Shohei Ushiroda - Madonna Imperia - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

La veglia is a single act opera by Arrigo Pedrollo (1878-1964) based on a libretto by Carlo Linati, taken from In the shadow of the Glen by Synge. It focuses on the role of the woman of humble conditions, exploited by those who promised her, with marriage, a happy life. The old herdsman, Dan Burke, pretends to be dead in order to discover her deception and to have proof of the guilt of his young wife, Nora. While the greedy Michele, interested in Nora's inheritance, having made his calculations, proposes marriage to her, Dan Burke rises in a powerful fury and violently chases his wife out of the house. Nora, after years of submission, finally attacks him, declaring her complete contempt for his horrible character, his avarice, his insensitivity. With bitterness in his heart for his most beautiful years Inchthrow awayInch he collects his poor things, and prepares, at dawn, to leave towards the unknown. But if the regret for not having enjoyed her youth properly and if the certainty of being left without a place to live oppress her soul, a new twist illuminates the dark story the meek and gentle Giramondo, to whom Nora, in that same night of wind and storm he had given shelter, comes to her rescue, offers her love, and the promise that, together and free, they will be able, in love, to know the world and the flowering of the seasons under the starry sky.

The Florentine Ezio Camussi (1877-1956) was judged by Leoncavallo Incha sure promise of our artInch and supported at thepublisher Sonzogno by Boito and Massenet. The libretto of Il Volto della Vergine by Paolo Buzzi is based on an ancient Christian legend, a miracle that occurred around 1425 in Florence. Fra Angelico is frescoing the Convent of San Marco and finds himself in difficulty in sketching the face of the Madonna. The teenage daughter of the gardener Fiorenzo, Grazia, beautiful and ill, asks to meet the painter, is enchanted by his work, and as she confesses to him her dreamed love for the young and handsome Lionello, the features of her face are miraculouslytransmitted to the image of the Virgin painted by Fra Angelico. The maiden dies.Camussi chooses a distinctly melodic language, both in the vocal writing and in the transparent orchestral support; he does not allow himself to be influenced by the solemn and declamatory examples of Pizzetti and Malipiero, and manages to create scenes of captivating, even if not very personal, singing, employing a technique of recurring thematic fragments, starting from those of the delicate Prelude.In this score, let's think of the mystical InchtaleInch of Fra Angelico, of his prayer to the Virgin InchCanta, Mistica RosaInch which Buzzi himself modeled as a sweet song, of Grazia's narration of her meeting with Lionello, of the intervention of the Novices InchDivin splendorInch which brightly closes the act.

Elisabeth Westenholz - Solo Piano Works 2 [COMPACT DISCS] date 09/18/1993