Sara Mingardo at Wigmore Hall

Edit: the program is available for listening on bbc-3 radio here.
(wow, they simply cut out my cough! (either that or my cough didn’t make it to recording..) But you can hear a complete discontinuity in the music! or good if you can’t spot it…)
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Finally, a chance to sit down and write :-). This trip was originally planned around a visit to Wigmore Hall for my recent obsession. The only concern coming in was a cold i caught from nearly 1 week ago that is now evolving into coughing-attack level.. So a very quick dash to the store for *two* packages of cough drops + a bottle of ginger drink was in order, we would never want to disturb Sara :-).

The program:
Claudio Monteverdi: (1) Quel sguardo sdegnosetto, (2) Voglio di vita uscir
Girolamo Frescobaldi: (3) Toccata Seconda (solo harpsichord)
Andrea Falconieri: (4) ezzosette e cara pupillette, (5) Non più d’amore
Giacomo Carissimi: (5) Deh, memoria
Alessandro Piccini: (6) Toccata XX, Aria di Sarabanda in varie partir
Giovanni Salvatore: (7) All’hor che Tirsi udia
Babara Strozzi: (8) L’Eraclito amoroso

I’m not sure where to start without sounding like a true fan girl and not having any objective thing to say. She’s simply intuitive in phrasing! It’s in Italian, yes, but how she carries the pronunciation, extends the word to shape the music to the end, the breathing, as well as caressing soft to intense phrases. It’s magic! The program was distributed for free so we could read the translation, but mostly there was no need (in my case), simply adoringly staring and admiring the irresistible tone and amazingly flexible and expressive voice. She sang 2 pieces i knew very well (have on phone, have been listening the entire trip…), the first is the absolutely soft + breath-taking “Deh, memoria, e che più chiedi?” (Say, memory, what more do you wish?)

I’m unsure the clip above is as mesmerizing as when heard inside the small and intimate Wigmore Hall. So mesmerizing in fact yours truly forgot to breath, which sadly led to a cough attack right in the middle.. The event was being recorded live for this coming sunday lunch concert series on bbc-3, so you will hear indeed a VERY disruptive cough… so disruptive I suspected it disturbed her phrasing!! she was going deep in thought to suddenly jerking back to scan at the score quickly to pick up where she was.. So the rest of the piece was also a bit distracting for me sadly, as I struggled hard to keep the coughing under control… Luckily, by the time “All’hor che Tirsi udia” came around, focus was back, along with major supply of cough drops.. She took it quite faster than on the cd, as well as with QUITE more temper and forte and “emotion”, to the point I was compelled to read up quickly the translation (after the jump). Quite a different take than on the cd, more to contemplate on 🙂 .

After a biiig reception of applause and hollering “brava, bravi” from the back the room (and from yours truly up front), she came out for an encore piece which I don’t know, but as usual very mesmerizing. It’s the common theme for this sort of baroqui music sung by SM. I giggling happy and freely providing information to surrounding elders, including how i follow her around europe.. That was when one lovely elder woman asked if I would like to join her to go the the green room. thadieu: green room, what’s that? woman: oh, in the back where you can meet the artist. thadieu: ohhhh, yes!!! (scanning around for where dehggial was to flag her up to the front to join me, and i was thinking if she (dehggial) didn’t come up fast enough and the woman started leaving I might have to abandon her to chase after Sara..) But all was well, she arrived quickly and even suggested that I should ask for a photo with Sara, after i gushed out loud declaring love for her (work). After which I did manage to ask her for schedule, could have been a bit more specific but it was more when she’d come back to London and if she’s going to sing in the US. YES! she’s coming to the US *with* Natalie Stutzmann!!!! In Detroit and Washington DC in Dec 2015. But she did mention Mozart Requiem (also with NS) in London in 2016, so am unsure if she will sing Messiah (which I much much much prefer) or Requiem (less so because it’s mainly for chorus). So there you have it, my knees were shaking a bit standing next to her :), but she was lovely and friendly. Such a great wrap up to an eventful trip. Hopefully more write-up about the rest of the trip will pop up once I recover from this cold at some point.

thanks to dehggial for snapping this photo.

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Giovanni Salvatore (early 17th century-?1688)
All’hor che Tirsi udia — When Thyrsis heard (1797-1856)

All’hor che Tirsi udia, Ch’intempestiva morte Havea tropp’immatura Al bell’idolo suo tolta la vita, Spiegò con questi accenti L’aspra cagion del suo dolore ai venti.“Crudi fati, astri malvagi, Voi spgneste in verde etate, Con immensa feritate, Del mi sole i caldi raggi. Fate pur di questo petto Duro strazio, e fero scempio, Ch’un morir forse tant’empio Sarà fin de’ miei naufragi. Et tu, caro ben mio, Tu chi’il mio cor havesti, Come senza di me morir potesti? Ed io, del cor hor privo Come priro quest’aura, e come vivo? Hor del Tartara profrondo, Furie, Mostri e Spirti Horribili, Deh, toglietemi dal mondo, Coi tormenti più terribili. Tu Ciel, che degli Enceladi e Tifei Opprimesti l’ardir co’ strali tuoi, Tu che di Niobre altera Sottraesti la prole, Perchè non vibri Contro me pure i dardi? Anch’io ribelle Son degl’orbi rotanti e delle stelle, E tu, Madre dell’ombre e degl’horrori, Chè non pari le fauci e mi divori? Ohimè, nessum m’intende, E non è chi recida Della mia vita questo fil che pende. Lasso, chi non ha sorte Trova sorda ai suoi prieghi anco la morte.” Sì disse l’infelice, che a poco a poco, Per troppo acerbo duolo, Venner meno gli spirti e cadde al suolo.

When Thyrsis heard that untimely death had too soon robbed his beloved of life, with these words he told the winds of the bitter cause of his grief.“Cruel fates, evil stars, you struck a terrible blow and, in the prime of his years, blotted out the warm rays, of the one who was my sun. Bring torture and cruel suffering to my heart for perhaps so terrible a death will bring my misfortunes to and end. And you, my dear beloved, you to whom my heart belonged, how could you die without me? And I, now bereft of my heart, how can I breath this air, and live? From the depths of Tartarus, Furies, monsters, and terrible spirits take me from the world in the most terrible anguish. You Heaven, that of Enceladus and Typhon engulf their daring with thunderbolts, you who robbed proud Niobe of her children, why have you not shaken and strike me down? I too defy the turning planets and stars, and you, mother of the shades and terrors, why have you not swallowed me up? Alas, no one hears me, and there is no one to cut the thread by which my life hangs, Alas,the unfortunate find even death is deaf to their entreaties.” Thus spoke the poor man, and his spirit, weighted down by grief then gradually gave way and he fell.