Gender and the Mezzo Soprano
By
Michelle Whitescarver
With
Kathleen Deffley as Cornelia
Tanya Harmer as Lakme

A student of Bonita Bachman-Granite

Accompanied by Bette Holladay

November 30th, 20077:00 pm Boyd Recital Hall

This program is a unique combination of male and female roles in the operatic, musical theater, and art song repertoire.  Each song has a unique history, and fits into the gender of the mezzo soprano repertoire in a different way.  Some of the “pants” roles were entered only after the banning of castration, some were written for women in pants, and some are sung today by expert counter tenors.  

This program is by no means a complete sampling of all the styles in which mezzo soprano roles are found, but is one appropriate for my voice as it grows and changes.  Many of the male and female roles written for this voice type rely on a very heavy sound, which is only produced safely from a very mature voice.  

Having already completed a senior recital in the spring of 2006,  many have asked me what the purpose of this recital is.  While it does not have an official title and is not required, this recital is more like a senior recital for me.  My previous experience taught me many things about my voice.  In the two years I expected to stay at this school I longed for another solo goal to work toward.  It was nearly a year before I came up with this theme, and since then this has been an educational and rewarding experience.  I hope that this is true for you as well.  

Pants roles:  

Sextus in Giulio Cesare by Handel
	Son nata a lagrimar,  
	with Kathleen Deffley as Cornelia
Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart
	Voi che sapete
	Non so più cosa son
Siebel in Faust by Gounod
	Faites-lui mes aveux
Yentl in Yentl, words and music by Legrand
	Papa, can you hear me?

			INTERMISSION

Female roles: 

Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini
	Una voce poco fa
Frauenliebe und Leben by Schumann
	Süsser Freund (6)
	An meinem Herzen  (7)
Mallika in Lakmé by Délibes
	Sous les dômes épais
	With Tanya Harmer as Lakmé
Rosa in The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Holmes
	Rosa’s Confession

Son nata a lagrimar    Giulio Cesare          Handel
	(I am born into suffering)
Cornelia:
I am born into suffering, 
And my sweet comfort, ah, always weeping.
Sexto:
I am born into sighing,
And my sweet comfort, ah always weeping.

Voi che sapete	Le Nozze di Figaro        Mozart
	(You who know)
You who know what love is
Ladies, see if I have it in my heart
I’ll tell you what I am feeling
It is new for me, I understand nothing.

I have a feeling full of desire
Which is delightful, which is miserable!
I freeze, and then I feel my soul go up in flames
And in a moment, turn to ice!
I am searching for affection outside myself
I don't know how to have it, or what it is.

I sigh and lament without wanting to
I palpitate and tremble without knowing why
I feel no peace, night or day
But still I enjoy languishing this way.
You who know what love is
Ladies, see if I have it in my heart.  

Non so più cosa son   Le Nozze di Figaro   Mozart
	(I know not what I am)
I know not what I am, what to do
Whether I’m on fire or I’m frozen
Any woman makes me change color
Any woman makes me palpitate

Only at the mention of love, of delight
I feel disturbed, my heartbeat patters.
I try to speak of the force of love-
A desire I cannot explain

I know not what I am, what to do
Whether I’m on fire or I’m frozen
Any woman makes me change color
Any woman makes me palpitate

I speak of love awaking
I speak of love dreaming
To the water, to the shadows, to the mountains
To the flowers, to the grass, to the fountains
To the echos, the air, the wind
The sound of their vain accents is carried away.

I know not what I am doing what to do...
…

And if nobody listens
I will speak of love to myself!

Faites-lui mes aveux	Faust                      Gounod
	(Make to her my confession)

Make to her my confession, carry my wishes
Blooming flowers before her
Tell her she is beautiful
That my heart, night and day, languishes with love
Make to her my confession, carry my wishes
Reveal to her soul
The secret of my flame
So it exhales with you perfumes more sweet.

Wilted!  Alas, the sorcerer who God damns
Has brought me bad luck!
I cannot, without it wilting, touch a flower.
If I dip my finger in the holy water
Are they wilted? 
No!  Satan, I laugh at you!

It is in you I have faith, speak for me!
May she better understand
The emotions that she causes to be born
And of which my troubled heart has scarcely spoken
It is in you, I have faith, speak for me!
If love scares her
May the flower of her mouth
At lease try to deposit a sweet kiss,
A kiss, a sweet kiss!

Papa, can you hear me?	Yentl              Legrand

INTERMISSION

Una voce poco fa,   Il Barbiere di Siviglia        Rossini
	(A voice a short time ago)

A voice a short time ago
Here in my heart resounded
My heart is already wounded
And Lindoro is the one who plagued it
Yes, Lindoro shall be mine!
I swore it, the victory!

The tutor will reject me
I shall sharpen my wits
At the end he will resign
And contented I will be!
Yes, Lindoro shall be mine!
I swore it, the victory!

I am docile, I am respectful,
I’m obedient, sweet and loving.
I let people rule me, guide me.
But– if they touch me where I am vulnerable
I will be a viper!
And a hundred traps I will set 
Before I will surrender!  

Süsser Freund    Frauenliebe und Leben      Schumann	(Sweet friend)

Sweet friend, you look at me in wonder
Can you not understand why I weep?  
Let the moist pearl‘s unusual beauty
Playfully glitter in my eye.

How frightened is my breast, how full of joy!
If only I knew the words to tell you 
Come and hide your face here, on my breast.
While I whisper my delight into your ear.
     
Now do you you know the tears that I weep
If you cannot see them, you beloved, beloved man?
Stay on my heart, feel its throbbing
So that I may hold you only firmer and firmer.  
 
Here by my bed is the space for the cradle
Where my lovely dream hides in silence
There will come a morning when the dream awakens
And your image will smile at me from the cradle -
Your image!

An Meinem Herzen,Frauenliene und Leben 
		(On my heart)                       Schumann
		
On my heart, on my breast,
You my delight, you my joy!
Happiness is love, and love is happiness,
This I have said, and I shan’t recant. 
     
I had thought myself so fortunate,
But I am more than happy now.
Only she who nurses, only she who loves
The child, the one who she nourishes;

Only a mother can know
What living means, what happiness is.  
Oh, how sorry I am for men
Who cannot feel a mother’s bliss.
     
You dear, dear angel, you
You look up at me and smile!
On my heart, on my breast,
You my delight, you my joy!

Sous les dômes épais				         Délibes
	(Under the dome)
Lakmé:
	Come, Mallika!  The creepers are in flower
	Already they cast their shadow
	On the sacred river which flows, calm and serene,
	They have awakened by the song of the birds.
Mallika:
	Oh, mistress
	This is the time when your face smiles
	This is the time when I can read
	Into the always hidden hear of Lakme!

Mallika:
Under the dome 
Where the white jasmine,
Is intertwined with the rose,
On the bank in flower, 
         Laughing at the morning
Let us descend together. 

Gently floating
On its charming flow
On the river’s current
On the shining waves
One hand reaches out to, 
Reaching for the bank,
Where spring sleeps
And the birds, the birds sing
Under the dome of jasmine
Ah!  Calling us together

Lakmé:
Dome of white jasmine	

Is intertwined with the rose
Both in flower, fresh morning

Call us together

Ah, let us float along

On the river’s current
On the shining waves
Our hands reach out to
The flowering bank
Where the birds sing
O the lovely birds sing
Dome of white jasmine,
Calling us together!
Mallika:
Under the dome 
Where the white jasmine,
Is intertwined with the rose,
On the bank in flower, 
         Laughing at the morning
Let us descend together. 

Gently floating
On its charming flow
On the river’s current
On the shining waves
One hand reaches out to, 
Reaching for the bank,
Where spring sleeps
And the birds, the birds sing
Under the dome of jasmine
Ah!  Calling us together!

Lakmé:
But, I don’t know this subtle fear which enfolds me,
When my father goes alone to the cursed town,
I tremble, I tremble with fear!

Mallika:
Because the god Ganessa protects him, 
Let us venture to the joyous pool
The swans with wings of white
There we will gather the blue lotus.

Both:  
Under the dome of white jasmine…
…

Rosa’s Confession				  Holmes
	The Mystery of Edwin Drood 

This even brought to you by the support of 
the Rowan Music Department and my loving family.
Thanks:
Bonita Granite, Marian Stieber, Jon Garrison, Lourin Plant, Z. Randall Stroope
Mom, Marv, Dad, Charlotte, Uncle Myles
Greg, James, Amy, Jeff
Tanya Harmer, Kathleen Deffley
Bette Holladay
Beth Ricciardi, Jonathan Guito