By Michelle Seitz Staff writer
On April 15, soprano Heather Knox will perform her junior recital, accompanied by Lecturer in Music Ilya Blinov on piano.
Knox spent the past year selecting which pieces to perform.The concert will feature three different sets: one in German, another in English and the final in Italian.
Knox chose these pieces based on dramatic element as she is “very much into text setting and dramatic literature.” The pieces also resonate in her upper register as she has a higher soprano range.
A huge part of the preparation process included learning how to perform the pieces in a way that would allow the audience to form a connection.
It is important to Knox that the audience understands the time and effort she put into selecting and learning the songs.
The first set is by German composer Franz Liszt. It features three movements: “Kling leise mein lied,” “Ein fichtenbaum steht einsam” and “Freudvoll und leidvoll.”
According to the program, Liszt’s pieces implement 20th century ideas and his methodology is self-contradictory.
Although Liszt’s vocal compositions are lesser known, they experiment with color and sound. The repertoire Knox selected represent those variances.
According to the program, “Kling leise mein lied” incorporates post-classical and pre-romantic elements while emulating a da capo aria.
“Ein fichtenbaum steht einsam” is a hybrid of experimental and pure Romanticism that starts with extremely atonal sonorities before gradually becoming broader.
“Freudvoll und leidvoll” is the most romantic piece of the entire set, which features a rich melodic line overtop full and complex chords that evoke great depths of emotion.
Knox will then perform four of “Six Elizabethan Songs” by Dominick Argento, “II. Sleep [Samuel Daniel]”, “III. Dirge [William Shakespeare]”, “IV. Winter [William Shakespeare]” and “VI. Hymn [Ben Johnson].”
According to the program, Argento is acclaimed for his vocal pieces and earned a Pulitzer Prize and the Grammy Award for Classical Contemporary Composition.
Argento composed pieces for choirs and small ensembles, however he is most notorious for his contributions to art music repertory.
He has also said that his music does not follow a certain style and that the most important element is the text. Argento’s music has its own unique sound, which stems from the pieces’ text.
According to the program, the texts are derived from poets of the Elizabethan era.
The first two pieces are similar textually, however the first piece incorporates more chromatic lines and angular gestures, while the second piece has simple but dissonant chords that represent church bells.
The third piece is heavily virtuosic, beginning with an isolated vocal line secluded from the rest of the cycle.
The final song has unique chord progressions and long melismatic lines that induce an ancient, haunted feeling.
At the same time, the melodic lines of the voice keep the song unified while a variety of textures and colors are presented throughout the piece.
The final piece Knox will perform is “Ah, non credea mirati…Ah non guinge,” an Italian aria composed by Vincenzo Bellini. It is featured in the opera “La Sonnambula.” According to the program, the title translates to “The Sleepwalker.”
This opera tells the story of the protagonist being accused of cheating after sleepwalking into another man’s room.
She then sings the cantabile of the aria, in which she dreams of her love dying like the flowers she was given.
After awakening to him putting a ring on her finger, she sings the cabaletta. The aria contrasts long phrases and florid melismatic sections to represent love and loss.
