BinghamtonUniversity
ChamberChorus
Victoria Cannizzo, soprano
Members of the
Binghamton Community Orchestra
Jennifer Easley, conductor
Peter Browne, organ
A Mendelssohn Celebration
PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF MUSIC
IN CHORAL CONDUCTING
Sunday, January 24, 2010
3:00 p.m.
Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church
Binghamton, New York
This performance is made possible through a gift by an anonymous donor.
Special thanks to the staff and congregation of
Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church
for their generous support of this performance
PROGRAM
I.
Sonata VI for Organ...... Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
(1809-1847)
I. Chorale
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Allegro molto
IV. Fuga – Sostenuto e legato
V. Finale – Andante
Peter Browne, organ
II.
Der 42. Psalm...... Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
1. Chorus
2. Aria for soprano
3. Recitative, Soprano solo and Women’s Chorus
4. Chorus
5. Recitative
6. Quintet
7. Chorus
Victoria Cannizzo, soprano
University Chamber Chorus and Orchestra
Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42 (1839)
No. 1 (CHORUS): As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
No. 2 (ARIA): My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
No. 3 (RECIT, ARIA, CHORUS): My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
No. 4 (CHORUS): Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of His countenance.
No. 5(RECIT): O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee [from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.] Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
No. 6(QUINTET): Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? [As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?]
No. 7(CHORUS): Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
BENEDICTION: Praised be the Lord, the God of Israel, from henceforth and forevermore.
Psalm 42 (KJV)
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
A gentle pulse of strings and the unveiling of woodwinds in the unmistakable beginning to Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42. Of his five psalm settings, Psalm 42 is by far the most well known and beloved. This composition is truly a masterpiece, specifically for its textual representation of the psalmist’s original message.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) was born in Hamburg, Germany. Having a Jewish heritage, he was familiar with the traditional Hebrew psalms. Mendelssohn did hear many of the Old Testament psalms recited or sung at funerals and synagogue meetings as a child. The original Old Testament text of Psalm 42 contains a message that the answer to all man’s despair is hope and trust in God. Mendelssohn not only understood the meanings and themes of the original text, but he superbly utilized them within his work. It is the ability to carry through the meaning of the original text into music that makes this great composition a masterpiece.
Composed in 1837, Psalm 42 was well received by the public. In fact, Robert Schumann stated:
….we believe that in this 42nd Psalm he [Mendelssohn] has attained his highest elevation as church composer…the grace, the art of workmanship which such a style demands is fully displayed here…
Movement one, Wie der Hirsch schreit (As the hart [deer] pants), tells the story of a soul becoming distressed and finally resolving into a peaceful state by the end of the movement. Movement two introduces the soprano soloist who takes on the character of the distressed soul. She longs to find answers for her anguish. Movement four, Was betrübst du dich, meine Seele, (Why, my soul, art thou so vexed?)introduces the theme of hope. While the theme of the first half of Psalm 42 is of longing and distress, movement four brings the solution to the problem. “Harre auf Gott” (Hope in God) becomes the main theme. Movement seven, Was betrübst du dich, meine Seele, (Why, my soul, art thou so vexed?) completes the faith journey that has been the premise from the beginning. For the first time the instruments and voices play and sing in unison as they declare the theme, “Harre auf Gott” (Hope in God). This phrase is presented as the unified voices and instruments declare the solution to the original distressed soul. No longer is there a distraught soul searching for answers; no longer is the soprano soloist declaring her anguish. Instead, a solution has been presented, a resolution offered. Man is finally at peace with God. In a glorious ending, the chorus resolves in homophonic unity declaring the eternal praise of God, in who hope is found.
--Jennifer Easley
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Jennifer Easley is currently enrolled in her final semester at BinghamtonUniversity, pursuing a Master of Music in Choral Conducting. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a concentration in voice and piano from Gordon College. She is a full-time music teacher at BinghamtonHigh School, where she gives classes in piano, guitar and special-education general music. Ms. Easley is very interested in teaching music overseas. She taught music in Nairobi, Kenya in June 2005 and will be traveling to Thailand this coming July. Ms. Easley also is the church pianist at Little White Church in Conklin, NY. She and her husband, Timothy, reside in Windsor with their two lovely daughters, Naomi (2) and Sophia (9 mos.).
The University Chamber Chorus is a 35-40 voice mixed ensemble formed from the larger University Chorus for the purpose of performing under the direction of graduate and undergraduate choral conducting students. The volunteer members of the Chamber Chorus provide a vital educational and artistic opportunity for these future conductors and music educators.
The BinghamtonUniversity Chamber Chorus
Soprano
Maybelle Golis
Christine Ryder
Siobhán Sculley
Barbara Alhart Simon
Barbara Thamasett
Faith Vis
Sioux Petrow
Kelly Pueschel
Megan L. Roppolo
Susan Sarzynski
Jennifer Walsh
Lois Wilston
Tenor
Barbara Barno
Andrew Fuller
H.B. King
Dennis Leipold
Sherry Williamson
Martin Bidney
Kevin Doherty
Judson Wallis
Alto
Michelle Doherty
Tahnee Fallis
Diane A. Ferraccioli
Sylvia Horowitz
Cheryl Jacobson
Anna Nicholas
Joyce Printz
Jane Shear
Danielle Sisson
Susan Szczotka
Lindsay Lake Morgan
Bass
Ronald Beauchamp
Bruce Borton
Ken Morgan
Joshua Perry
Carl Bugaiski
Emanuele Delucchi
J. Scott Husted
Joseph E. Nelson
Orchestra
Violin 1
Douglas Diegert
Peter Roseboom
Violin 2
Linda Best
Lee Shepherd
Viola
Mary Diegert
Laura Hine
Cello
Emily Creo
Julian Shepherd
Oboe
Kathy Karlsen
Organ
Peter Browne
Binghamton University Music Department’s
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, January 29thLecture/Demonstration on nineteenth-century English concertina by Professor Allan Atlas, Distinguished Professor of Musicology at CUNYGraduateCenter, 3:00 PM, Casadesus Recital Hall, FREE
Saturday, February 20thMaster’s Recital: Amanda Chmela, soprano,
8:00 PM, Casadesus Recital Hall, FREE
Sunday, February 21stMusica Nova: New Compositions for Voice - 3:00 PM, Anderson Center Chamber Hall, $$
Saturday, February 27thMaster’s Recital: Daniel Ibeling, tenor,
8:00 PM, Casadesus Recital Hall, FREE
Thursday, March 4thMid-Day Concert, 1:20 PM – FREE
Casadesus Recital Hall
Thursday, March 4thFriedheim Memorial Lecture/Recital Series: Schumann (Mobius), 8:00 PM, Casadesus Recital Hall, $$
(FREE for students, 100 maximum tickets)
Saturday, March 6thUniversity Symphony Orchestra: Concerto & Aria Concert, 8:00 PM, Osterhout Concert Theater, $$ (FREE for students)
Sunday, March 7thWind Symphony, 3:00 PM – FREE
Anderson Center Chamber Hall
Thursday, March 11thMid-Day Concert, 1:20 PM – FREE
Casadesus Recital Hall
Sunday, March 14thEwa Mackiewicz-Wolfe: 1810 – 2010, A Chopin Celebration, 3:00 PM, Anderson Center Chamber Hall, $$
Thursday, March 18thMid-Day Concert, 1:20 PM – FREE
Casadesus Recital Hall
Thursday, March 18thHarpur Chorale and Women’s Chorus,
8:00 PM, Anderson Center Chamber Hall, FREE
For ticket information, please call the
AndersonCenterBox Office at777-ARTS.