Graduate recital in voice performance

Includes recorded audio files in WAV and MP3 formats, 68:00 in lengthThe songs for this graduate recital program were chosen to represent contrasting styles from the Baroque to the Modem. They afforded a wide range of vocal artistry, emotional imagery, and performance techniques. Two songs and an aria, written by Handel, conform to the style of the early 18th century with the piano and the voice predominantly sharing the melody. The piano plays simple harmonies for its accompaniment, at times providing counterpoint to the voice. "Come and Trip It," the first song, is written in C minor as a brief theme and variations with the piano first stating the theme, followed by a question and answer format between the two. Ada capo aria from the opera Acis and Ga/athea, 1719, "As When the Dove Laments Her Love" opens on a brief four-bar recitative with the aria beginning in 3/8 meter in F Major. The piano plays arpeggiated chords that provide a flowing accompaniment to the voice. The voice begins the song of "Or Let the Merry Bells" imitating pealing bells on a descending D Major scale. The piano imitates the bells in single notes, adding octaves, then doubling the notes per measure. The Trois Melodies by Debussy are 20th century Impressionist pieces with ambiguous harmonies that provoke emotions without settling into definitive keys for any length of time. All three songs are stories of movement through a landscape with the piano and voice surging forward through the environment created by the poetry. "La Belle Au bois Dormant" is built on the piano accompaniment in 12/8 cantering across the music as the chevalier rides on his steed. "Voici que le Printemps" depicts the arrival of spring, reflecting a sense of gaiety and expectation with a wonderful play of words and direction in the music, rising and falling together. "Paysage Sentimental" portrays the feeling of forging through snow drifts with a deliberate pace set by chords in the piano. The songs composed by Rossini are written in the style of melodic arias. "L'Orgia" is presented in a verse and chorus form that portrays a rollicking drinking song in B-flat Major, using a boom-chuck-chuck rhythm in the piano's accompaniment. "La Partenza", written in G Major, is a tearful goodbye to the city of Nice. It makes use of the parallel g minor to add poignancy to the tune when the lyrics ask how life can be lived happily away from the city. The title of the song, "L'Invito," has Bolero written under it, indicating its dramatic and dance-like ambience. The piano begins with a passionate sweep upward which the voice imitates. The German Lieder are all written in a Romantic style using late 19th century harmonic sonorities. As is common in the Lied style, the accompaniment portrays the text evoking emotion or impersonating a character. (See more in text.