Thursdays at Noon | Laureates: Norcop & Koldofsky Prize Winner

The recipients of the Jim and Charlotte Norcop Prize in Song and the Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying present their recital.

Dante Mullin Santone, baritone

Sabina Rzazade, pianist

Livestream available on our YouTube Channel.

The Thursdays at Noon series is made possible in part by the Jay Telfer Forum Endowment Fund. 

PROGRAM

Chanson Triste

Text: Jean Lahor

Henri Duparc (1848-1933)

Après un rêve

Text: Romain Bussine

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Im Abendrot

Text: Karl Lappe

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Memories A “Very Pleasant” & B “Rather Sad

Text: Charles Ives

Charles Ives (1874-1954)

An die Geliebte, Mörike-Lieder

Text: Eduard Mörike

Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)

Wohl denk ich oft an mein verganges Leben,

Michelangelo Lieder

Text: Michaelangelo (trans. Berhoff)

Feldeinsamkeit

Text: Hermann Allmers

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Abschied, Mörike-Lieder

Text: Eduard Mörike

Hugo Wolf

V molchanii nochi taynoy, Op. 4, No. 3

Text: Afanasy Fet

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Andante Maestoso (Pas de deux)

Concert suite from The Nutcracker

Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Arr. Mikhail Pletnev (b.1957)

When Days of Life Are Not So Far Apart

Text: Dante Mullin Santone

Nic Bray (b. 2001)

Sérénade italienne, Sept Mélodies, Op. 2

Text: Paul Bourget

Ernest Chausson (1855-1899)

Le temps des lilas

Text: Maurice Bouchor

Le colibri, Sept Mélodies, Op. 2

Text: Leconte de Lisle

BIOGRAPHIES

Baritone Dante Mullin Santone is an eclectic performer currently pursuing a Master’s of Opera at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music studying under Wendy Nielsen. Recent role credits include Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Odysseus in Berkeley's Castaway, Beaupertuis in Rota’s Il cappello di paglia di Firenze, and Papageno in Shoestring Opera’s touring adaptation The Shoestring Magic Flute. He is an avid performer of art song, and he was a 2023 fellow with the Toronto Summer Music “Art of Song” program. He’s enjoyed singing concert repertoire such as Mozart’s Requiem, Fauré’s Requiem, and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with ensembles across Ontario, among them, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Choir of Toronto, and a rare performance of Bernstein’s MASS with Chorus Niagara. He is passionate about advancing new music, having premiered works such as Evan Tanovich’s Missa Solemnis in D, and Allan Bevan’s Perfectly Mad, among many other premieres of art song and choral works. In the fall of 2024, he was a finalist in the National Auditions for L’opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique and is very excited to join their resident artists for the 25/26 season.

Sabina Rzazade is a pianist from Manitoba currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano. She has competed in several international competitions, including the 2014 “Future Stars” in Azerbaijan, the 2015 Frederic Chopin Competition in Estonia, and the 2016 Konstantin Igumnov International Competition in Russia. Between 2014 and 2017, Sabina performed as a soloist with the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra and the Symphonic Orchestra of Azerbaijan.

Since beginning her Bachelor’s degree at Brandon University in 2017, Sabina has participated in and won numerous provincial and national competitions and festivals. In 2018, she was selected to perform at the opening of Lara St. John and Matt Herskowitz’s concert as part of the Virtuosi Concert Series. Sabina won the 2018 Western Financial Group Tudor Bowl and Encore Competition, as well as the 2019 Encore Competition at the Brandon Festival of the Arts. In November 2019, she was chosen to perform as a soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Sabina also represented Manitoba at the 2019 Canadian National Music Competition in two divisions: solo piano and collaborative piano. She is currently working towards completing her Master’s degree studying under Steven Philcox.

JIM AND CHARLOTTE NORCOP PRIZE IN SONG

The annual prize was established in 2009 and is awarded to the singer at the Faculty of Music showing the most promise in performance of the song literature. Past winners have been Leslie Ann Bradley, Geoffrey Sirett, Aviva Fortunata Wilks, Andrew Haji, Charles Sy, Jennifer Krabbe, Emily D’Angelo, Joel Allison, Simona Genga, Korin Thomas-Smith, Alex Hetherington, Maeve Palmer, Jamal Al Titi, and Nicole Percifield. James Norcop began his career as a professional boy soprano in California. After graduating from the University of Southern California, he performed professionally in Zurich, Salzburg and Vienna. He spent his career in arts administration leadership, including at Columbia Artists Management, as Assistant Manager of the Seattle Symphony, General Manager of Vancouver Opera, and finally with the Ontario Arts Council where he was Music Officer and led the performing arts touring area. Charlotte grew up in Toronto and started her career at the National Ballet, working for its founder Celia Franca and General Manager Carmen Guild. Charlotte went on to join the Ontario Arts Council, rising to become the first Theatre and Dance Officer and later Director of Operations. She had the privilege of being involved in the emergence of the alternate theatre and young dance organizations in the exciting 1960s and 70s. Charlotte died from cancer in 2008 and Jim passed away in 2023. They wished to leave a legacy to support young artists.

GWENDOLYN WILLIAMS KOLDOFSKY PRIZE IN ACCOMPANYING

The annual prize was established in 2011 and is awarded to the collaborative pianist at the Faculty of Music showing the most promise in performance of the song literature. Past winners include Susan Black, Narmina Afandiyeva, Ivan Jovanovic, LaraDodds-Eden, Sonya Sim, Mélisande Sinsoulier, Jialiang Zhu, Joy Lee, Dakota Scott-Digout, Joel Goodfellow, Indra Egan, and Minira Najafzade.

Gwendolyn Williams was born November 1, 1906 in Bowmanville, Ontario. Following studies in Toronto, London, and Paris she returned to Canada at age 20 and began her accompanying career when the great Canadian soprano, Jeanne Dusseau asked Ms Williams to play for her. Following her marriage to violinist Adolph Koldofsky, she accompanied all of her husband’s solo recitals and played every form of chamber music with him on concert stages around the world. In 1945, the couple moved to Los Angeles, where Mrs. Koldofsky was engaged to teach at the School of Music of the University of Southern California. She taught accompanying, song literature and chamber music there from 1947 to 1988. She was a longtime faculty member of the Santa Barbara Music Academy of the West, serving as director of vocal accompanying from 1951 to 1989. Her students including mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, pianist Martin Katz and soprano Carol Neblett. Koldofsky appeared as an accompanist throughout the world, working with such distinguished artists as Rose Bampton, Suzanne Danco, Herta Glaz, Mack Harrell, Marilyn Horne, Jan Peerce, Hermann Prey, Peter Schreier, Martial Singher and Eleanor Steber. She assisted Lotte Lehmann on many tours during the latter’s last eight years of performing Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky died November 12, 1998 in Santa Barbara.

Texts and Translations

The following texts and translations that have been reproduced in this document may be protected by copyright and they are provided to you in accordance with the University of Toronto’s Fair Dealing Guidelines (http://uoft.me/copyfair) and/or exceptions granted to educational institutions in the Copyright Act (Canada). The University of Toronto takes it copyright obligations seriously; if you have any questions or concerns about the material available in this document, please contact: performance.music@utoronto.ca

Chanson Triste

Text: Jean Lehor

Dans ton coeur dort un clair de lune,

Un doux clair de lune d'été,

Et pour fuir la vie importune,

Je me noierai dans ta clarté.

J'oublierai les douleurs passées,

Mon amour, quand tu berceras

Mon triste coeur et mes pensées

Dans le calme aimant de tes bras.

Tu prendras ma tête malade,

Oh ! quelquefois sur tes genoux,

Et lui diras une ballade

Qui semblera parler de nous ;

Et dans tes yeux pleins de tristesse,

Dans tes yeux alors je boirai

Tant de baisers et de tendresses

Que peut-être je guérirai.

Sad Song

Translation: Emily Ezust

In your heart moonlight lies dormant,

A gentle moonlight of summer;

And to flee from the troubles of life,

I will bathe myself in your brightness.

I will forget past griefs,

My love, when you rock

My unhappy heart and my thoughts

In the loving tranquility of your arms.

You will lay my anxious head,

Oh! Sometimes upon your lap,

And you will utter to it a ballad

That will seem to speak of us;

And from your eyes so full of sadness,

From your eyes I will then drink

So many kisses and so much tenderness

That perhaps at last I will be healed.

Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,

from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/

Après un rêve

Text: Romain Bussine

Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image

Je rêvais le bonheur, ardent mirage,

Tes yeux étaient plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore,

Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l’aurore;

Tu m’appelais et je quittais la terre

Pour m’enfuir avec toi vers la lumière,

Les cieux pour nous entr’ouvraient leurs nues,

Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entrevues.

Hélas! hélas, triste réveil des songes,

Je t’appelle, ô nuit, rends-moi tes mensonges;

Reviens, reviens, radieuse,

Reviens, ô nuit mystérieuse!

After a Dream

Translation: Richard Stokes

In sleep made sweet by a vision of you

I dreamed of happiness, fervent illusion,

Your eyes were softer, your voice pure and ringing,

You shone like a sky that was lit by the dawn;

You called me and I departed the earth

To flee with you toward the light,

The heavens parted their clouds for us,

We glimpsed unknown splendours, celestial fires.

Alas, alas, sad awakening from dreams!

I summon you, O night, give me back your delusions;

Return, return in radiance,

Return, O mysterious night!

Im Abendrot

Text: Karl Gottlieb Lappe

O wie schön ist deine Welt,

Vater, wenn sie golden strahlet!

Wenn dein Glanz herniederfällt,

Und den Staub mit Schimmer malet;

Wenn das Rot, das in der Wolke blinkt,

In mein stilles Fenster sinkt!

Könnt’ ich klagen, könnt’ ich zagen?

Irre sein an dir und mir?

Nein, ich will im Busen tragen

Deinen Himmel schon allhier.

Und dies Herz, eh’ es zusammenbricht,

Trinkt noch Glut und schlürft noch Licht.

At dusk

Translation: Emily Ezust

O how beautiful is your world,

Father, when she shines with golden beams!

When your gaze descends

And paints the dust with a shimmering glowing,

When the red, which flashes in the clouds,

Sinks into my quiet window!

How could I complain, how could I be afraid?

How could anything ever be amiss between you and me?

No, I will carry in my breast

Your Heaven for all times.

And this heart, before it breaks down,

Shall drink in the glow and the light.

Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,

from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/

Memories

Text: Charlies Ives

A. Very Pleasant

We’re sitting in the opera house;

We’re waiting for the curtain to arise

With wonders for our eyes;

We’re feeling pretty gay,

And well we may,

“O, Jimmy, look!” I say,

“The band is tuning up

And soon will start to play.”

We whistle and we hum,

Beat time with the drum.

We’re sitting in the opera house;

We’re waiting for the curtain to arise

With wonders for our eyes,

A feeling of expectancy,

A certain kind of ecstasy,

Expectancy and ecstasy… Sh’s’s’s. “Curtain!”

B. Rather Sad

From the street a strain on my ear doth fall,

A tune as threadbare as that “old red shawl,”

It is tattered, it is torn,

It shows signs of being worn,

It’s the tune my Uncle hummed from early morn,

‘Twas a common little thing and kind ‘a sweet,

But ’twas sad and seemed to slow up both his feet;

I can see him shuffling down

To the barn or to the town,

A humming.

An die Geliebte

Text: Eduard Mörike

Wenn ich, von deinem Anschaun tief gestillt,

Mich stumm an deinem heilgen Wert vergnüge,

Dann hör ich recht die leisen Atemzüge

Des Engels, welcher sich in dir verhüllt.

Und ein erstaunt, ein fragend Lächeln quillt

Auf meinem Mund, ob mich kein Traum betrüge,

Daß nun in dir, zu ewiger Genüge,

Mein kühnster Wunsch, mein einzger, sich erfüllt?

Von Tiefe dann zu Tiefen stürzt mein Sinn,

Ich höre aus der Gottheit nächtger Ferne

Die Quellen des Geschicks melodisch rauschen.

Betäubt kehr ich den Blick nach oben hin,

Zum Himmel auf - da lächeln alle Sterne;

Ich knie, ihrem Lichtgesang zu lauschen.

To the beloved

Translation: Emily Ezurst

When, from the deep calm I feel at seeing your image,

I mutely take delight in your high worth,

then I properly hear the gentle breathing

of the angel that is disguised within you.

And an astounded, questioning smile springs

to my lips, as I wonder: isn't it a deceiving dream,

that now, in you, to my eternal pleasure,

my boldest wish - my only wish - is fulfilled?

To the depths then to the depths my senses fall;

I hear in the nocturnal distance of divinity

the melodious roaring of the stream of fate.

Dazed, I turn my eyes then upwards,

toward the heavens, and there all the stars are smiling;

I kneel to listen to their song of light.

Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,

from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/

Wohl denk’ ich oft an mein vergang’nes Leben

Text: Michelangelo (trans. Berhoff)

Wohl denk’ ich oft an mein vergang’nes Leben,

Wie es, vor meiner Liebe für Dich, war;

Kein Mensch hat damals Acht auf

mich gegeben,

Ein jeder Tag verloren für mich war.

Ich dachte wohl, ganz dem Gesang zu leben,

Auch mich zu flüchten aus der

Menschen Schar…

Genannt in Lob und Tadel bin ich heute,

Und, dass ich da bin, wissen alle Leute!

I often recall my past life

Translation: Richard Stokes

I often recall my past life,

As it was before I loved you;

No one then paid heed

to me,

Each day for me was a loss;

I thought to live for song alone,

And flee the thronging

crowd.

Today my name is praised and censured,

And the entire world knows that I exist!

Feldeinsamkeit

Text: Hermann Allmers

Ich ruhe still im hohen grünen Gras

Und sende lange meinen Blick nach oben,

Von Grillen rings umschwirrt ohn’ Unterlaß,

Von Himmelsbläue wundersam umwoben.

Die schönen weißen Wolken ziehn dahin

Durchs tiefe Blau, wie schöne stille Träume; -

Mir ist, als ob ich längst gestorben bin,

Und ziehe selig mit durch ew’ge Räume.

Alone in Fields

Translation: Richard Stokes

I rest at peace in tall green grass

And gaze steadily aloft,

Surrounded by unceasing crickets,

Wondrously interwoven with blue sky.

The lovely white clouds go drifting by

Through the deep blue, like lovely silent dreams;

I feel as if I have long been dead,

Drifting happily with them through eternal space.

Abschied

Text: Eduard Mörike

Unangeklopft ein Herr tritt Abends bei mir ein:

„Ich habe die Ehr, Ihr Rezensent zu sein!“

Sofort nimmt er das Licht in die Hand,

Besieht lang meinen Schatten an der Wand,

Rückt nah und fern: „Nun, lieber junger Mann,

Sehn Sie doch gefälligst mal Ihre Nas so von der

Seite an!

Sie geben zu, daß das ein Auswuchs is.“

– Das? Alle Wetter – gewiß!

Ei Hasen! ich dachte nicht,

All’ mein Lebtage nicht,

Daß ich so eine Weltsnase führt im Gesicht!!

Der Mann sprach noch Verschiedenes hin und

her,

Ich weiß, auf meine Ehre, nicht mehr;

Meinte vielleicht, ich sollt ihm beichten.

Zuletzt stand er auf; ich tat ihm leuchten.

Wie wir nun an der Treppe sind,

Da geb ich ihm, ganz froh gesinnt,

Einen kleinen Tritt

Nur so von hinten aufs Gesäße mit –

Alle Hagel! ward das ein Gerumpel,

Ein Gepurzel, ein Gehumpel!

Dergleichen hab ich nie gesehn,

All mein Lebtage nicht gesehn,

Einen Menschen so rasch die Trepp hinab gehn!

Farewell

Translation: Emily Ezurst

Without knocking, a gentleman comes visiting me one

evening:

"I have the honour to be your critic!" [he says.]

Immediately he takes the light in his hand,

gazes long at my shadow on the wall,

stepping close and then stepping back: "Now, my good

young man,

kindly see how your nose looks from the side!

You must admit that it is a protuberance."

This? Good gracious - so it is!

My word! I never imagined - my whole life long -

that such a world-sized nose I bore on my face!

The man said various other things about this and that,

and on my honour, I remember no more;

perhaps he thought I should give him a confession.

Finally he stood up and I lit his way out.

As we stood at the top of the stairs,

I gave him, cheerfully,

a small kick

from behind, on the backside,

and by hail! what a jolting,

tumbling, and hobbling!

The equal have I never seen,

my whole life long,

of a man going so quickly down the stairs!

Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,

from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/

O, dolgo budu ja, v molchan'i nochi tajnoj

Text: Afanasy Fet

O, dolgo budu ja, v molchan'i nochi tajnoj,

Kovarnyj lepet tvoj, ulybku, vzor sluchajnyj,

Perstam poslushnuju volos gustuju prjad',

Iz myslej izgonjat', i snova prizyvat';

Sheptat' i popravljat' bylye vyrazhen'ja

Rechej moikh s toboj, ispolnennykh smushchen'ja,

I v op'janenii, naperekor umu,

Zavetnym imenem budit' nochnuju mglu.

Oh, long will I, in the silence of the mysterious night

Translation: Phillip Ross Bullock

Oh, long will I, in the silence of the mysterious night,

Chase from my thoughts and then call up again

Your artful chatter, your smile, your casual glance,

The thick tresses of your hair, so pliant in my fingers;

I shall whisper and improve upon the past expressions

Of things I once said to you, things full of bashfulness,

And intoxicated, against all reason,

I shall wake night’s darkness with your cherished name.

When days of life are not so far apart

Text: Dante Mullin Santone

Hidden behind bricks and stone

There lies my temple, lies my home

Where, weary, I’ve longed to rest my bones,

Whose lonely, hollow halls I’ve roamed.

The sun from morning, climbs to day.

Ivory walls let slip no ray

Of liquid sun upon my face

And I can find no place to play.

So lost and bored, I take my leave,

On weary feet that moan and grieve

The distance til I rest again

Til dawn breaks my brief reprieve.

I'll greet the moon of winter's heart

With all my glib and glimmering art,

And work the days of dusky night

To bathe in light when days of life are not so far apart.

Sérénade italienne

Text: Paul Bourget

Partons en barque sur la mer

Pour passer la nuit aux étoiles;

Vois, il souffle juste assez d'air

Pour enfler la toile des voiles.

Le vieux pêcheur italien

Et ses deux fils qui nous conduisent

Écoutent, mais n'entendent rien

Aux mots que nos bouches se disent.

Sur la mer calme et sombre, vois:

Nous pouvons échanger nos âmes,

Et nul ne comprendra nos voix

Que la nuit, le ciel et les lames.

Italian serenade

Translation: Christopher Goldsack

Let us set out in a boat over the sea

to pass the night beneath the stars;

see, just enough air is blowing

to fill the canvas of the sails.

The old Italian fisherman

and his two sons who steer us

listen, but understand nothing

of the words that our lips speak.

On the sea, calm and dark, see:

we can exchange our souls,

and none but the night, the sky and the waves

will understand our voices.

Le temps des lilas

Text: Maurice Bouchor

Le temps des lilas et le temps des roses

Ne reviendra plus à ce printemps-ci;

Le temps des lilas et le temps des roses

Est passé, le temps des oeillets aussi.

Le vent a changé, les cieux sont moroses,

Et nous n’irons plus courir, et cueillir

The time of the lilacs

Translation: Richard Stokes

The time for lilac and the time for roses

Will return no more this spring;

The time for lilac and the time for roses

Is past, the time for carnations too.

The wind has changed, the skies are sullen,

And no longer shall we roam to gather

Les lilas en fleur et les belles roses;

Le printemps est triste et ne peut fleurir.

Oh! joyeux et doux printemps de l’année,

Qui vins, l’an passé, nous ensoleiller,

Notre fleur d’amour est si bien fanée,

Las! Que ton baiser ne peut l’éveiller!

Et toi, que fais-tu? pas de fleurs écloses,

Point de gai soleil ni d’ombrages frais;

Le temps des lilas et le temps des roses

Avec notre amour est mort à jamais.

The flowering lilac and beautiful rose;

The spring is sad and cannot bloom.

Oh sweet and joyous springtime

That came last year to bathe us in sun,

Our flower of love is so far faded,

That your kiss, alas, cannot rouse it!

And what do you do? No blossoming flowers,

No bright sun, and no cool shade;

The time for lilac and the time for roses

With our love has perished for evermore.

Le colibri

Text: Leconte de Lisle

Le vert colibri, le roi des collines,

Voyant la rosée et le soleil clair

Luire dans son nid tissé d'herbe fines,

Comme un frais rayon s'échappe dans l'air.

Il se hâte et vole au source voisines,

Où les bambous font le bruit de la mer;

Où l'açoka rouge, aux odeurs divines,

S'ouvre, et porte au coeur un humide éclair.

Vers la fleur dorée il descend, se pose,

Et boit tant d'amour dans la coupe rose,

Qu'il meurt, ne sachant s'il l'a pu tarir.

Sur ta lèvre pure, ô ma bien-aimée,

Telle aussi mon âme eut voulu mourir

Du premier baiser qui l'a parfumée!

The Hummingbird

Translation: Christopher Goldsack

The green humming-bird, the king of the hillsides,

seeing the dew and the bright sun

sparkle in its nest, woven from fine grasses,

like a fresh ray escapes in the air.

It hurries and flies to the neighbouring springs,

where the bamboos make the sound of the sea;

where the red hibiscus, with its divine fragrances,

opens, and carries a moist spark to the heart.

It descends towards the gilded flower, settles,

and drinks so much love from the rosy cup,

that it dies without knowing if it had drunk it dry.

Upon your pure lip, o my dear beloved,

so too would my soul have wished to die

of the first kiss which perfumed it!