Loras College Division of Communication and Fine Arts Presents:

Senior Voice Recital

Max Rutledge
with Pianist, Dr. Michael Bagby

November 19, 2022

Time (2:00 PM)
St. Joseph’s Chapel: Loras College

Liederkreis, Op. 39……………………………………………… Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

I. In der Fremde
II. Intermezzo
III. Waldesgespräch
IV. Die Stille
V. Mondnacht
VI. Schöne Fremde
VII. Auf einer Burg
VIII. In der Fremde
IX. Wehmut
X. Zwielicht
XI. Im Walde
XII. Frühlingsnacht

Liederkreis, translating literally as “cycle of songs,” is based on a series of 12 poems by the

German poet Johann von Eichendorff. Robert Schumann grew up studying piano with Friedrich
Wieck, a renowned virtuoso pianist. After a legal battle with Wieck, Schumann married
Friedrich’s daughter Clara, for whom many of Schumann’s later works are written. The duet-like
structure of voice and piano in Schumann’s works were written for Clara, as she was a well-
known pianist and composer at the time. Joseph von Eichendorff was a famous German romantic
poet and critic. Most of Eichendorff’s poems were based on personal experiences with love.
Many of the themes of Eichendorff’s literature centered around the ideas of nostalgia and the
transience of time. This cycle was written in 1840 during Robert Schumann’s Liederjahr. During
his Liederjahr (translated to “year of song”), Schumann wrote at least 138 songs. This work is
best described as a collection rather than a cycle, as the movements are not necessarily connected
through a narrative, but through a series of descriptive themes. As is typical of German romantic
poetry, vivid natural scenes are depicted and used to explain the phenomena of human emotion.
In Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature, Carol Kimball states, “the songs are bound
together only by their reference to nature, seasons, and times of day. Numerous variations can be
found within these topics, and a wide variety of emotions and feelings can be attached to the
poetic content.”
***
Le Bestiaire………………………………………………………… Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
I. Le dromadaire
II. La chèvre du Thibet
III. La sauterelle
IV. Le dauphin
V. L’écrevisse
VI. La carpe

Le Bestiaire is a collection of six short songs by Francis Poulenc. The poems associated with this
piece are by Guillaume Apollinaire. Apollinaire was a French poet of the early twentieth century.
Although brief, his career sparked inspiration for many new forms of art and poetry. Some
categories he is credited with influencing are Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, and Dadaism.
Bestiaire was the first song cycle ever written by Poulenc, and it helped to set the foundation for
what his future song cycles would entail. Poulenc’s use of rubato is extremely limited in use, as
is seen throughout his career. The cycle focuses on different animals and varies in emotion.
Some songs are light-hearted and frugal, while others are slow and bleak. Apollinaire challenges
his listeners to ponder the beauty of everyday things through the simple lives of common
animals.
***

Ombra mai fu………………….………………………………… George F. Handel (1685-1759)

Frondi tenere (recitative) and Ombra mai fu (aria) are from the opera Serse (Xerxes) by George
Handel. Handel was a German composer of the late-Baroque era. He is best known for his
oratorios, operas, and instrumental music. Although German, he spent much of his time in Italy,
and became a British citizen in 1712. This particular selection from Serse has been known as
“the most beautiful piece about a tree.” This recitative and aria is from the beginning of act one.
Xerxes of Persia is standing over his land and admires the shade of the plane trees. Although
sometimes performed by baritones, the piece is composed for, and most commonly performed
by, countertenors. The recitative is speech-like and showcases a boisterous yet gentle sound. The
aria begins with an introduction filled with mellow strings. The vocal melody is filled with
ornamentation and legato that mimics the style of the strings.
***
“Bella siccome un angelo”…………………….………………… Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
This aria is from Donizetti’s opera, Don Pasquale. Donizetti was an Italian opera composer
known for his comic and dramatic operas. At a young age, he was trained in fugue and
counterpoint. However, as he grew, he realized his true passion was theatre. The aria comes from
the beginning of the opera where Malatesta, Ernesto, and Norina plot revenge on Don Pasquale
for punishing Ernesto. In this aria, Malatesta attempts to persuade Don Pasquale into marrying
Malatesta’s fictitious sister, Sofronia (who is actually Norina). This is an attempt to get Don
Pasquale to unknowingly sign his fortune over to his nephew, Ernesto. In this aria, Malatesta
goes above and beyond to convince Don Pasquale how perfect this woman is. All of this talk
ends with a large cadenza (a virtuosic solo passage) at the end of the piece, adding to the over-
the-top descriptions made throughout the piece. Due to the contrasts of ferocity and gentleness in
the aria, it has become one of Donizetti’s most well-known works.
***
The Trumpet Shall Sound……………………………… George F. Handel (1685-1759)
I. Behold, I tell you a mystery
II. The trumpet shall sound
Jake Sinatra – Trumpet
Messiah is a large sacred choral orchestral composition known as an oratorio. This oratorio, in
the style of an opera, consists of symphonic poems, duets, solos, and choruses. It is a concert
length work often performed with cuts and usually runs two and a half hours. Messiah tells the
story of Christ through three parts, the prophecies of the Old Testament and Christ’s birth,
Christ’s Passion, Resurrection, Ascension, and the prophetic messages of the New Testament
detailing the Second Coming of Christ. This aria begins with a Italianate secco recitative, typical
of the eighteenth-century Italian style. The Trumpet Shall Sound is from part three of the work
and describes the prophecy of Christ coming in from the clouds at the sound of the last trumpet.
Fittingly, the aria contains a trumpet feature that weaves in and out of the vocal line.

*******************************INTERMISSION********************************
Five Poems………………………………………………………… Lennox Berkely (1903-1989)
I. Lauds
II. O lurcher-loving collier
IV. Eyes look into the well
Lennox Berkeley was an English composer of the twentieth century. He grew up and went to
school in Oxford before studying music in Paris. While in France, Berkeley met many great
composers such as Maurice Ravel and, later, Benjamin Britten. W. H. Auden was a British-
American poet of the twentieth century. He is known for writing about many topics such as love,
politics, and cultural and psychological themes. Each piece of this cycle describes a different
scene with different connotations set to the text. Lauds begins with a gentle opening meant to
portray the silence of the sunrise. As the piece develops, however, the accompaniment and vocal
line become more complex, pointing to the hustle and bustle of a farm town during the day. The
movement ends by returning to the stillness of nightfall and returning to the same motif from the
beginning of the movement. Variations on the line “in solitude for company” are also heard
throughout the movement. O lurcher-loving collier opens with a hopeful, yet mysterious mood.
This movement describes an old mining town and the story of a young coal worker getting back
home to his lover, Kate. The narrator in this movement seems to be talking to both the young
man and Kate, as the mood of the piece changes as each character is addressed. Eyes look into
the well seems to carry a much heavier connotation than the past movements. The theme of love
being stolen is common throughout this movement, as the narrator keens over what has been lost.
***
My Way…………………………… Jacques Revaux (b.1940) and Claude Francois (1939-1978)
Levi Block – Drums
Jake Sinatra – Trumpet
*Dedicated to Michael J. Jensen*
My Way is a classic jazz standard popularized by the great singer, Frank Sinatra. Originally
written by Revaux and Francois with French text by Gilles Thibault, it was given English words
by Paul Anka in 1969, and became a huge hit that year. In this classic song, an old man looks
back at his life and reminisces about all of the things he has done. While he may have made a
few mistakes, he still made the most out of life and did what was best for him. In the end, he did
life his way, and that’s all one can really ever hope to do.
***
When I Fall in Love………………… Victor Young (1899-1956) / Edward Heyman (1907-1981)
Levi Block – Drums
Jake Sinatra – Trumpet
When I Fall in Love is a classic jazz ballad that has been interpreted in by many different singers
since its release in April of 1952. Celine Dion, Rick Astley, and most famously, Nat King Cole,
have all released popular renditions of this classic tune. The singer in this ballad speaks of the
day he falls in love. Although, too often, love seems to come and go like the breeze, the singer
longs for the day when he finds the right person to give his heart to.
***
It Don’t Mean a Thing………………… Duke Ellington (1899-1974) / Irving Mills (1894-1985)
Levi Block – Drums
Jake Sinatra – Trumpet
It Don’t Mean a Thing is a popular swing piece composed in 1931 by Duke Ellington and Irving
Mills. Similar to the previous jazz pieces, there have been many renditions by several popular
jazz artists, such as Louis Armstrong. Duke Ellington was a famous jazz pianist and composer
from the early 20th century. Most famously, Ellington was known for helping to create the big
band sound in a jazz setting. He began studying piano at seven years old and performed
professionally by the age of 17. Throughout his career, he composed many great pieces that have
continued to be loved and cherished by people around the world.

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment for the degree Bachelor of Arts in Music. Max is a student of Dr. Daniel O’Dea.