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From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Mon Nov 26, 2001  5:57 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] looking for yet another piece of music...


How about "Fair Robin I loved" from Kirke Mechem's TARTUFFE?

Also "Be kind and courteous", Titania's aria from Britten's A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S DREAM (highest note is the C6, I believe). Or one of Miss
Wordsworth's arias in Britten's ALBERT HERRING. Or "Tarquinius does not
dare...I remember when her hair fell", i.e., Bianca's aria, from Britten's
THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA. I believe there's also an arioso for the Lady in
Waiting in Britten's GLORIANA which would be appropriate for your voice.

Would one of Lucy's arias from Menotti's THE TELEPHONE work for you?

If the above are too common, let's consider something more obscure:

Etain's arias from Rutland Boughton's THE IMMORTAL HOUR

One of Mary's arias from Vaughan Williams' HUGH THE DROVER

"Young Svanhild sat alone and sighed ... can it be! From Niels?" -
Fennimore's aria from Delius' FENNIMORE AND GERDA.

Other possibilities:

It has been a long time since I heard it, but I remember Mollicone's THE
FACE ON THE BARROOM FLOOR as having both accessible music and a lyric
coloratura female lead (the double role of Isabelle and Madeleine). What I
don't remember is whether she had an excerptable aria.

For some really showy coloratura, you should look at the operas by Thomas
Arne. ARTAXERXES is probably his best-known, and "The soldier tir'd" is
the most famous soprano aria from that work, which is rich in arias for
soprano, mezzo, and contralto. But there are some
wonderfully dazzling coloratura arias in many of his operas - plus some
that are more stately, e.g., "Rise, glory, rise" from his ROSAMOND. Also
look for arias from COMUS and ALFRED.

John Frederick Lampe is another English operatic composer of the baroque
who wrote some lovely arias for lyric coloratura soprano. His operas
BRITANNI, PYRAMUS AND THISBE, and DIONE are a good place to start looking.
Lampe's contemporary, William Boyce may also prove a good source,
particularly his masque PELEUS AND THETIS.

Charles Dibdin was another early English opera composer, contemporary with
Mozart. You might look at his THE BRICKDUST MAN, THE EPHESIAN MAIDEN, and
THE GRENADIER.

If you want something 19th Century, "O what full delight" from Balfe's THE
BOHEMIAN GIRL is a not-terribly-high coloratura dazzler.

You might also look at the arias for Belinda from Purcell's DIDO AND
AENEAS (there are several of them). And don't forget Purcell's other
operas, THE INDIAN QUEEN, THE FAERIE QUEEN, and KING ARTHUR - all good
potential sources.

It may be possible to stretch your search to Handel's secular,
English-language oratorios, ACIS AND GALATEA, HERCULES, ALEXANDER BALUS,
and SEMELE - and possibly his non-Biblical sacred oratorios THEODORA and
SUSANNA. In any case, all are rich with Handelian gems for coloratura
soprano. ACIS is a particular favourite of mine.

Not sure if the Anne Truelove arias from Stravinsky's THE RAKE'S PROGRESS
are done too much, or right for your voice, but another possibility....

Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html

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