mezzo

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, organist and composer

March 16, 2021 By Nora Miller Rubinoff Leave a Comment

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, born in Lichtenstein March 17, 1839, was a respected pianist, organist, and composer. Rheinberger was involved in the performances of Wagner‘s “Tristan und Isolde” and “Die Meistersinger” by the Royal Opera.

Josef Rheinberger began serving as an organist in a Lichtenstein church at the age of 7. Rheinberger attended the Munich Conservatorium, and upon his graduation, served as a professor of piano and composition. In 1867, he married his former pupil, Franziska von Hoffnaass. “Fanny,” as Franziska was referred to, wrote many of the texts for Rheinberger’s vocal work.

Rheinberger was appointed court conductor of the royal chapel in 1877 and received a title of nobility in 1894. Later in his career, Rheinberger served as professor of counterpoint and organ at the Royal School of Music where his notable students included Engelbert Humperdinck.

Rheinberger’s influencers included Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Schubert, and Bach. His motet, Abendlied, is a popular download on the IPA Source website.

Besides 20 organ sonatas, Josef Rheinberger wrote operas, church, and chamber music. Today Rheinberger’s birth home houses the Liechtenstein Music School.

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger died November 25, 1901.

View 14 art songs as set by Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger on IPA Source:

Abendlied
Text by Joseph Rheinberger, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Drei geistliche Gesänge, Op.69, #3
Listen to UniversitätsChor München:

Also, listen to this very unique version of Abendlied by Quire of Cheahs, a one-person vocal ensemble featuring Phillip Cheah:

All’ meine Gedanken
Text by Felix Ludwig Julius Dahn, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Fünf Lieder und Gesänge, Op.2

Das Fischermädchen
Text by Heinrich Heine, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Zwei Lieder

Der Fischer
Text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Fünf Lieder und Gesänge, Op.2

Die Nachtblume
Text by Josef Karl Benedikt von Eichendorff, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Vier Gesänge, Op.22
Listen to bass-baritone Clemens Morgenthaler and pianist Bernhard Renzikowski:

Ein Stündlein wohl vor Tag
Text by Eduard Mörike, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Fünf Lieder, Op.31

Es fällt ein Stern herunter
Text by Heinrich Heine, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Zwei Lieder

Geheimnis
Text by Adolf Friedrich, Graf von Schack, Set by Joseph Rheinberger

Ich wandelte unter den Bäumen
Text by Heinrich Heine, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Fünf Lieder, Op.4

Mädchens Klage
Text by Friedrich von Schiller, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Wache Träume, Op.57
Listen to mezzo-soprano Anna Huntley and guitarist Jens Franke:

Nachtgesang
Text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Sieben Lieder, Op.3

Schilflied II
Text by Nikolaus Lenau, Set by Joseph Rheinberger

Sonntags am Rhein
Text by Robert Reinick , Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Im neuen Frühling, Op.52

Um Mitternacht
Text by Eduard Mörike, Set by Joseph Rheinberger, from Fünf Lieder, Op.31

Perfect for Voice – 17 Texts from Georg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah

March 3, 2018 By Nora Miller Rubinoff Leave a Comment

Georg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. Originally intended as thought-provoking inspiration for Lent and Easter, this 259-page score was composed in a mere 3-4 weeks.

During the 1700’s, opera and composers were sometimes the subject of moral outrage and some considered this work, as hard as it is to believe, blasphemous. Händel chose to premier his work in Dublin near Easter time, on April 13, 1742, in part due to the lukewarm response to the previous years’ works in London and also because he was trying to test the work away from Anglican bishops.

Mozart reorchestrated Messiah in 1789 but remained in awe of the composer. “Händel understands effect better than any of us — when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt… though he often saunters, in the manner of his time, this is always something there,” said Mozart.

Here, with voice type and listening links, are 18 texts on IPA Source from Händel’s oratorio, Messiah.

SOPRANO

Perfect for Soprano: How Beautiful Are the Feet – Their Sound Is Gone Out
Listen to Lynne Dawson: https://youtu.be/IFBEK5Xks6c

Perfect for Soprano: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
Listen to Sylvia McNair: https://youtu.be/Kg7aXEvCeXY

Perfect for Soprano: If God Be for Us, Who Can Be Against Us
Listen to Sarah Brailey: https://youtu.be/a8A5BYyTkxQ

Perfect for Soprano: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion
Listen to Kathleen Battle: https://youtu.be/bByY2_uXblQ

CONTRALTO

Perfect for Contralto: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion
Listen to Carolyn Watkinson: https://youtu.be/BqzO8omYJWg

Perfect for Contralto: Come unto Him, All Ye That Labour
Listen to Lila Deis: https://youtu.be/y1vQ1vL_65A

Perfect for Contralto: He Was Despised and Rejected of Men
Listen to Anne Sofie von Otter: https://youtu.be/pjLaSMf0jjk

Perfect for Contralto: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting
Listen to Delphine Galou: https://youtu.be/23s5ZOS_MAo

TENOR

Perfect for Tenor: Behold, and See if There Be Any Sorrow
Listen to John Mark Ainsley: https://youtu.be/zCmd73MMOZM

Perfect for Tenor: But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell
Listen to Bogdan Mihai: https://youtu.be/Ba-XN_wGwjk

Perfect for Tenor: Ev’ry valley shall be exaulted
Listen to Nicolai Gedda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ZaoZPOoD0

Perfect for Tenor: Thou Shalt Break Them
Listen to John Mark Ainsley: https://youtu.be/X92SkGNVSMI

Perfect for Tenor: Unto Which of the Angels
Listen to Markus Brutsche: https://youtu.be/wgYs8v0rCDc

BASS

Perfect for Bass: The People That Walked in Darkness
Listen to Matthew Curran: https://youtu.be/3V_ZZ6ENu-E

Perfect for Bass (or alto): But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming
Listen to Bryn Terfel: https://youtu.be/TCOSulk2v5c

Perfect for Bass: The Trumpet Shall Sound
Listen to Philippe Sly: https://youtu.be/13DpmWPV9IU

Perfect for Bass: Thou Art Gone Up on High
Listen to William Sharp: https://youtu.be/HCrpCQE-y1E

Perfect for Bass: Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage Together
Listen to Donald Gramm: https://youtu.be/JIcRrLn8OcQ

(Sources Wikipedia, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Smithsonian Institution, GFHändel.org)

Perfect for voice – 8 arias as set by Camille Saint-Saëns

November 7, 2017 By Bard Suverkrop Leave a Comment

Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (10/9/1835 – 12/16/1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. He was also a poet and playwright. In his younger years, he was enthusiastic for music of the modern day, including Schumann, Wagner, and Liszt. However, he remained a traditionalist committed to musical structures by earlier French composers.

Saint-Saëns wrote in many genres, including opera, symphonies, concertos, songs, sacred & secular choral music, solo piano, & chamber music. He was a prodigy, beginning piano lessons at age two and a half, and performing at a Paris salon when he was five years of age.

Because of his commitment to historical structure, however, he was conflicted with composers of the impressionist and dodecaphonic schools of music. His later music was therefore viewed as less appealing, less colorful and more reactionary. He was still giving recitals three months before his death (he went on a concert tour of Algiers and Greece at the age of 85). When he announced his retirement in August 1921, he had been before the public for 75 years.

View our entire collection of texts as set by Camille Saint-Saëns:
https://www.ipasource.com/composer/s/saint-saens-camille-1835-1921.html

Learn more about Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns here.

Organized by opera and voice type, here are links to the IPA text for 8 arias as set by Camille Saint-Saëns. Most include listening links:

Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila

Maudite à jamais soit la race (High Priest: perfect for baritone)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/maudite-a-jamais-soit-la-race.html

Listen to: Ernest Blanc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WRBr3_X3ek&t=26s

Amour! viens aider ma faiblesse (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/amour-viens-aider-ma-faiblesse.html

Listen to: Tatiana Troyanos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBCCZU7nCG0

Printemps qui commence (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/printemps-qui-commence.html

Listen to: Denyce Grave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bp8P5dnAWQ

Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/mon-coeur-s-ouvre-a-ta-voix.html

Listen to: Marilyn Horne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwynxOAoKjo

Vois, ma misère (Samson: perfect for tenor)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/vois-ma-misere.html

Listen to: Jon Vickers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvMlou8dcvk

Saint-Saëns: Henry VIII

Qui donc commande, quand il aime? (Henry VIII: perfect for baritone)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/qui-donc-commande-quand-il-aime.html

Listen to: Philippe Rouillon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocSijzQVHDo

Qui donc élève ici la voix? (Legate: perfect for bass)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/qui-donc-eleve-ici-la-voix.html

Saint-Säens: Oratorio de Noël

Domine, ego credidi (perfect for tenor)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/domine-ego-credidi.html

Listen to: Erland Hagegård
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV7650DGJ40

Are you interested in the Fach System? Check out our blog series here.

14 texts as set by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, hand-curated by Fach

October 10, 2017 By Nora Miller Rubinoff Leave a Comment

From our collection of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy texts, here are 14 texts hand-curated by Fach, with listening links included.

Born Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (3 February 1809 – 4 November 1847), he was widely known as Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, and organist during the early Romantic period.

Mendelssohn is considered the greatest child prodigy after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His sister was Fanny Mendelssohn (later Fanny Hensel), who became a well-known pianist and composer.

Learn more about Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy via Wikipedia here.

14 texts as set by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

Are you interested in The Fach System? Check out our blog series here.

Halloween-themed art songs and opera texts

October 5, 2017 By Nora Miller Rubinoff Leave a Comment

No tricks here! Here are some Halloween treats hand-selected by our founder & principal author, Bard Suverkrop. Enjoy this selection of Halloween-themed art songs and opera texts, which include fach (voice type), listening links and links to the score.

Art Songs

And’res Maienlied: Hexenlied (perfect for soprano)
as set by Felix Mendelssohn
Listen to Barbara Bonney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5RLvekBqMs
IPA: https://www.ipasource.com/and-res-maienlied-hexenlied.html
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/12_Ges%C3%A4nge,_Op.8_(Mendelssohn,_Felix)

Junghexenlied (perfect for soprano)
as set by Richard Strauss
Listen to Edita Gruberová: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj0nXK0_ITA
IPA https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/11717/category/1234/
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/5_Lieder%2C_Op.39_(Strauss%2C_Richard)

Walpurgisnacht: Die Hexe (perfect for soprano)
as set by Karl Loewe
Listen to Gabriele Rossmanith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=045mcWwiOlE
IPA: https://www.ipasource.com/walpurgisnacht-die-hexe.html
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/3_Balladen,_Op.2_(Loewe,_Carl)

For more ghostly ballads by Karl Loewe, check out the collection Geisterballaden und Geschichten, Todes- und Kirchhofs-Bilder.
http://ks.petruccimusiclibrary.org/files/imglnks/usimg/2/29/IMSLP63615-PMLP129687-Loewe_8.pdf

Opera

Hurr, hopp, hopp, hopp – The witch’s aria from Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (perfect for mezzo)
Listen to Jamie Barton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2QEdEHKYiM
IPA: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/1284/category/1464/
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/H%C3%A4nsel_und_Gretel_(Humperdinck%2C_Engelbert)

Schweig! Damit dich niemand warnt (perfect for bass)
Kaspar’s aria from Der Freischütz
Listen to Ludwig Weber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ALFdAYlZ6w
IPA: https://www.ipasource.com/catalog/product/view/id/1248/category/27/
Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/Der_Freisch%C3%BCtz%2C_Op.77_(Weber%2C_Carl_Maria_von)

Bonus from Bard

I’d forgotten about this great Finnish bass, Kim Borg. Here he is singing the ‘The Song of the Flea‘ (sung in Russian) by Modest Mussorgsky. Unfortunately, we don’t have the IPA for this text, but it’s a great Halloween-themed piece and a marvelous look back on a great performer.

Eight arias from Georges Bizet’s opera, Carmen

September 1, 2017 By Nora Miller Rubinoff Leave a Comment

Georges Bizet’s four act opera, Carmen, was first performed in Paris in 1875. Carmen, written in the opéra comique genre, was considered unconventional at its initial release. Bizet died after its 33rd performance, never realizing the international acclaim this widely-known opera would have.