Three Italian Art Songs Gaetano Donizetti Kojelyte Johnson, soprano

Описание: Taken from an Alumnae Vocal Recital presented on October 29, 2011 at Saint Xavier University. Kojelyte Johnson is a 2009 graduate of the Vocal Performance degree program at SXU, and a student of Dr. Jan Bickel. The accompanist is Monica Kropidlowski, an SXU staff accompanist.

Gaetano Donizetti was born in Bergamo, Italy in 1797 to poor working people. Along with his eldest brother Giuseppe, Donizetti's musical talent was nurtured by training offered at their hometown cathedral, where the well-known musical director at the time, Johannes Simon Mayr, encouraged Donizetti's musical growth in every respect. Donizetti composed over 600 works, including 60 operas in a thirty-year time frame. Alongside Vincenzo Bellini and Gioacchino Rossini, he was a leading composer in the bel canto ("beautiful singing") style. Donizetti was known to have a warm and charming personality, and upheld a high sense of responsibility to nurture and display Italian music; much of these traits can be heard in his compositions. In 1843 Gaetano Donizetti displayed symptoms of syphilis. His mental decline caused him to be placed in a sanatorium, but his nephew managed to remove him from the sanatorium to live with close family and friends until his death in 1848.

Sull'onda cheta e bruna: Barcarola

Upon the silent, dark water,
just before the moonrise,
quickly, o gondolier,
please embark on your course,
but be sure to lightly cares the sea.
That only my dear Leonora,
who sings anxiously all the while,
may hear my heart beating with love,
her lover faithfully rowing.


Amiamo (Let's Love)

Now that our youth is inviting,
let us seek happiness.
The moment of pleasure passes and does not return.
Life can be serious and dreary
if no one gathers the flowers.
Fresh roses adorns love.
The more beautiful you are, the more you owe
to love your offerings and vows.
No other gift will do for love's devotion.
Let's love because the days are brief.
A day without love
is just a day of sadness, a day lost.
La Gondola

Quickly get into this little gondola with me,
get in, lovely Cloris.
Come, let us seek together
the cooling breezes
to relieve the heat of the day.
Come, the shimmering waves
already mirror the moonlight,
just as the breezes kiss the peaceful lagoon,
they will also kiss you.
Come, and let the wind set your very black hair waving,
and my heart will beat with it,
if these two things are comparable,
then let it be so.
You will see the heavens cleared above
with brilliantly glowing stars,
two stars shining the brightest of them all
are sisters that God created,
and they adorn your face.
Step down, beautiful Cloris,
and you will see me blessed,
my heart in tender ecstasy
To have you sit beside me,
with love to nourish my soul.
I will take your white right hand
and press it gently upon my heart,
and you will feel how frequent is
the beating of my heart.

*Paton, John Glenn, ed. 20 Songs by Donizetti. Alfred Publishing Co., 1996.