Vocalist.org archive


To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
From: Holton Johnson
Subject: Re: Pirates/Penzance Cadenzas
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Being a man, I don't have any direct experiences with Mabel but I've sung
more than my share of Fredericks and it seems as though the ending cadenza
has become pretty standard. This is just by ear, but here goes. It's in two
parts:
1. After the trill, slight pause for breath, Eb2 - G2 - Bb2 - G2 - Bb2 -
Db3 - C3 - then down the scale to low Eb1.
2. Then Eb2 - F2 - a trill on G2/Ab2 - C3 - Bb2 - Eb3(if you have it!) -
finishing on Ab2. If you don't have the high Eb, just hold the C, then
"take" on Bb2 and "heart" on Ab2. If you play it out, it'll make sense.
It's pretty much the standard now and you'll hear it on the Doyly Carte
performance with Valerie Masterson. Of course. if you really want it short,
just leave out the whole first section. Hope this helps.

At 05:42 PM 1/26/00 , you wrote:
>I'm going to do a "Mabel" soon, and was wondering what the current
>performance practice is with regards to that lovely "cadenza ad lib" at
>the end of "Poor Wand'ring One". I have usually constructed my own, and
>never like to let it go on too long (or too indulgently) for fear of
>distorting the aria. Are people lifting cadenzas from operas of the
>period, any opera one can sing, making them up, or just mimicking the last
>D'Oyly recording?
>
>Plus, any fellow "Mabel"s out there with warnings as to tricky
>passages/stamina/whatnot?
>
>Best regards, Teressa

Holton
Holton-at-holtonjohnson.com
714-748-7483 tel
714-809-6153 Cell/VM