Recital

A wild new project, almost finished…(hear the sample)…

In which I write a complete recital program for soprano and piano, with my own versions of traditional programming — old Italian songs and arias, German lieder, French art songs, and more.

Including an Italian opera scene, in dramatic verismo style (above), and a Broadway show tune.

I’ve credited these pieces to imaginary composers, and I’ll write their imaginary bios.

Here’s the program, with demos of the music (* marks three pieces I haven’t yet finished):

Texts by Pietro Metastasio, the supreme librettist in 18th century Italy. Music by three 18th century composers — newly discovered, I’ll say. One is a woman (Metastasio’s great favorite, as I imagine her).

Da voi cari numi

Score

Demo

Didone abbandonata

Score

Demo

Quel rusceletto

Score

Demo

Texts by H. E. Christiane von Hagen, an 18th century poet, with a swirling love of nature; music by Dietrich Meyerhof, of whom almost nothing is known, not even his birth and death dates

Das erste Veilchen

Score

Demo

An mein Gartenhäuschen

Score

Demo

Das Johanniswürmchen

Score

Demo

Texts from Proust and Paul Verlaine; music by Liliane Pierre, a Fauré protegée (though he found her music too modern)

[Untitled] (the first five sentences of Proust)

Score