Jessica Neuffer abstract

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

GRADUATE RECITAL IN VOICE

A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Music in Music, Performance

by

Jessica Neuffer

December 2020

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The graduate project of Jessica Neuffer is approved: Shigemi Matsumoto Date Erica Davis Date Kathryn G Pisaro Date Dr. John Roscigno, Chair Date

California State University, Northridge

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page………………………………………………………………………….…ii Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………iv Program……………………………………………………………………………….……1 Texts and Translations……………………………………………..…….…………………4

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ABSTRACT

GRADUATE RECITAL IN VOICE

by

Jessica Neuffer Master of Music in Music, Performance

The overarching theme of this recital is the human condition and the unknown. Some

selections reflect the mystery and uneasy feelings of death and the unfamiliar. Some other pieces

are about accepting death and finding new beauty, reminiscing in old and familiar places. A

majority of this program was written in the Twentieth Century, with pieces from the Romantic,

and Classical period sprinkled throughout.

Mozart is considered to be one of the greatest composers in music history. He was

extremely prolific considering his early death and is a master of many genres. Many of Mozart’s

works are still in “the vault” of compositional standards often performed in all symphonic halls

and operas houses. Mozart wrote concert arias which stood alone or were later inserted into some

of his operas. “Ch’io mi scordi di te” is an insertion aria from a revised version of Idomeneo.

This aria is written for Idamante who is singing to his lover Ilia. However, this aria is rarely

performed in notable productions but is often used as a popular concert aria.

Johannes Brahms is one of the four prominent composers of German Lieder. The other

popular composers of lieder include Schubert, Schumann, and Wolf. He considered himself to

be a self taught composer. His father Johann Jakob Brahms was an innkeeper who played horn

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and double bass. He taught Brahms how to play the piano. When Brahms was a teenager, he

would play in taverns to help support his family.

In the mid 1800’s, the two foremost composers were Wagner and Brahms. These two

composers had two different approaches to composition which influenced many other

composers. However, one could not follow both– one had to choose between the two composers.

Brahms represented the Neoclassical style of composition, which embraced the influences of

earlier composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Gestillte Sehnsucht is from Op. 91

which consists of two pieces for alto voice, viola, and piano. The second piece was composed

before the first piece. The first song, “Gestillte Sehnsucht,” was composed much later. Both

pieces were published together in 1884. Rükert’s poem is about nature and yearning.

Paladilhe was a composer of the late romantic period. He was a child prodigy who began

his studies at the Paris Conservatoire at nine years of age. Although he was not a prolific

composer, he wrote gorgeous pieces. “Psyche” is his most popular melodie. The character of this

poem is jealous of the wind, the sun, and the clothes that always surround the woman he loves.

Cecile Chaminade is a French composer and pianist of the Twentieth Century.

Chaminade had published about 400 of her compositions until her musical decline later in the

Twentieth Century. Chaminade’s mother was both a pianist and singer, which made her a perfect

teacher for her young daughter Cecile. Well into her musical career, Chaminade became a

prominent composer in America and England. The majority of her compositions were piano

pieces and melodies, but her most popular piece is her Concertino for flute and orchestra written

in 1902. Chaminade’s compositional style is accessible because of her memorable melodies,

chromatic harmonies, and typical nuances of French song.

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Francis Poulenc is a Twentieth Century French composer. He was a member of Les Six, a

group of young contemporary composers. The third piece, “Voyage a Paris” is from a group of

songs from Banalites. It is specifically noted that this group of songs is not a set. This piece is a

cabaret or salon style song that is meant to be a tribute to France. The tempo marking of this

song is “gai” which means cheerful and lively. This is accomplished with a fun, haphazard

swinging rhythm in the piano and large leaps in the voice.

Jules Massenet is the most outstanding French opera composer of the nineteenth and

twentieth century. His skill shines through his vocal style and orchestration, and is furthered by

his ability to match his musical composition with the stage setting. The opera Cendrillon is

considered to be a comic opera, although Massenet did not approve of grand opera or opera

comique. He often created his own operatic genres such as miracle or haute farce musicale. In

the aria “Enfin je suis ici,” Cendrillon is relieved and saddened to find herself back home. She

lost her glass slipper and her ballgown disappeared. Cendrillon continues by reliving the

glamorous night at the ball that ends with her abrupt departure to arrive back home in time.

My Japanese set consists of songs by different composers. The first piece is “Karatachi

no Hana”. In this piece, the composer is reflecting on his childhood when he lived in a boarding

house. The text is written in a conversational style and the melody follows speech-like

inflections. The second piece, “Sakura Yokocho,” is about the lifespan of cherry blossoms,

which are beautiful but short lived. This causes the poet to compare and reflect on the nature of

the human condition. This is a popular poem and has been set by several different composers.

The third piece, “Narayama,” who is the poet’s young lover, was sent to France because her

father did not approve of their relationship. The piano part imitates the koto, a traditional

Japanese stringed instrument. The last piece, “Hamabe no Uta,” reflects on old memories of the

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ocean and being with friends and family at the beach. This piece was written when the composer,

Tamezo Narita, was a student at the Tokyo Music School. The original poem had four verses, but

only the first two verses are commonly sung.

“A Nun Takes the Veil” is the first song from Opus 13 by Samuel Barber. The poetry is

by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Gerard Manley Hopkins was an English poet and a Jesuit priest.

Growing up, his family raised him in the Anglican Church. His family was deeply religious. The

poem was originally called “Heaven-Haven.” This poem is about a woman committing herself to

God, leaving the outside world behind, and hoping that she will find salvation. The poem

compares a nun entering a convent to a ship entering a harbour out of a storm.

Hopkins converted to the Catholic faith when he was about 22 years old. Additionally,

much of Hopkins’ poetry was connected to his religious faith, and the poems linked to each

other. A theme of a “Tall Nun” appeared in numerous writings and was compared to the image

of Christ on the cross. If we take this idea and apply it to “A Nun Takes The Veil,” we can see

how the nun represents Christ’s salvation and freedom to be in a place of calm.

“Sure on this shining night” written by Samuel Barber, is based on a poem written in

1934 by James Agee. Being everlasting friends, Barber and Agee collaborated on many songs.

This particular poem is the third poem within a set of four poems and is also the third song in the

opus. This collection is unique because each of the songs used words written by different poets.

The lyrical vocal line sets the stage for interplay between the singer and piano, where they

answer each other in the most delicate manner.

The poem itself is not very long– merely ten lines. However, the message of this poem is

timeless and universal. The poem starts by painting a picture of the beautiful night. In the second

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line, he says “kindness must watch for me this side the ground.” In this line, one might suggest

that Agee is contemplating the human condition.

“Nocturne,” the last song in Barber’s Op. 13, is based on a love poem by Frederic

Prokosch. The melody and text on the first page resemble a lullabye. As the song continues, the

chromaticism builds along with the complexity of the accompaniment. The vocal line in this

piece is a great challenge of endurance. There is a large climax, which is slowly built line by line

until the penultimate phrase of the piece. The other challenge of this piece is listening to your

collaborator. The vocal line and the accompaniment are intertwined in a two against three

pattern. Both the vocalist and the accompanist must be very accurate with the rhythms and listen

to one another.

The program ends with “Nocturne” because the last phrase “but the blind eternal night”

creates a feeling of finality and tranquility. The program concludes with Barber because the

poetry ties together perfectly with the theme of uncertainty and death. Overall, this program has

been a journey through many unknowns, self reflections, and reflections of life and death. This

program explored how the cycle of life does not have to be scary but can be beautiful.

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California State University, Northridge Mike Curb College of the Arts, Media, and Communication

Department of Music

presents

Jessica Neuffer, mezzo-soprano

In her Master of Music Recital*

A student of Shigemi Matsumoto

Helen Wu, piano

Sunday, November 22, 2020, 7:30pm Bethlehem Lutheran Church and School

*In partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree in Music Performance– Voice

Jessica is the recipient of the CSUN Vocal Arts

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Program

Ch’io mi scordi di te W.A. Mozart (1756-1791)

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Gestillte Sehnsucht Johannes Brahms Op. 91 (1833-1897)

*** Psyche Emile Paladilhe (1844-1926) La Lune Paresseuse Cecile Chaminade

(1857-1944)

Voyage a Paris Francis Poulenc (1899-1863)

Intermission

Enfin je suis ici Jules Massenet From Cendrillon (1842-1912)

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Karatachi no Hana Kosaku Yamada (1885-1942) Sakura Yokocho Yoshinao Nakada (1923-2000) Narayama Sihoko Kitami (1885-1955) Hamabe no Uta Tamezo Narita (1893-1945)

***

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1. A nun takes a veil Samuel Barber 2. Sure on this Shining Night (1910-1981) 3. Nocturne

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Texts and Translations

Ch’io mi scordi di te

Translations by Bard Suverkrop

Should I forget you?

You can advise me to give myself to her/ him?

And can you wish that I live?

Do not put my constancy, my dear, to the test.

The dreadful blow has hurt me enough!

Ah no, to live would be much worse than death

You were my first love, and the last you will be

Let death come! I will fearlessly await it,

But that I could be consumed by another flame, but that I could love another,

Give my affections to another,

How could I? Ah! I would die of grief!

Fear not, well beloved,

My heart will always be yours.

I cannot bear so much pain any longer,

My soul is failing.

You sigh? Oh sad grief!

At least think what an important moment this is!

Oh God, I cannot explain it! Ah no!

Cruel and pitiless stars,

Why so much severity!

Beautiful souls, who see

My pain at this moment,

Tell me of such torment

Can be endured by a faithful heart.

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Gestillte Sehnsucht


Immersed in the golden light of evening,

How festive the woods stand!

Into the soft voices the little birds breathe

The gentle blowing of the evening breezes mingles with the soft voices of the little birds.

What does the wind whisper to the little birds?

They are whispering the world to sleep.

You desires, that are always stirring

In my heart without rest or peace!

You longings, that disturb my heart,

When will you rest, when will you sleep?

To the whispering of the wind and the little birds,

When will you, longing desires, fall asleep?

Ah, when no longer into the golden distance

My spirit on dream wings hurries,

No longer on the eternally distant stars

With a longing gaze my eye lingers;

Then the wind and the little birds will whisper

My longing with my life away.

But the longing will not fall to sleep.

Psyché


I am jealous, Psyché, of all the nature!

The rays of the sun you kiss too often,

Your hair allows too much the caresses of the wind.

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When it they your hair fondles, I mutter in protest!

The air even that you breathe

With too much of pleasure passes over your lips.

Your clothes too closely you touch!

And as soon as you sigh,

Something unknown which frightens me

Fears that among your sighs, some sighs are not for me!

La Lune Paresseuse


In a ray of twilight

The dragonfly falls asleep;

The nightingale is already asleep

On the branch of a friendly oak,

The grass is full of fireflies

The sky with twinkling stars,

And yet the shining moon

Allows the night its shadows.

Softly, moon, you rest

Beneath some clouds pink…

Oh! The lazy one why

Do you play with my tender emotions?

You are always hidden at the gentle time

When, gliding over the moss,

The crickets sing less strongly,

You still do not rise!

Arise! Brilliant and serene,

Come brighten the plain!

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Moon of silver, moon with the white face,

Illuminate my trembling arms!

Brush with your pure light

The gold of my hair:

For soon will pass

My fiance upon the road!...

Voyage a Paris


Ah, it is such a charming thing

To leave a gloomy place

For Paris!

Lovely Paris,

Which, once upon a time, must have been created

By Love.

Enfin je suis ici


At-last I am here…

The house is deserted…

I have managed to return without being discovered;

But such sadness and worry!

Fleeing in the night alone,

Through the terraces of the palaces,

While running I lost my glass slipper!

Godmother! Godmother!

Ah! Will you ever forgive me?

At the hour appointed I fled… I fled…

I saw amid the dark avenues…

Some statues… what terror! What terror!

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So large… so white, in the moonlight!

Their sightless eyes staring at me…

They pointed at me with their finger.

They laughed at my misfortune.

Ah! Ah!

What terror! What terror!

You must have seen my distress,


In order to keep my promise,

I’ve done everything I could in order to keep my promise!

I ran… depp into the garden…

I got lost… everything was dark…

And I ran on and on

Then… I stopped… suddenly…

I was afraid… I was afraid…

You must have seen my distress!


I have done all that could in order to keep my promise!

Ah! I have fear! Fear of my shadow…

And I ran on and on!

Scanning the horizon,

Fearing treachery everywhere,

I slip, I slip between the houses

Daring not to cross the square…

A loud noise rings out and makes me freeze

With frightening shivers…

Ah!

It was the bells, the bells in the bell tower!

Ah!

Comforting my heart.

They say to me in their language: Ah!

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They say to me: I shall watch over you!

We shall watch over you.

Take again courage! Courage! Come now! Courage! Go!

Karatachi no Hana

Translations by Mutsumi Moteki

Karatachi blossoms have bloomed.

White white blossoms have bloomed.

Karatachi thorns are prickly,

Green green needles of thorns they are.

Karatachi makes a hedge

By the vegetable field.

Always always I walk through this path

Karatachi also bears fruit in Autumn.

Round round gold balls they are.

By the karatachi hedge I used to cry

Everyone everyone was kind to me.

Karatachi blossoms have bloomed.

White white blossoms have bloomed.

Sakura Yokocho


Spring night when cherry blossoms bloom,

Nothing but blossoms in cherry alley.

I recall our romance of yesteryear;

You are not here any longer.

Ah, you were always the queen of blossoms,

Homeland of my smiling dreams.

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There will be no chance to see eachother again.

“How have you been?” “Its been a long time.”

Understanding that saying such things

Would be useless,

Lets look at the blossoms.



Narayama


Being in love and missing someone, how sorrowful it was!

Feeling so, over the hills of Narayama,

I wandered around, how unbearably painful!

In ancient days, too, it is said that missing her husband, A princess crossed

The same path over the hills of Narayama,

Where my tears were falling.

Hamabe no Uta


In the morning

When I take a stroll on the beach,

I recall things from the old days:

The sound of the wind!

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The appearance of the clouds!

Also the waves drawing up,

And the colors of the seashells, too!

In the evening

When I wander around the beach

I recall people from the old days:

Waves drawing up!

Waves returning!

Also the color of the moon,

And the light of the stars, too!

A Nun Takes the Veil

I have desired to go where springs not fail,

To fields where flies no sharp and sided hail

And a few lilies blow.

And I have asked to be where no storms come,

Where the green swell is in the havens dumb,

And out of the swing of the sea.

Sure on this shining night


Of star made shadows round,

Kindness must watch for me

This side the ground.

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The late year lies down the north.

All is healed,

All is health.

High summer holds the earth.

Hearts all whole.


I weep for wonder

Wand’ring far alone

Of shadows on the stars.

Nocturne

Close my darling both your eyes,

Let your arms lie still at last.

Calm the lake of falsehood lies

And the wind of lust has passed,

Waves across these hopeless sands

Fill my heart and end my day,

Underneath your moving hands

All my aching flows away.

Even the human pyramids

Blaze with such a longing now:

Close my love, your trembling lids,

Let the midnight heal your brow.

Northward flames Orion’s horn,

Westward th’Egyptian light.

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None to watch us,

None to warn

But the blind eternal night.

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Jessica Neuffer abstract