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Home / History / Spring Concert 2009
Spring Concert 2009
Programme notes
Messa di Gloria by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Soloists: Clifford Lister (Tenor), Peter Cox (Bass)
Puccini's fame lies in his great operas such as La Boheme and Madam Butterfly,
and the life-like operatic style of verismo (pioneered, incidentally, by Bizet in Carmen).
Nevertheless, as young man he was following a long family tradition when he became
organist and choirmaster in Lucca, and, at the age of 21,
wrote his only major work for the church.
The Messa di Gloria received its first performance on 12th July 1880
and was then forgotten until the manuscript was sold at the end of the Second World War.
In 1952 it was revived in Chicago and later in Naples.
The Messa di Gloria is clearly a youthful work both in its exuberance
and in its occasional naivety. But the 21 year old Puccini was already a master of choral
and orchestral writing and the work has become a favourite with choral societies.
| 1 | Kyrie |
| The opening movement employs a lyrical counterpoint that is Mozartian in its delicacy. The voices imitate one another creating a woven texture of some sophistication. It ends as it started, gently and quietly. | |
| 2 | Gloria |
| As the title suggests this long movement is the heart of the work. The jolly opening stops just short of triteness and this music forms the structural frame of the movement, recurring in the middle and again at the end. Puccini never misses an opportunity to paint the words with his music: Et in terra pax (On earth peace) is low and gentle, Laudamus te (We praise thee) is broad and ecstatic. The tenor has a truly heroic operatic solo at the Gratias agimus tibi and the operatic style is maintained through the following chorus. However Puccini, like so many other choral composers, has to pay homage to Handel and this comes in the great fugue that ends the Gloria. | |
| 3 | Credo |
| The creed is the most "wordy" part of any mass setting and,
like many a composer before him, Puccini tries to get through
the text as efficiently as possible in the grand opening section. The more reflective passage of the Et incarnatus est has a lyrical tenor solo and unaccompanied chorus appropriate for the great mystery of the incarnation. Deep bass voices in sombre tone tell of the crucifixion and burial of Christ, and this is followed by dramatic upward leaping voices at the resurrection. This is all fairly obvious word setting, but it is carried out with style and confidence. The opening music of the Credo returns and leads us towards what promises to be another grand Handelian fugal finish but in fact fizzles out into a rather common-place Amen. | |
| 4 | Sanctus |
| The words of the Sanctus have been the inspiration for truly spectacular music from many a great composer across the centuries, but Puccini eschews this option, clearly not wishing to overshadow his Gloria. So the opening is understated with the movement saved by an expressive baritone solo in the Benedictus. | |
| 5 | Agnus dei |
| A movement of quiet modesty with a rather lovely duet for bass and tenor. Its' gentle simplicity brings the work to a peaceful close. |
Scenes from Carmen by Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
| Soloists: | |
| Penelope Martin-Smith (Carmen) | |
| Clifford Lister (Don Jose) | |
| Peter Cox (Morales & Escamillo) | |
| Minterne Primary School Choir (Children of Seville) | |
| Sittingbourne Orpheus Choral Society (Soldiers, Cigarette Girls & Gypsies) | |
Bizet's Carmen received its premiere in March 1875 at the Opera Comique in Paris,
just three months before the composer's untimely death from a heart attack
at the age of 36.
The story is set in Seville and exploits the 19th century French obsession with
the colour and passion of southern Spain.
The realism of the plot with its tale of factory workers and soldiers was
controversial at the time of the first performance, and it was only
a later performance in Vienna that led to critical acclaim.
Carmen is now the most performed opera in the world.
Condensing the three hours of the original into an hour inevitably led to the
omission of a number of minor characters and sub-plots,
but most of the great set pieces are retained.
The essence of the work remains as the tragedy unfolds.
| 1 | Chorus of Soldiers |
| The scene is set in a square in Seville.
On the right is the entrance to a cigarette factory,
on the left a guardhouse. The soldiers and their corporal, Morales, are standing outside the guardhouse watching the people passing by. | |
| 2 | Chorus of Children |
| A trumpet sounds for the changing of the guard and the town children gather in mock imitation of the soldiers, pretending to march and present arms. | |
| 3 | Chorus of Soldiers and Cigarette Girls |
| Girls from the cigarette factory flirt with the soldiers. The music curls and swirls seductively in imitation of cigarette smoke. Carmen does not appear at first and the soldiers eagerly anticipate her arrival. When she finally materialises she spurns their advances. | |
| 4 | Habanera |
| Carmen compares love to a wild bird that never settles on any branch for long. | |
| 5 | Chorus of Cigarette Girls |
| There is a fight in the factory between Carmen and another girl. The rest of the workers rush out anxiously to call the guard. Morales sends in Don Jose with two men to break up the mêlée. The music changes towards the end as Carmen is brought out of the building and detained by Don Jose. | |
| 6 | Seguidilla and duet |
| Whilst Jose is holding Carmen captive she attempts to seduce him with this song of love and freedom. Gradually Jose succumbs to her advances and he releases her. They run off to Lillas Pastia's inn. | |
| 7 | Toreador's Song |
| The bullfighter Escamillo arrives at Lillas Pastia's direct from his latest triumph. He toasts the crowd as he sings about the fight. The chorus join in admiration and just as the song closes Escamillo catches Carmen's eye. | |
| 8 | Duet for Carmen and Don Jose |
| Carmen dances for Jose to the music of the castanets but they are interrupted by a bugle call from the camp. Jose says that he must return for the roll call but Carmen only mocks him. Jose then sings the famous Flower Song as he declares his love. Carmen taunts Jose, inviting him to run away with her to join the gypsies. | |
| 9 | Duet for Escamillo and Don Jose |
| In the gypsy camp some time later Escamillo turns up in search of Carmen. Coincidentally the first person he meets is Jose. Gradually their rivalry is exposed and they duel with knives. It is Carmen who dramatically intervenes before one or other is killed. | |
| 10 | March and chorus |
| The scene moves to a street outside the bullring in Seville. The crowd is watching the grand march of the bullfighters as they arrive for the evening's entertainment. Escamillo is the last to appear and he and Carmen declare their love before he enters the arena, followed by the crowd. | |
| 11 | Duet and Finale |
| Jose arrives to find Carmen waiting for him in the now deserted street. He begs Carmen to run away with him but she rejects his pleas. Jose insists that he loves her but she continues to spurn him. From the bullring we hear the crowd baying for the death of the bull whilst outside the emotional wounds of Jose are further enflamed by Carmen's confession of her love for Escamillo. Jose is really dangerous now and, as Carmen flings away the ring that he gave her, he stabs her in the heart. |
Penelope Martin-Smith - Soprano
Penelope read Music and German at University of London Goldsmiths' College and following that gained a diploma in singing performance at the Guildhall School of Music.
Penelope's operatic roles are diverse - The Queen of the Night and Pamina in Mozart's Magic Flute, Fiordiligi in "Cosi fan tutte" the Countess in "Le nozze di Figaro", Elisabetta in Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda", Zerbinetta in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos and Ellen Orford in Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes are among them. She is particularly known as a coloratura soprano and has performed several of the virtuosic concert arias by Mozart including "Popoli di Tessaglia".
Penelope is vocal director and principle soprano soloist for the pioneering group "Schola Pietatis Antonio Vivaldi" who seek to reproduce the performance practices of Vivaldi's all female choir and orchestra of the Pieta in Venice. The group filmed in Venice in 2005 an award-winning drama documentary and a performance in period costume of the "Gloria", both of which were screened several times in 2006 on BBC 4.
In 2007 she released an album with her son, a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral, entitled "Devotion". In 1999 Penelope recorded 2 solo C.D.s of American songs of the 20s and 30s for Classical Communications distributed through Past Times and English Heritage.
Penelope teaches singing at The King's School Canterbury and St.Edmund's School Canterbury, is an approved teacher for Durham University and is Associate Director and Vocal coach for the renowned Oxford Girls' Choir.
Clifford Lister - Tenor
Clifford began his musical education as a chorister at Winchester Cathedral and subsequently at King's Canterbury and the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Kenneth Bowen and Clara Taylor. On leaving the Royal Academy he was appointed as a lay-clerk (gentleman of the choir) at Westminster Cathedral, where he remained until November 2007. During that time he took part in numerous broadcasts for both radio and television, (frequently as a soloist), and was part of the award winning recording of the Frank Martin Mass for double choir; he also sang at Cardinal Basil Hume's memorial (Broadcast throughout the world) and at the Enthronement of Cormac Murphy O' Connor (Basil Hume's successor).
Away from Westminster Cathedral he also developed a busy schedule of Consort and Solo work; and has sung regularly in Scotland with Cappella Nova and the Dunedin Consort, and also nearer home with Opus Anglicanum. Recent solo engagements have included Haydn's Nelson Mass and the Seasons, Messiah and the Verdi Requiem. Future engagements include tonight's work in Bahrain, and also Mendelssohn's Hymn of Praise and the Beethoven Choral Symphony.
Clifford is also no stranger to the Conductor's podium, having recently conducted The Beethoven Missa Solemnis, Faure Requiem, and Bach cantata No4 "Christ lag in Todesbanden". When not performing or conducting Clifford is often to be found teaching singing; this year he completes 25 years at Kent College in Canterbury.
Peter Cox - Bass
Peter was a resident artist with the Victoria State Opera in Melbourne for 12 years. He was an invited soloist at the opening of the Melbourne Concert Hall and gave first performances of many new works by contemporary Australian composers.
Since moving to the UK in 1987 his freelance opera roles have included Don Giovanni and Leporello, The Count in Marriage of Figaro, Scarpia (Tosca), Marcello (La Boheme), Don Carlo (Forza del Destino), Escamillo (Carmen), Peter (Hansel and Gretel) and Mr Noye in Noye's Fludde. He has sung most of the concert and oratorio repertoire which includes requiems by Schutz, Mozart, Brahms, Verdi, Faure and Durufle. He teaches singing at the University of Kent and The King's School Canterbury. He regularly returns to Australia for recitals and to give singing masterclasses.