DMA Vocal Coaching and Accompanying Recital No. 2
LES INSPIRATIONS RELIGIEUSES
Program Notes
Contes Mystiques is a collection of poetry by Stephan Bordèse. His work is relatively unknown today, but having eleven of these poems set to music, suggests his popularity in the late nineteenth century. Compiled in 1890, these poems focus on the life of Jesus as a child. For this recital, the five pieces chosen have themes of his first major life events: his first footsteps, his first miracle, an omen of the cross, a dream of the crowds at his condemnation, and his influence on the faith of the Hebrew people. The prelude is a piano solo by Irish-French composer Augusta Holmes. It’s subtitle translates to “What was heard on Christmas Eve.” The songs are all by French composers of the time: Edmond Diet, Émile Paladilhe, Camille Saint-Saëns, Pauline Viardot, and Charles-Marie Widor.
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A member of the French group “Les Six,” Darius Milhaud had an outstanding impact on the compositions of the early and mid-twentieth century. His main sources of inspiration come from the styles of jazz and polytonal music, specifically music from Brazil, while he was secretary to the French ambassador to Brazil. After two years he returned from Brazil and continued to be very successful in his career as a composer, conductor and teacher.
In 1925, he composed six songs, Chants Populaires Hébraïques. These songs are largely attributed to his familial ties to Judaism. The songs take their texts from popular Hebrew folk songs that speak of enduring faith, believing in God amidst hardship, and simple moments of life in a lullaby. Even with a modern accompaniment, these songs still retain their folk-like character. At the outset of the Nazi invasion of France in 1940, because of his Jewish heritage, Milhaud and his family immigrated to the United States, only returning after the country’s liberation.
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The parable of the prodigal son is one of the many parables used by Jesus Christ in his teachings, found in the Bible in the Gospel of Luke. It is a story of a son who has left home with his entire inheritance, but because of foolishness and lack of judgement, his inheritance has been lost. Since he has nothing left, his only option is to return home in humiliation to his family. The fear of returning is upsetting to the son because of his folly. But we learn in the end that he is welcomed back because he was “once lost, and now is found,” – speaking in a spiritual sense.
Claude Debussy, found this parable to be of great importance as it is the subject of his cantata L’Enfant Prodigue. At the age of 22, Debussy wrote this piece in 1884 as a winning submission for the Prix de Rome competition – a great accomplishment with over seventy-five percent of the votes in favor. Instead of using the Luke text, he employed the text of French poet and librettist Édouard Guinand.
In this version the characters are named. Also, this story gives us a unique perspective from the mother, Lia, in her turmoil over her lost son. Siméon, the father, consoles her as she continues to shed tears. After the harvest has been brought in, dancing occurs and the prodigal son, Azaël, is seen on the outskirts of the village after collapsing from his long journey from afar. He is worried about the situation he is in and hopes that atonement will be made for his foolishness. Lia notices him thinking he is a helpless traveler. She hurries to his side and realizes that it is in fact Azaël. He looks up to see her and asks for her forgiveness. Together, they recount their happy times, and what is to come. Lia announces to the villagers and Siméon that Azaël has returned. Giving thanks that he sees him again before his death, Siméon declares for the fatted calf to be killed and for all to rejoice that he has returned. They sing their praises to God and give thanks.