PROGRAM NOTES The theme for this recital emerged from my discovery of Schoenberg’s Das Buch der Hängenden Gärten. The atonal style and abstract text put the story of Eden in a unique, ethereal light. From there, I decided to include selections from Haydn’s
Senior Recital
THE GARDEN OF EDEN
epic oratorio The Creation, which shows God’s craftsmanship by animating each
Lucas Zuehl, Bass-baritone
animal through wild textures in the orchestra. The cantata cycle Membra Jesu
Molly Smith, Piano
Nostri expresses the composer Buxtehude’s religious devotion from the 17th century, the poet Arnulf of Leuven’s devotion from the 13th century, and the devotion that Adam and Eve must have felt. It addresses different parts of Christ’s crucified body—this program includes selections from the Ad cor and Ad pectus cantatas, or “to the heart” and “to the chest.” A more recent composer, Jake Heggie, has multiple enigmatic collections stemming from the the Book of Genesis, so I’ve included one song from his Eve-song, in which Eve grapples with the Devil in snake form, and one from Of Gods and Cats, which depicts a slightly less serious event. Fauré’s song cycle, La chanson d'Ève, concludes with a song in this program, in which Eve accepts and invites the vast consequences of eating the fruit. The character of Don Quixote in Ravel’s Don Quichotte mirrors the innocent and loyal Adam, while Adam’s inner conflict at the end of his time in Eden is reflected in the baroque Italian church aria, “Pietà, Signore.” This recital’s last set contains songs that portray the complicated beauty of the new world inherited by Eve and Adam. Bookending this program are two Russian Orthodox choir works: Sviridov’s Pushkin’s Garland and Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, which are some of the closest musical compositions to God’s glory I have ever heard. I’d like to thank the members of the choir: Caroline Busselberg, Allie Smith, Rebecca Miess, Madison Paez, Gaby Soto, Holly Duerichen, Spencer Burke, James Monson, Matthew Paez, Blake Wayment, Andrew Fellows, and Kobe Hagen. Thank you to my pianist, Molly Smith, for dealing so elegantly with some tough transpositions. I’m also grateful to my teacher, Jennifer Youngs, for profoundly shaping my voice and music throughout my years at BYU.
5:30 PM November 9, 2024 BYU School of Music Recital Hall