Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 36 - Princesses
Wednesday November 18 is National Princess Day (in the USA), so this week our theme is Princesses.
Monday November 16 - Princess Aurora
Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a Russian composer who produced many works including operas, ballets and orchestral. The Sleeping Beauty was the second of his three ballets and first performed in 1890.
Performance
Tuesday November 17 - Princess Elsa
Let It Go (from Frozen)
Frozen is a 2013 computer-animated musical fantasy film from Walt Disney. The film was very successful and Frozen 2 followed in due course.
There are several good songs in the film, but the big hit was Let It Go. This version has the words on screen so you can sing along, though I should warn you it goes very high. As for the film, I loved it.
Performance
Wednesday November 18 - Princess Pamina
Ach, ich fühl's (from Die Zauberflöte)
This aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) could not be more different from yesterday’s song. It is sung by Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night, and therefore technically a Princess. She thinks her lover, Tamino, has rejected her, because he will not talk to her. She is unaware that he is undertaking a trial in which he must remain silent.
She sings: Ah, I feel that the joy of love has gone for evermore! Never will happiness return to my heart! See, Tamino, see these tears that flow, beloved, for you alone. If you do not feel love’s yearning I must seek peace in the grave!
Beautifully sung here by one of the world's leading sopranos, Natalie Dessay.
Performance
Thursday November 19 - Princess Ida
Princess Ida is not one of the most popular of the G&S operas, but it's good and fits this week's theme.
The first production opened at the Savoy Theatre on 5 January 1884, and ran for 246 performances. The piece concerns a princess who starts a women's university and teaches that women are superior to men and should rule in their stead. The prince to whom she had been married in infancy sneaks into the university, together with two friends, with the aim of collecting his bride. They disguise themselves as women students, but are discovered. And there's still one act to go.
Here are some excerpts.
The overture
Although not a great performance, here at least is Ida singing her main aria.
Minerva! oh, hear me! ... Oh, goddess wise
Link to words
Many of you will have heard me (Philip) sing this one.
Here it is sung by Sir Henry Lytton, one of the G&S greats and the only person ever knighted for achievements as a G&S performer.
If you give me your attention
Monday November 16 - Princess Aurora
Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a Russian composer who produced many works including operas, ballets and orchestral. The Sleeping Beauty was the second of his three ballets and first performed in 1890.
Performance
Tuesday November 17 - Princess Elsa
Let It Go (from Frozen)
Frozen is a 2013 computer-animated musical fantasy film from Walt Disney. The film was very successful and Frozen 2 followed in due course.
There are several good songs in the film, but the big hit was Let It Go. This version has the words on screen so you can sing along, though I should warn you it goes very high. As for the film, I loved it.
Performance
Wednesday November 18 - Princess Pamina
Ach, ich fühl's (from Die Zauberflöte)
This aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) could not be more different from yesterday’s song. It is sung by Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night, and therefore technically a Princess. She thinks her lover, Tamino, has rejected her, because he will not talk to her. She is unaware that he is undertaking a trial in which he must remain silent.
She sings: Ah, I feel that the joy of love has gone for evermore! Never will happiness return to my heart! See, Tamino, see these tears that flow, beloved, for you alone. If you do not feel love’s yearning I must seek peace in the grave!
Beautifully sung here by one of the world's leading sopranos, Natalie Dessay.
Performance
Thursday November 19 - Princess Ida
Princess Ida is not one of the most popular of the G&S operas, but it's good and fits this week's theme.
The first production opened at the Savoy Theatre on 5 January 1884, and ran for 246 performances. The piece concerns a princess who starts a women's university and teaches that women are superior to men and should rule in their stead. The prince to whom she had been married in infancy sneaks into the university, together with two friends, with the aim of collecting his bride. They disguise themselves as women students, but are discovered. And there's still one act to go.
Here are some excerpts.
The overture
Although not a great performance, here at least is Ida singing her main aria.
Minerva! oh, hear me! ... Oh, goddess wise
Link to words
Many of you will have heard me (Philip) sing this one.
Here it is sung by Sir Henry Lytton, one of the G&S greats and the only person ever knighted for achievements as a G&S performer.
If you give me your attention
King Gama's three sons played by (L-R) Jon Coad, Martin Thomset and Bryan Kesselman. The production was in 1976 by the Pinner and Hatch End Operatic Society. Jon Coad sang with us in 2011 (Voices that should be heard) and has just retired after about 30 years in the chorus at the Royal Opera House.
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And here is King Gama, played by Philip Barnett in the 1972 production of Princess Ida by the Leeds Gilbert and Sullivan Society. The costume and make up included a twisted leg (padding), nose wart ('putty'), hunched back (more padding) and blackened teeth. A truly revolting character.
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Friday November 20 - Princess Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini. The opera was unfinished at the time of Puccini's death in 1924, and was completed by Franco Alfano in 1926. The first performance was held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 25 April 1926 and conducted by Arturo Toscanini. This performance included only Puccini's music and not Alfano's additions. The first performance of the opera as completed by Alfano was the following night.
Turandot is not a sweet and good Princess, quite the opposite. Anyone who wishes to marry her must correctly answer three riddles. Failure results in death and to date no-one has succeeded. Along comes Prince Calaf who succeeds but Turandot refuses to honour the result (sounds familiar). He proposes that if she can find out his name before dawn he too may be executed, but if she cannot name him then they must marry. Turandot demands that all must stay awake that night so that she may discover his name (Nessun Dorma, none shall sleep). To help in her quest she tortures a girl, Liu, who has been seen talking to Calaf. Liu, who is secretly in love with Calaf, will not speak and to escape the torture kills herself. After all this, Turandot finally agrees to marry Calaf. (abbreviated story)
Nessun Dorma (sung by 'guess who?')
Extract from torture scene (Royal Opera's current production)
End of opera (Met Opera's lavish production)
Weekend November 21/22 - Princess Leia Organa
OK, so this is a bit of a cheat, but Princess Leia deserves a place in our week.
Star Wars started with a blockbuster of a film in 1977 and has grown into a multi-film phenomenon.
Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher, was a major character in the first 3 films and appeared in later movies as well.
The Star Wars theme was written by John Williams and in this video we see him conducting his own work. Williams is rightly regarded as one of the greatest composers of film music of all time and it's always special to see composers conducting their own work.
Performance
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini. The opera was unfinished at the time of Puccini's death in 1924, and was completed by Franco Alfano in 1926. The first performance was held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 25 April 1926 and conducted by Arturo Toscanini. This performance included only Puccini's music and not Alfano's additions. The first performance of the opera as completed by Alfano was the following night.
Turandot is not a sweet and good Princess, quite the opposite. Anyone who wishes to marry her must correctly answer three riddles. Failure results in death and to date no-one has succeeded. Along comes Prince Calaf who succeeds but Turandot refuses to honour the result (sounds familiar). He proposes that if she can find out his name before dawn he too may be executed, but if she cannot name him then they must marry. Turandot demands that all must stay awake that night so that she may discover his name (Nessun Dorma, none shall sleep). To help in her quest she tortures a girl, Liu, who has been seen talking to Calaf. Liu, who is secretly in love with Calaf, will not speak and to escape the torture kills herself. After all this, Turandot finally agrees to marry Calaf. (abbreviated story)
Nessun Dorma (sung by 'guess who?')
Extract from torture scene (Royal Opera's current production)
End of opera (Met Opera's lavish production)
Weekend November 21/22 - Princess Leia Organa
OK, so this is a bit of a cheat, but Princess Leia deserves a place in our week.
Star Wars started with a blockbuster of a film in 1977 and has grown into a multi-film phenomenon.
Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher, was a major character in the first 3 films and appeared in later movies as well.
The Star Wars theme was written by John Williams and in this video we see him conducting his own work. Williams is rightly regarded as one of the greatest composers of film music of all time and it's always special to see composers conducting their own work.
Performance