[5/14/2011] Remembering Margaret Price, Part 8 -- Verdi's Élisabeth de Valois and (yes, again) Desdemona (continued)

VERDI: Don Carlos (in Italian): Act V, Scene,
Carlos, "È dessa" . . . Élisabeth, "Un detto, un sol"

CARLOS: It's she!
ÉLISABETH: One word, just one;
to heaven I command
the departing pilgrim;
and afterwards ask of you only
that you should forget and live.
CARLOS: Yes, I wish to be strong --
but when love is crushed
it kills before death.
ÉLISABETH: No -- think of Rodrigo!
It was not for foolish fancies
that he gave his life!
CARLOS: On Flemish soil
I want a sublime and lofty
memorial to be raised to him,
finer and more illustrious
than any king has ever earned!
ÉLISABETH: The flowers of paradise
will smile upon him.
CARLOS: A lovley vision smiled before me . . .
it has vanished, and to me
in my anguish appears a stake,
that shoots up flames towards heaven.
A river dyed with blood,
fields tuned to a gravehard,
a people that dies
and stretches forth its hand to me,
as to a savior,
in the time of trouble.
I will go to them happy,
if, in victory or death,
I shall have praise or tears
from your grateful heart.
ÉLISABETH: Yes, this is the sacred flame
of true courage!
A love worthy of us,
a love that fires the strong!
It makes a god of man!
Go -- no longer delay! Go!
Go! no longer delay,
and save a people that is dying!
CARLOS: Yes, that people calls me
with your voice . . .
ÉLISABETH: Save that people!
CARLOS: . . . and if I die for them,
my death will be a fine one!
ÉLISABETH: Go, go, no longer delay!
CARLOS: Yet till now
no power on earth
could have unclasped
my hand from yours!
But on this illustrious day
honor has vanquished love within me;
an undertaking of such moment
renews both mind and heart!
Do you not see, Elisabeth --
I can press you to my breast,
without my determination faltering,
nor shall it find me wanting!
Now that everything is over
and I withdraw my hand
from yours, you weep?
ÉLISABETH: Yes, I weep, but it is with admiration.
They are my soul's tears,
and you may see
what tears
women can shed for heroes!
But above we shall meet
in a better world --
the moment of limitless future
is already striking for us,
and there in the lap
of the Lord we shall find
the longed-for happiness
that ever escaped us on earth!

[They continue in this vein until they say their final good-byes.]

Plácido Domingo (t), Don Carlos; Margaret Price (s), Élisabeth de Valois, Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala, Claudio Abbado, cond. Live performance, 1978

REVISITING PRICE
AS VERDI'S DESDEMONA

In our previous installment devoted to Verdi's Otello, I used the Margaret Price series as an excuse to dip into the opera itself, starting with the opening (long before Desdemona makes her first appearance), then continuing with the conclusion of Act I from Otello's "Abbasso le spade" and including the great Love Duet, with Price and others as Desdemona. This was easier to do because I wasn't all that thrilled with the performances I had on hand with Price as Desdemona. Eventually, of course, the missing 1978 Paris performance with Plácido Domingo as Otello and Nello Santi conducting turned up, so tonight we're going to have those Act I and IV Desdemona-inclusive excerpts from that -- and along with that we'll repeat the Price excerpts, from Decca's 1977 Vienna studio recording made in Vienna with Sir Georg Solti conducting, with Carlo Cossutta as Otello (dubbed from my LPs, I should remind you), and a 1985 Met performance conducted by James Levine.

DESDEMONA MAKES HER FIRST APPEARANCE

Playing on poor Roderigo's infatuation with Desdemona, Jago has connived to get the drunk Cassio to start a brawl that escalates into a riot, which is halted abruptly by the entrance of an enraged Otello.

VERDI: Otello, Act I, Otello, "Abbasso le spade!" . . . Love Duet: Otello, "Già nella notte densa" . . . Desdemona, "Mio superbo guerrier" . . . "Quando narravi" . . . Otello, "E tu m'amavi per le mie sventure" . . . "Venga la morte"

OTELLO enters and silences the crowd.

OTELLO: Down with your swords.
[The fight stops.]
Hold there! What's happening?
Am I among the Saracens?
Or have you become rabble Turks,
who fight each other like dogs?
Honest Jago, by the love and loyalty
that you have for me. Speak.
JAGO: I don’t know . . .
We all were just celebrating, as friends.
Then, as if a malicious star fell upon us,
a quarrel broke out.
Weapons were drawn -- chaos ensued.
I would rather cut these legs off,
for having brought me to witness this.
OTELLO: Cassio -- how could you forget yourself like this?
CASSIO:. Pardon, my Lord. I don't know . . .
OTELLO: Montano?
MONTANO: I'm wounded, and cannot speak.
OTELLO: Wounded! By Heaven, my blood rages.
Yet my better angels restrain me.
[DESDEMONA enters.]
What -- my sweet Desdemona.
She too was awoken by this outrage.
Cassio, no longer are you my captain!
JAGO: (Oh, my triumph!)
OTELLO: Iago -- Take a squadron and restore order.
See to Montano.
Everyone return to your homes.
I will remain here until the streets are deserted,
and calm reigns once more.
[OTELLO and DESDEMONA are left alone.]
The vast night sky extinguishes all strife,
And my trembling heart is calmed by its embrace.
Yet, from such immense hatred
comes our immense love.
DESDEMONA: My superb warrior.
Many torments, and such sadness,
And much hope have brought you
to this blessed embrace.
How sweet when we whispered together:
Remember now with me.
When you revealed your life of exile,
and told me of your battles, and sorrow.
And I would listen from my very soul
with fear, and ecstasy in my heart.
OTELLO: I painted a canvas of armies,
of weapons poised to attack,
The assault -- of terrible victory –
cutting to the rampart -- killing the foe.
DESDEMONA: Then you would guide me
to the shining deserts of your homeland,
At last sharing your suffering –
in chains, as a slave.
OTELLO: Your tears ennobled my story.
Your beautiful visage, and your sighs
Descended upon my darkness
a blessed glory -- a paradise -- and the stars.
DESDEMONA: And I saw in your brow
a genius of eternal beauty.
OTELLO: And you loved me for my misfortunes;
And I loved you that you pitied them.
DESDEMONA: And I loved you for your misfortunes:
And you loved me that I pitied them.
OTELLO: Truly you loved me.
Come, death.
Take me in this moment of supreme ecstasy.
For my soul fears
that I will never again be granted. . .
A divine moment as this,
in my unknown destiny.
DESDEMONA: Dispel such anguish.
Our love will not change from year to year.
OTELLO: Upon this prayer,
the ranks of angels respond: Amen.
DESDEMONA: Amen, they respond.
OTELLO: Ah. Such joy overcomes me.
So vehemently. I cannot bear it.
A kiss.
DESDEMONA: Otello.
OTELLO: Yet another kiss.
The stars of the Pleiades descend toward the sea.
DESDEMONA: It is late.
OTELLO: Come. Venus shall guide us.

Carlo Cossutta (t), Otello; Gabriel Bacquier (b), Jago; Peter Dvorský (t), Cassio; Stafford Dean (bs), Montano; Margaret Price (s), Desdemona; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic, Sir Georg Solti, cond. Decca, recorded September 1977
Plácido Dominto (t), Otello; Kostas Paskalis (b), Jago; Horst R. Laubenthal (t), Cassio; Jean-Louis Soumagnas (bs), Montano; Margaret Price (s), Desdemona; Orchestra of the Théâtre National de l'Opéra, Paris, Nello Santi, cond. Live performance, July 13, 1978
Plácido Domingo (t), Otello; Sherrill Milnes (b), Jago; William Lewis (t), Cassio; John Darrenkamp (bs), Montano; Margaret Price (s), Desdemona; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine, cond. Live performance, Feb. 2, 1985

AND DESDEMONA MAKES HER LAST APPEARANCE

Alone in her chamber excerpt for her faithful companion Emilia (the wife of Jago), Desdemona knows that Otello believes her, wrongly of course, to have been unfaithful, and that she's saying her prayers for the last time.

Act IV: Prelude . . . Emilia, "Era più calmo?" . . . Desdemona, "Mia madre aveva una povera ancella" . . . "Piangea cantando" . . . "Ave Maria, piena di grazia"

EMILIA: Was he more calm?
DESDEMONA: He ordered me to wait for him.
Emilia, if you please.
Lay out my wedding veil on the bed.
If I must die before you,
promise it will be buried with me.
EMILIA: Stop these thoughts.
DESDEMONA: Ah, I am so sad, and alone.

My mother once had a servant.
She was lovely, and in love.
Her name was Barbara.
She loved a man who abandoned her.
She would sing a song.
The song of the willow.
Help me loosen my hair.
Strangely, after all these years,
that song fills my thoughts tonight.
“Sighing, a poor soul sat upon the heath.
Sing willow, willow, willow.
She sat upon the heath, her head on her knees.
Sing willow, willow, willow.
Together we sing.
The weeping willow as garland, and I.”
Quickly. Othello will arrive soon.
“The fresh streams ran by her,
and murmured her moans.
And from her lashes flowed waves of bitter tears.
Sing willow, willow, willow.
Together we sing.
The weeping willow as garland, and I.”
“Sweet birds fly to her bending branches
to hear her sweet song.
And the cliffs echo her sighing,
as her eyes fill with tears.”
Take care of this ring for me.
Unhappy Barbara.
Her song ended with this simple cadence:
“He was born for glory, and I to love him.”
Listen. Did you hear that crying ?
Who is knocking ?
EMILIA: It’s only the wind.
DESDEMONA: “I to love him, and to die.
Together we sing . . .
Sing willow, willow, willow.”
Emilia, farewell. Oh, how my eyes are burning.
As they do before crying.
Good night, then.
Ah, Emilia, farewell !
[EMILIA leaves.]

Hail Mary full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art Thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of Thy womb.
Pray for those who kneel before Thee,
Pray for the sinner - for the innocent.
Pray for the weak, and the powerful,
Grant them Thy pity.
Pray for those who bend
under the weight of a cruel fate.
Pray for us, at all times,
and at the hour of our death.

Jane Berbié (ms), Emilia; Margaret Price (s), Desdemona; Vienna Philharmonic, Sir Georg Solti, cond. Decca, recorded September 1977
Jane Berbié (ms), Emilia; Margaret Price (s), Desdemona; Orchestra of the Théâtre National de l'Opéra, Paris, Nello Santi, cond. Live performance, July 13, 1978
Jean Kraft (ms), Emilia; Margaret Price (s), Desdemona; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine, cond. Live performance, Feb. 2, 1985


IN TOMORROW'S SUNDAY CLASSICS POST

Excerpts from Verdi's A Masked Ball with Price and others as Amelia


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