Vocalist.org archive


From:  Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Date:  Sat Mar 17, 2001  7:42 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Put on your thinking caps!


dclark wrote:

> I have a mezzo-soprano who is interested in presenting a program (and
> writing the accompanying senior paper) on "The Power of Music." She has
> been working on a group of lullabies this year, and she thought she
> might like to do something on the theme of "Music's Power to Soothe."
> However, we have decided to broaden the theme to include music's power
> to do a lot of things.
Think about music's power to soothe, to
> inspire, to comfort, to seduce, to praise, etc.

With that theme, it would be hard to skip one of my
favorites, the Purcell "Music for a While" - in the context
of the play in which it appeared, it was an incantation, to
bring up some underworld-type spirits, I believe. And one of
his or others' settings of the Shakespeare text, "If Music
be the Food of Love".

The Schubert "An di musik" is an obvious song to be
considered.

I think a great seduction aria, which a lyric mezzo could
handle, is Susanna's "Deh vieni" from Marriage of Figaro.
Also, Cherubino's "Voi che sapete" is a song that Cherubino
wrote for the Countess, on whom he has a major crush, an
adolescent's attempt to gain the Countess's romantic
attention through song.

The Dalila aria, "Mon coeur s'ouvre ta voix" from
Saint-Saens' Samson and Dalila is one of the most famous
seduction arias in opera.


--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...

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