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recitals Becoming (or, is there life after opera?)
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songs of longing & experience
Stephen Chen, Mezzo
Karen Shumka, Piano
11 December 2003 | 7:30 PM
Holy Trinity Anglican, 1440 W 12th Ave, Vancouver
All proceeds to benefit Vancouver's Downtown Eastside Women's CenterI.
Barber, Must the Winter Come so Soon (Vanessa)
Poulenc, Hier (Trois Poemes de Louise Lalanne)
Ian Gordon, The Red DressIn the opening aria of the opera, Vanessa's young niece sings of the arrival of winter at the lonely chateau; this not only sets the stage for the events to follow but also foreshadows how winter, as a metaphor for age and experience, is about to come early for her. Both songs by Poulenc and Ian Gordon are coming-of-age songs set to the poetry of Louise Lalanne and Dorothy Parker respectively that employ the metaphor of a gown (Poulenc/Lalanne's begins with "The past is like a ragged gown ..." )
II.
Purcell, The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation
Eisler, Song of a German MotherTwo pieces revolving around motherhood and loss. Purcell dramatizes Mary's emotions as she searches for Jesus, while Eislersets the words of Bertolt Brecht to evoke a mother's lament at allowing her son to join the Nazi army.