A Roman Holiday
A Concert Commemorating the
350 t h Anniversary of the Birth of
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660 -1725)
Collegium Vocale of Saint Louis
Christine Johnson, soprano
Nancy Luetzow, soprano
Roberta Hmiel, contralto
Willard Cobb, tenor
Bruce Carvell, tenor
David Berger, bass-baritone
With Guest Artists:
Christine Kyprianides, cello
Charles Metz, harpsichord
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Collegium Vocale of Saint Louis was founded late in 1996 by nine musicians. On
February 17, 1997, its first concert was presented as The Cantata Concert at the noonday
series of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The concert was enthusiastically received,
and the performers resolved to continue as a group. On October 27, 1997, the
organization was incorporated under its present name and has presented three or four
concerts every year since that time.
The mission of Collegium Vocale of Saint Louis is to provide the St. Louis community
and nearby communities in Missouri and Illinois with an opportunity to learn about and
to enjoy the rich and varied repertory of vocal music of the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, performed with the accompaniment of historic instruments and in a style
appropriate to its time.
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WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT OUR FUTURE CONCERTS
Sacred Music of Marc Antoine Charpentier • Sunday, February 20, 2011
Second Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, MO
Sacred Cantatas of the German Baroque • Saturday, May 7, 2011
Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis, MO
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COLLEGIUM VOCALE OF SAINT LOUIS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
David Berger
W. G. Seibert, President
Evvy Cobb, Treasurer
Elizabeth Horsley Leif Johnson Nancy Luetzow Stephen Mager, Ph.D.
Bruce Carvell, Ph.D. Artistic Director
Darrell Berg, Ph.D. Artistic Director Emerita
A
Roman
Holiday
S t . Lo ui s Pri o ry C ha pe l / St . An se lm ’ s
C h ur ch
O c to be r 24 , 2 0 10 , 3: 00 pm
I
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Oh dolore, oh ferita
Cobb, Carvell, Berger, continuo
(1583-1643)
Francesco Gasparini
Andate, o miei sospiri
Luetzow, continuo
(1661-1727)
Alessandro Scarlatti
Sdegno la fiamma estinse
Ensemble
(1660-1725)
Al piè d’un verde alloro (I filosofi)
Giacomo Carissimi
Carvell, Cobb
(1605-1674)
Intermission
II
Andate, o miei sospiri
Alessandro Scarlatti
Johnson, continuo
Andate, o miei sospiri
Luetzow, Hmiel, continuo
Toccata prima (1615)
Francesco Durante
(1684-1755)
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Metz
O selce, o tigre, o ninfa
Alessandro Scarlatti
Ensemble
Pur è ver che fiero danno
Johnson, Luetzow, Hmiel, Berger, continuo
Luigi Rossi
(1597-1653)
Restrooms are located downstairs through the east doors beyond the glass screen. For the listening enjoyment
of all guests, please turn off all cell phones or beepers, and muffle any coughs.
Program Notes
Rome has long been regarded as one of the most important cultural centers of the world and this
was no less true during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. History is replete with examples
of how the high and mighty gravitated to this center of political and religious power. Roman
society, thus, demanded that the best and brightest in the arts grace their salons. The Roman
salons and churches provided a nurturing ground for the most talented poets and musicians. Of
particular importance were the social gatherings called Academies, created in imitation of those
of Classic Greece, places where the cream of Roman society would come to mix with the most
famous composers, performers, poets, philosophers, and ecclesiastics. Among the most celebrated
of these was the Arcadian Academy, founded in 1656 around the patronage of Queen Christiana
of Sweden, who resided in Rome, and whose membership included Arcangelo Corelli,
Alessandro Stradella, and Alessandro Scarlatti, along with many of the leading literary men of the
day. Aimed at restoring classical esthetics to the arts, the Arcadian Academy played an important
role in shaping the arts and sciences, especially opera, during the eighteenth century.
Alessandro Scarlatti is among the most important and influential composers of the period,
although his music is seldom performed. Today he is largely overshadowed by his son, Domenico
Scarlatti (1685-1757), best known for his brilliant and masterful harpsichord sonatas, and the
generation of composers who followed him. Alessandro Scarlatti received much of his early
training in Rome; one legend suggests that he studied with Giacomo Carissimi, who died when
Scarlatti was 14. In any event, Scarlatti was able to establish himself in the Roman music culture,
although he spent significant periods of time in Naples and other cities. Scarlatti, in his 70 operas,
played a crucial part in creating and defining what has come to be called “Neapolitan opera,”
which laid the groundwork for Handel and his generation. Handel came to know Scarlatti at
meetings of the Arcadian Academy. In addition to his contribution to the cultivation of opera,
Scarlatti was held up as a master of counterpoint and composition. The two madrigals on today’s
program are among the last of their type to be composed in Italy (around 1695) and it is thought
that Scarlatti composed them mostly to demonstrate that he could apply his mastery to an
outmoded style in a convincing fashion.
Francesco Gasparini received his early training in music in Rome, with Corelli and Pasquini. In
1701, he was appointed maestro di coro at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, where he oversaw
all musical activities, one of which was hiring Antonio Vivaldi as maestro del Violino. When
Gasparini took a leave of absence from his post in 1713 and, subsequently, took a position in
Rome, Vivaldi was allowed many more opportunities to put forward his own music with results
that are well known today. Gasparini was also a member of the Arcadian Academy and, in 1712
he composed his cantata, “Andate, o miei sospiri,” and sent it to Scarlatti as a gesture of respect
and friendship. In the spirit of collegial rivalry, Scarlatti set the same text (twice) to respond to
Gasparini’s artistic effort. It is significant to note that, at this time especially in Rome where
opera was forbidden by the church authorities, the solo cantata was the vehicle for the most
innovative and adventurous musical endeavors. Alessandro Scarlatti composed over 600 such
works, most for solo voice and basso continuo, although a substantial number include other
instruments. In comparing the cantatas of Gasparini and Scarlatti heard on today’s program, it
should be noted that they follow the same pattern of arioso section combined with recitative, an
aria, another recitative, and a final aria. Generally speaking in this period, the recitative sections,
which are more speech-like, express the dramatic elements of the text, while the arias, typically
composed in a da capo form, which is comprised of an opening section, a somewhat contrasting
section, and a repetition of the opening section, are more lyrical expressions of a general emotion.
The text is typical of the period in that it sets out the plight of a disappointed lover, probably a
shepherd from antiquity, although it allows the possibility for hope in the final aria.
Some years later, Francesco Durante, who was also a member of the Arcadian Academy,
composed a series of twelve duets for soprano and alto based on themes taken from cantatas of
Alessandro Scarlatti, one of which is heard on today’s program. In this case, Durante has taken
the opening section, adding the alto part and developing Scarlatti’s thematic and harmonic
material to create a new piece. These duets were well-known and highly regarded in their day and
continued to be held up as models of vocal writing and harmony well into the 19th century.
Giacomo Carissimi is regarded as the most significant composer of vocal music in the
generation that preceded that of Alessandro Scarlatti. He was valued as a composer of sacred
music and was a key figure in the development of the oratorio. His secular cantatas were equally
prized and “A piè d’un verde alloro,” which is also known as “I filosofi,” (The Philosophers) is a
prime example of his mastery of vocal writing. The outstanding feature of this piece is the use of
alternating major and minor modes in the musical depiction of the two philosophers, Heraclitus,
“The Weeping Philosopher”, and Democritus, “The Laughing Philosopher.”
Girolamo Frescobaldi is best remembered as a virtuoso keyboard player and composer, as well
as one of the most important Roman composers of his day. Most of his published compositions
are for keyboard, but he also published collections of sacred and secular vocal pieces. The
Toccata prima is from an early publication, which appeared in1615, in which he established what
would become the predominant keyboard style. The trio, “Oh dolore”, is from the second of two
books, published in 1630, of vocal pieces for one, two, and three voices.
Luigi Rossi, while not as well remembered as the other composers on this program, was a
celebrated composer in his day and was regarded as the equal of Carissimi and Marcantonio
Cesti. His first opera was produced in Rome in 1646; this earned for him an invitation to go to
Paris. Upon his return to Rome in 1648, he turned his attention primarily to the composition of
chamber cantatas, composing around 300 of them. “Pur e ver che fiero danno” is a remarkable
and very sophisticated piece that demonstrates his mastery. The anonymous text is typical of
many of the works composed for the sophisticated Roman audience in that it assumes a thorough
knowledge of classical history and mythology. The moral of the tale, that pain and pleasure are
close companions and that many will endure agony of love in order to enjoy the pleasure, is stated
in the opening and closing ensemble. The text is divided into three sections: the first describes the
fabulous barge of Cleopatra as it floats down the Nile. Next the handmaidens’ song is sung that
tells of Venus, Cupid, and Jove. The final section tells of a wounded soldier who implores Marc
Antony to turn from the snares of love and either flee or go to battle. It is likely that Rossi
composed this piece for Andreana Basile and her daughters, Leonora and Catherina, a famous trio
of singers who were celebrated in Rome and are known to have performed cantatas by Rossi.
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Collegium Vocale Biographies
Bruce Carvell, tenor and Artistic Director, holds a Ph.D. in Historical Performance Practice
from Washington University. He has taught music history and literature courses at Washington
University and the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. Dr. Carvell has also been a member of the
American Kantorei and Musica Nova, and is a former director of the Washington University
Collegium Musicum. He currently sings with the choirs at The First Congregational Church and
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, and is Cantor at the Old Cathedral.
David Berger, bass-baritone, a member of Collegium Vocale since 1997, has performed on
concert and oratorio stages from coast to coast in repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to
Hindemith, including many performances with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra under Lukas
Foss, Margaret Hawkins, Robert Shaw, Robert Page, and others. He has also sung under the baton
of three well-known British conductors: Sir David Willcocks, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and
Christopher Hogwood. Pursuing his musical first love, the music of the Baroque, David has
appeared regularly with Bach groups in Chicago, Louisville, Dayton, Rockford, and St. Louis. He
is on the faculty of Concordia Seminary and resides in St. Louis.
Willard Cobb, tenor, is well known as a performer of Lieder, chamber music, oratorio, and early
music. He was a member of the Studio der frühen Musik of Munich, an ensemble devoted to the
performance of medieval and renaissance music. He has recorded on the Teldec and Musical
Heritage labels. Mr. Cobb has taught at the University of Missouri - St. Louis, Washington
University, St. Louis University, and the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. He is soloist for the
First Church of Christ, Scientist, St. Louis.
Roberta Hmiel, contralto, has led a musical career that includes five seasons with the University
Circle Chamber Chorus and Chorale in association with the Cleveland Institute of Music, and
membership in the North Coast Vocal Arts Ensemble. She has been a member of the St. Louis
Chamber Chorus since 1990 and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church choir since 1995. Roberta is also a
founding member of Java Jived, a vocal jazz octet.
Christine Johnson, soprano, Christine Johnson enjoys a varied career in singing, improv, and
comedy; she has performed with Overdue Theater Company as Liza Elliot in “Lady in the Dark”.
Helena in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and Irene Molloy in “Hello Dolly”. Her brother
accompanied her on guitar for her first performances in high school, which eventually led to a
master’s degree in vocal performance from Washington University and an interest in the music of
the Baroque and Renaissance. She has performed and studied early music in Washington State,
Cambridge, Oberlin, Germany, and of course St. Louis – where she appears regularly with the
Kingsbury Ensemble and Collegium Vocale. Christine also played Faith in “the Limeybirds” and
was a member of Project Improv-St. Louis. Favorite projects include work with Overdue,
Commedia dell’arte, and the Kingsbury Ensemble, with which she performed in France in 2008.
In May 2009 Christine produced an art song recital with Mary Sutherland. During a recent trip to
Germany she performed with Bachchor Siegen, Jungerkammerchor Siegen, and produced a
Liederabend with pianist Peter Scholl. She currently sings at the Church of St. Michael & St.
George.
Nancy Luetzow, soprano, a member of the Collegium since 2004, performs with the St. Peter’s
Singers and frequently as a soloist elsewhere. She is a former member of the St. Louis Chamber
Chorus, American Kantorei, and The Bach Society of St. Louis. Her vocal style and timbre also
lend themselves to pop repertoire. In 2005 she organized the vocal jazz mixed octet Java Jived,
which will perform at Christ Church Cathedral on May 15, 2011. A St. Louis native and graduate
of Washington University, Nancy is a freelance translator of scientific-technical Russian to
English.
Guest Artist Biographies
Christine Kyprianides, Baroque cello, holds degrees from the Peabody and New England
conservatories, the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, and the Indiana University Jacobs School of
Music (Doctor of Music). She also attended the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood where
she was awarded the Gregor Piatagorsky Cello Prize. Ms. Kyprianides has concertized throughout
the world as a member of such illustrious early music chamber groups as Huelgas Ensemble, Les
Adieux, Musica Antiqua Cologne, Ganassi-Consort, and Les Arts Florissants, as well as serving
as principal cellist of numerous chamber orchestras, including Das Kleine Konzert, Collegium
Carthusianum, and Accademia Filarmonica Köln. For many years she was a faculty member of
the Dresden Academy of Early Music, and has taught performance practice at conservatories,
universities, and summer schools in Germany, Belgium, France, Chile, and Argentina. Presently
she performs with Ensemble Voltaire, Echoing Air, and the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, and
is also active as a musicologist.
Charles Metz, harpsichord, studied piano at Pennsylvania State University, beginning his
harpsichord studies through private lessons with the legendary Igor Kipnis. While earning a Ph.D.
in Historical Performance Practice at Washington University in St. Louis, he studied with Trevor
Pinnock. More recently, Charles has worked with Lisa Crawford and Webb Wiggins at the
Oberlin Conservatory. He plays regularly in St. Louis with ensembles including The Bach
Society of St. Louis, Collegium Vocale and the St. Louis Baroque. Charles has performed across
the country with recent concerts in Chicago IL, Oberlin, OH, Saratoga, NY, Bennington, VT,
Louisville, KY and Liberty, MO in their Baroque music JEMS Fest. This past April he performed
a solo recital on several antique instruments at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. In
July 2010, he recorded the “Tisdale Virginal Book”, music of the Elizabethan period, on his 400
year old Italian Virginal, to be released as a CD next year. International appearances include
performances in The Netherlands, Germany and Costa Rica.
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Acknowledgements and special thanks for the generosity of these persons
and agencies which have helped make this occasion possible:
Father Abbot Thomas Frerking and the Monastic Community
Dr. Andrzej Zahorski, Organist, Music Director, St. Anselm Church
Michael Sherberg, Ph.D. for assistance with the translation
of Andante, i miei sospiri and Pur e ver
Edward Chase Garvey
Memorial Foundation
and
Friends of Collegium Vocale:
Philip & Rachael Barnes
Karl C. and Barbara Bretz
Dr. Bruce Carvell
Mary-Jean Cowell
Robert H. Duesenberg
Hildegard Etzkorn
David L. Garin
Esley Ian Hamilton
Leif Johnson
Blake W. Moore
Margaret M. Nolan
Edith Trugly Owen, M.D.
Mary and Richard Pier
Jane M. and Bruce P. Robert
W. G. Seibert
Martha Shaffer
Norman and Connie Stoecker
Peter Wollenberg
Theodore and Suzanne Zorn
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ABOUT THE ABBEY CHURCH
The Abbey Church, also known as the Church of St. Mary and St. Louis and the Priory Chapel, was
designed by Gyo Obata of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum of St. Louis, (HOK), with the Italian architect
and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi serving as consultant. Completed in 1962, The Abbey Church was an
important landmark and name-making project for HOK. The church’s circular facade consists of three tiers
of whitewashed, thin-poured concrete parabolic arches, the top one forming a bell-tower; the arches appear
to float upwards from their base. They are faced with dark insulated-fiberglass polyester window walls
which create a meditative translucency when viewed from within. The ceramic floor and white walls blend
with the Georgia granite of the altars and the red oak of the ambo and pews to create an atmosphere of
serenity. The church also contains a statue of the Madonna and Christ Child that dates to the early 14th
century and originally came from Burgundy, France. The shrine enclosing it was designed by sculptor
William Schickel. Around the perimeter of the church is a series of chapels, each with an altar dedicated to
a saint or group of saints, and a crucifix designed by a contemporary artist. The glass screen near the
monks’ choir was designed by Emil Frei. It consists of vertical panels of plate glass, to which are laminated
delicately tinted sheets of handmade Bavarian glass. Since 1966, the church has also served as the parish
church of St. Anselm.