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The Old Wizard of Bayreuth – March 29, 1987 | Walter Hall, Toronto
Songs by Richard Wagner and by his French adherents

date: March 29, 1987

This began its life as one of our earliest concerts, being presented at Harbourfront in Toronto in February 1983, for the Wagner Society of New York in May 1987 (under a different title, “A Wagnerian Salon) and in Ottawa in January 1990, though the repertoire was slightly revised over the years.  It was finally repeated in our Sunday Series in March 1998.  We included a few of Wagner’s little-known early songs, particularly those in French, and a complete performance of the Wesendonck-Lieder.  Our second half returned to France with music by some of that country’s enthusiasts for Wagner’s music:  Fauré, Messager, Duparc and Berlioz  –  the latter a rather more equivocal supporter.  Light relief was provided by the sets of quadrilles on Wagnerian themes by Fauré and Messager, and by Chabrier, an excerpt from which provided our encore with vocal lines added from a French translation of Tristan.  Spoken narration was taken from the diaries and memoirs of the composer himself (delivered by Bruce Ubukata) and of his wife, Cosima, with some fascinating extracts from the reminiscences of the English diplomat, Lord Frederic Hamilton.

Song Artist Composer Poet
Polonaise in D, Op.2 Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Wagner, Richard n/a
Gretchen am Spinnrade, Op.5/6 (Sieben Kompositionen zu Goethes Faust) Collins, Martha, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Wagner, Richard Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
L’Attente Collins, Martha, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano Wagner, Richard Hugo, Victor
Mignonne Pedrotti, Mark, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Wagner, Richard Ronsard, Pierre de
Les Deux grenadiers Pedrotti, Mark, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Wagner, Richard Heine, Heinrich, trans. Loeve-Veimar, François-Adolphe
Dors, mon enfant Collins, Martha, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Wagner, Richard anon.
Der Engel (Wesendonck-Lieder) Collins, Martha, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Wagner, Richard Wesendonck, Mathilde
Stehe still (Wesendonck-Lieder) Pedrotti, Mark, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Wagner, Richard Wesendonck, Mathilde
Im Treibhaus (Wesendonck-Lieder) Collins, Martha, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Wagner, Richard Wesendonck, Mathilde
Schmerzen (Wesendonck-Lieder) Pedrotti, Mark, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Wagner, Richard Wesendonck, Mathilde
Träume (Wesendonck-Lieder) Collins, Martha, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Wagner, Richard Wesendonck, Mathilde
INTERMISSION
Souvenirs de Bayreuth Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Fauré, Gabriel / Messager, André n/a
Pleurs d’or, Op.72 Collins, Martha, soprano; Pedrotti, Mark, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Fauré, Gabriel Samain, Albert
Le Manoir de Rosemonde Pedrotti, Mark, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Duparc, Henri Bonnières, Robert de
Souvenirs de Munich Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Chabrier, Emmanuel n/a
La Lugubre gondola II Ralls, Stephen, piano Liszt, Franz n/a
Sur les lagunes – Lamento, Op.7/3 (Nuits d’été) Collins, Martha, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Berlioz, Hector Gautier, Théophile
Souvenirs de Munich (excerpt) Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Chabrier, Emmanuel n/a
Souvenirs de Munich (excerpt) – ENCORE Collins, Martha, soprano; Pedrotti, Mark, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Chabrier, Emmanuel anon.