songs in my dreams

My choir director from high school is the vocal director for the musical.  He asked me the other day if I'd like to do a recital.  Tonight, my mind began to whir with ideas and snippets of songs that have followed me more than half my life. 

As I've gone through scores and song collections, I have reveled in memories from high school and college - from the first aria I ever heard Io son l'umile ancela from Adriana Lecouvreur to the first aria that ever made me cry Tu che di gel.  I've listened to dozens of arias from dozens of singers tonight; each one touching the piece with her own individual gift.  Some were not good; others simply divine.  Some I've sung; others I've dreamed of singing. 

I've come up with the beginnings of a list.  Most recitals I've been to feature between 11-14 songs.  So, here it is. 

Song/Aria Tu che di gel	Work/Opera Turandot	Composer Puccini
Winter Song		Lee Hoiby
Crucifixion	Hermit Songs	Barber
Allerseelen		Strauss
Si, mi chiamano Mimi	la Boheme	Puccini
Vissi d'arte	Tosca	Puccini
Dupuis le jour	Louise
Ebben? Ne andro lontana	La Wally	Catalani
Io son l'umile ancella	Adriana Lecouvreur	Cilea

 

I know I need some happier songs in there - most of these are pretty dramatic.  Deciding the order is going to be tough because several of these are grand finale caliber; Tosca's prayer; Mimi's sweet introduction or Butterfly or Liu's death arias are exquisite and certainly worthy to finish the evening.  Tosca is the obvious choice because it is the most dramatic.  I mean, goodness, she kills a man with a steak knife after singing Vissi d'arte.  Chilling.  But Butterfly's death aria is magnificent. 

I saw a staging once of Butterfly, in Dallas, that completely stunned me.  Butterfly is not one my favorites because it feels so long.  But Un bel di vedremo was sung to her very young son.  The sight of the very small child on stage was my undoing.  When they took the child away and she commits suicide, I just wept.  And the B flat at the end is fabulous.  Who could go wrong ending a recital that way? 

I love opera.  (can you tell?)