,
Eto nichevo.
Pobrodi na pyepyelishye
Syerdtse moyevo.
Ti lyubil pod lunnim svyetom
Pobrodit poroii.
Ti nyedarom bil poetom
Byedniy moii gyeroii.
Ya glazam nye vyeyu, ti li,
Pogrushyonniy v son,
Pryeklonivshiysa k Dalilye,
Gibnuschii Samson.
Tol k Dalila, tol k mogila,
Tolko nye ko mnye,
Nye k moyeii nyevolnoii silye.
Virossheii v ognye.
Vzyavshyesa na pyepyelishye
Syerdtse moyevo,
Tam, gdye tolko vyetyer svishet,
Bolshe nichevo.A big fat nothing.
Les BerceauxThe Cradles
Le long du quai, les grands vaisseaux,Along the quay, the great ships,
Que la houle incline en silence,that ride the swell in silence,
Ne prennent pas garde aux berceaux,take no notice of the cradles
Que la main des femmes balance.that the hands of the women rock
Mais viendra le jour des adieux,But the day of farewells will come,
Car il faut que les femmes pleurent,because women must weep,
Et que les hommes curieuxand curious men must be tempted
Tentent les horizons qui leurrent!towards the horizons that lure them!
Et ce jour-là les grands vaisseaux,And that day the great ships,
Fuyant le port qui diminue,sailing away from the diminishing port,
Sentent leur masse retenuefeel their bulk held back
Par l'âme des lointains berceaux.by the spirits of the distant cradles.
Wie MelodienLike melodies...
Wie Melodien zieht es Like melodies, the idea runs
mir leise durch den Sinn,Softly through my mind,
wie Frühlingsblumen blüht esBlooming like spring flowers
und schwebt wie Duft dahin.And wafting like a scent.
Doch kommt das Wort und fasst esThen comes the word and seizes it
und führt es vor das Aug,And leads it before the eye;
wie Nebelgrau erblasst esIt pales like a grey cloud
und schwindet wie ein Hauch.And vanishes like a breath.
Und dennoch ruht im ReimeAnd yet in the rhyme
verborgen wohl ein Duft,Lies hidden a scent,
den mild aus stillem KeimeWhich, from its quiet origin,
ein feuchtes Auge ruft.Mildly calls forth a tear.
Sonnet 44
If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,
Injurious distance should not stop my way;
For then despite of space I would be brought
From limits far remote where thou dost stay.
No matter then although my foot did stand
Upon the farthest earth removed from thee;
For nimble thought can jump both sea and land
As soon as think the place where he would be.
But ah! thought kills me that I am not thought,
To leap large lengths of miles when thou art gone,
But that so much of earth and water wrought
I must attend time's leisure with my moan,
Receiving nought by elements so slow
But heavy tears, badges of either's woe.
Sonnet 45
The other two, slight air and purging fire,
Are both with thee, wherever I abide;
The first my thought, the other my desire,
These present-absent with swift motion slide.
For when these quicker elements are gone
In tender embassy of love to thee,
My life, being made of four, with two alone
Sinks down to death, oppress'd with melancholy;
Until life's composition be recured
By those swift messengers return'd from thee,
Who even but now come back again, assured
Of thy fair health, recounting it to me:
This told, I joy; but then no longer glad,
I send them back again and straight grow sad.
Der ZwergThe Dwarf
Im truben Licht verschwinden schon die Berge,In the dim light the mountains have vanished,
es schwebt das Schiff auf glatten Meereswogen,The boat floats on the calm sea surface,
worauf die Königin mit ihrem Zwerge.And in it the queen with her dwarf.
Sie schaut empor zum hochgewölbten Bogen,She looks aloft at the high overarching sky,
hinauf zur lichtdurchwirkten blauen Ferne,Out at the distance streaked with blue
die mit der Milch des Himmels blass durchzogen.Which has become pale with the milk of heaven.
Nie habt ihr mir gelogen noch, ihr Sterne,“You have never yet lied to me, you stars,”
so ruft sie aus, bald werd’ ich nun entschwinden,She calls out, “soon I will vanish,
Ihr sagt es mir; doch sterb’ ich wahrlich gerne.So you tell me; yet truly I die gladly.”
Da tritt der Zwerg zur Königin, mag bindenThen the dwarf comes up to the queen, and binds
um ihren Hals die Schnur von roter Seide,Around her throat a cord of red silk,
und weint als wollt’ er schnell vor Gram erblinden.And weeps as though he would go blind from grief.
Er spricht: Du selbst bist Schuld an diesem Leide,He speaks: “You are to blame for this sorrow,
weil um den König du mich hast verlassen;Because you left me for the king;
jetzt weckt dein Sterben einzig mir noch Freude.Now only your death will give me joy.
Zwar werd’ ich ewiglich mich selber hassen,“It is true I will hate myself forever,
der dir mit dieser Hand den Tod gegeben,Because you are dying at my hand;
doch mußt zum frühen Grab du nun erblassen.Still you must fade into an early grave.”
Sie legt die Hand aufs Herz voll jungem Leben,She lays her hand on her heart, full of young life,
und aus dem Aug’ die schweren Tränen rinnen,And from her eyes flow heavy tears
das sie zum Himmel betend will erheben.As she raises it pleading towards Heaven.
Mögst du nicht Schmerz durch meinen Tod gewinnen! ”May you not suffer pain from my death!”
Sie sagt’s; da kußt der Zwerg die bleichen Wangen, She says it; and the dwarf kisses her pale cheeks,
drauf alsobald vergehen ihr die Sinnen. And at once her senses leave her.
Der Zwerg schaut an die Frau vom Tod befangen,The dwarf looks at the woman overcome by death,
er senkt sie tief in Meer mit eig’nen Händen,He sinks her deep in the sea with his own hands,
ihm brennt nach ihr das Herz so voll Verlangen.And his heart burns for her, full of longing.
An keiner Küste wird er je mehr landen.He will never come to shore again.
Licht und LiebeLight and Love
Liebe ist ein süsses Licht,Love is a sweet light,
Liebe ist ein süsses Licht.Love is a sweet light.
Wie die Erde strebt zur SonneAs the earth strives toward the sun
und zu jenen hellen SternenAnd toward each clear star
in den weiten blauen Fernen,In the far blue distance,
strebt das Herz nach Liebeswonne;The heart strives toward the joy of love,
denn sie ist ein süsses Licht,For it is a sweet light,
denn sie ist ein süsses Licht.For it is a sweet light.
Sieh, wie hoch in stiller FeierSee how, high up in silent ceremony,
droben helle Sterne funkeln,Clear stars twinkle over us;
von der Erde fliehn die dunkeln,From earth flees the dark,
schwermuthsvollen trüben Schleier.Melancholy, dreary veil.
Wehe mir, wie so trübeWoe is me, I feel so dreary
fühl’ich tief mich im Gemüthe, Deep within my soul,
das in Freuden sonst erblühte, Which usually blossoms with joy,
nun vereinsamt ohne Liebe.But now is lonely without love.
Liebe ist ein süsses Licht...Love is a sweet light...
Epistel An Herrn Josef von Spaun, Assessor in Linz
(Recitativo)
Und nimmer schreibst du! Bleibest uns verloren,And you never write! Are you lost to us,
Ein starr Verstummter, nun für ew'ge Zeit?A frozen dumbstruck man, now and forever?
Vielleicht, weil neue Freunde du erkoren?Perhaps it’s because you’ve found new friends?
Wardst du Assessor denn am Tisch so breit,Have you become an Assessor at such a wide desk,
Woran beim Aktenstoß seufzt Langeweile,Where boredom sighs at the pile of papers,
Um abzusterben aller Freudigkeit?Where all happiness fades away?
Doch nein, nur wir sind's. Nur uns ward zu TheileBut no, only we are treated so. Only we get as our share
Dies Schweigen, dies Verstummen und Vergessen,This silence, this dumbness, this forgetting,
Armut und Not selbstan der kleinsten Zeile!Deprivation and want of even the smallest line!
Für jeden bist du schriftkarg nicht gesessen;For some you weren’t stingy sitting down to write,
Für manchen kamen Briefeangeflogen,For many, letters came flying in,
Und nach der Elle hast du sie gemessen;And you measured them out by the yard;
Doch uns, Barbar, hast du dein Herz entzogen!But from us, barbarian, you have withdrawn your heart!
(Aria)
Schwingt euch kühnzu bangen KlagenForce yourself bravely to face the complaints
aus empörter Brust hervor,From this indignant breast,
und, von Melodien getragen,And, with solemn melodies,
wagt euch an des fernen Ohr!Risk yourself on [replying to] the far-off ear!
Was er immer mag erwidern,What it always wants to answer,
dieses hier saget doch;This present word will say:
»Zwar vergessen jenes Biedern“Though all those worthy men forget,
denken wir in Liebe noch!«Let us still remember our love!”
Dans un bois solitaireIn a lonely forest
Dans un bois solitaire et sombre,In a dark and lonely forest,
je me promenais l'autre jour:I was taking a walk the other day:
Un enfant y dormait à l'ombre, A child was asleep there in the shade,
c'était le redoutable Amour.It was formidable Love himself.
J'approche, sa beauté me flatte, I approached, delighted by his beauty,
mais j'aurais dû m'en défier.But I should have stayed away.
J'y vis tous les traits d'une ingrate,I saw there all the features of an unkind woman
que j'avais juré d'oublier.Whom I had sworn to forget.
Il avait la bouche vermeille,He had a red mouth,
le teint aussi beau que le sien.The same beautiful shade as hers.
Un soupir m'échappe, il s'éveille:I let out a sigh, he awoke:
l'Amour se reveille de rien. Love reappeared out of thin air.
Aussitôt déployant ses aîlesImmediately spreading his wings
et saisissant son arc vengeur,And seizing his avenging bow,
d'une de ses flèches cruelles,With one of his cruel arrows,
en partant, il me blesse au coeur.As he left, he wounded me to the heart.
Va, dit-il, aux pieds de Sylvie,“Go,” he said, “to Sylvia's feet,
de nouveau languir et brûler:again to languish and burn:
Tu l'aimeras toute ta vie,You will love her all your life
pour avoir osé m'éveiller.For having dared to awaken me.”
WaldesgesprächForest Conversation
»Es ist schon spät, es ist schon kalt,“It’s already late, it’s already dark,
was reit’st du einsam durch den Wald?Why are you riding alone through the forest?
Der Wald ist lang, du bist allein,The forest is wide, you are alone,
du schöne Braut! ich führ’ dich heim.«You beautiful bride! I’ll take you home.”
»Gross is der Männer Trug und List,“Great is the deceit and cunning of men,
vor Schmerz mein Herz gebrochen ist,My heart is broken from pain,
wohl irrt das Waldhorn her und hin,The woodland horn strays here and there,
o flieh’! du weisst nicht, wer ich bin.«O flee! you don’t know who I am.”
»So reich geschmückt ist Ross und Weib,“The horse and the woman are so richly bedecked,
so wünderschön der junge Leib;Your young body is so wonderfully lovely;
jetzt kenn’ ich dich—Gott steh mir bei!Now I know you—God help me!
Du bist die Hexe Loreley!«You are the sorceress Lorelei!”
»Du kennst mich wohl, von hohem Stein“You know me well; on a high rock