Being Autumn II

The great German composer Richard Strauss wrote "The Four Last Songs" a year before his death at 84 in the month of September. This song cycle, with the text of "September" written by Hermann Hesse, is among the greatest symphonic poems ever written.

Spring
September
Going to Sleep
Evening

Here is one of my favorite classical singers the American dramatic soprano, Jessye Norman, performing "September." Strauss reportedly wrote "The Four Last Songs" for the great dramatic Nordic soprano Kirsten Flagstad. But the lushness and largess of Norman's voice and the mastery of interpretation do not disappoint. She requires the listener to be patient as summer ends.

"September" is a masterpiece in composition and this performance is for the ages.




The garden is in mourning.
Cool rain seeps into the flowers.
Summertime shudders,
quietly awaiting his end.

Golden leaf after leaf falls
from the tall acacia tree.
Summer smiles, astonished and feeble,
at his dying dream of a garden.

For just a while he tarries
beside the roses, yearning for repose.
Slowly he closes
his weary eyes.

Being Inspired by Others

Here is one of my inspirations, Jessye Norman, singing Camille Saint-Saens's "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix," My heart opens itself to your voice. (In the post you will learn of two other inspirations: Dr. David Dichiera and Karen DiChiera.)



When I was a freshman in college I, along with a few other students, had lunch with Jessye Norman at the University of Michigan, her alma mater. At the luncheon she mentioned that if I were ever in New York to look her up. The next year my little budding artistic friend and I were treated to an extended weekend to NYC by her mother, Karen DiChiera, an educator and composer, who is a founding member of the Michigan Opera Theater.

Cristina's dad, David DiChiera, is the founding general director of the Michigan Opera Theater. He also simultaneously served as artistic director of Dayton Opera in Ohio and Opera Pacific in California. David is a renowned composer whose recent opera, Cyrano, has received international acclaim. If you are looking for a worthy artistic institution to give a tax-deductible donation, the Michigan Opera Theatre would be a great place. Not only do they present great opera and dance performances, they are dedicated to community programs. Since my adolescence, the DiChieras have mentored me. Do click on the link above to donate. But I digress for that important announcement.

Cristina and I were so excited to go to NYC. I had already visited more than a few times. But NYC is always a great place to visit and I was just as excited. We would stay near Lincoln Center and go to the opera, theater, symphony and museums. We were given extra money to catch cabs around the city. Karen made me promise that we would not ride the subway. Since I was the oldest (Cristina was only 14 and I was 19), I solemnly made the promise. Karen was relieved as she dropped us off at the airport. But it wasn't to be.

This week Cristina emailed me and reminded me of our trip:

So funny, I was telling Neal (her husband) about you last night and I told him about the trip to New York! How my mom gave us money to take cabs so we wouldn't go on the scary subway - and this was the late 80s so the subway was a little scary - and we took the subway and treated ourselves to a nice dinner instead! Meeting Jessye Norman who I thought would be impressed by my dad's name but who was more impressed by you.

From the moment I met Jessye Norman my freshman year she has inspired me. In fact, she was an inspiration well before then. At the luncheon I asked her how many languages she spoke. She replied, "there are few languages that I don't speak with the exception of Hebrew." She is not only a great singer but brilliant linguist and interpreter of lyrics. She is also such the diva; be sure to listen until the end.

Being a Storyteller IV

Jessye Norman wonderfully tells the story of the Erlkong, a German myth about an evil spirit the haunts and threatens humans, especially children. Schubert does marvelously at setting Goethe's poem to music.

The translation below is by Hyde Flippo, but Norman does such a fine job that without knowing the translation the voices can be detected and meaning applied. There are four voices: the narrator, the Erlkonig, the father, and son.

Schubert makes Goethe's text clear with color, tempi and dynamics.



"Erlkonig"

Who rides so late through the night and wind?
It's the father with his child;
He has the boy safe in his arm,
He holds him secure, he holds him warm.

"My son, what makes you hide your face in fear?"
Father, don't you see the Erlking?
The Erlking with crown and flowing robe?
"My son, it's a wisp of fog."

"You dear child, come along with me!
Such lovely games I'll play with you;
Many colorful flowers are at the shore,
My mother has many a golden garment."

"My father, my father, and do you not hear
What the Erlking promises me so softly?
"Be quiet, stay quiet, my child;
In the dry leaves the wind is rustling."

"Won't you come along with me, my fine boy?
My daughters shall attend to you so nicely.
My daughters do their nightly dance,
And they'll rock you and dance you and sing you to sleep."

"My father, my father, and do you not see over there
Erlking's daughters in that dark place? "
"My son, my son, I see it most definitely:
It's the willow trees looking so grey."

"I love you; I'm charmed by your beautiful form;
And if you're not willing, then I'll use force."
"My father, my father, now he's grabbing hold of me!
Erlking has done me harm!"

The father shudders, he rides swiftly,
He holds in (his) arms the moaning child.
He reaches the farmhouse with effort and urgency.
In his arms the child was dead.

This is a dramatic piece and rendition, but how invested are we in telling stories? How eager are we to make things clear at home or work? To what extend will we go to be understood, to tell our stories? We must become brilliant storytellers which require speaking, listening, pausing, inflection, knowledge, humility and confidence.

Our lives consist of telling stories.

Being a Diva

Here is the brilliant beautiful Jessye Norman in a wonderful interview with Morley Safer on "60 Minutes." Much is covered in these mere 6:55.

Morley Safer is great! By the way, where is the sensitivity, spontaneity, curiosity, elegance, poignancy, and brilliance of such these days that allow transcendence in many areas and fields and get to the heart of the interviewee? Now, we have many non-curious brash selfish snarky interviewers with limited knowledge and big egos. Ugh!

Stay tuned. The ending is delightful. In spite of her grandness, it's so playful. It's so Jessye Norman.