Dimitri Mitropoulos - Sister Beatrice [greek classical opera]

[IMG]http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/6909/sisterbeatricefrontyp4.jpg[/IMG] [b]DIMITRI MITROPOULOS Sister Beatrice[/b] Miracle in three acts Libretto: Maurice Maeterlinck Musical text restored and edited by Byron Fidetzis [b]CAST[/b] Sister Beatrice / Virgin Mary : Martha Arapi Prince Bellidor : Vangelis Chatzissimos Abbess / Allete : Varvara Tsambali Sister Eglantine : Albena Gineva Sister Clemency : Steliana Hintalova Sister Felicity : Nevena Scordinova Sister Balbina : Galia Pavlova Sister Regina : Rossitza Hristova Priest : Mario Kiulev Poor people, beggars, invalids, choir of angels The story takes place in a convent on the outskirts of Louvain, 14th c. [IMG]http://img384.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bfidetziswv8.jpg[/IMG] The PASARDJIK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Leader: GEORGI KOEV The «VOICES OF SOFIA» CHOIR Chorus Master: ROSSITZA HRISTOVA Musical Preparation: DIMITRIS YAKAS Conductor: BYRON FIDETZIS [IMG]http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/6140/dmitropoulos1910lj7.jpg[/IMG] An excellent and unfairly kept aside opera by D. Mitropoulos (â??Marvel in three Actsâ??), with a libretto from the French text of the play â??Soeur Beatriceâ?? (1900) by Maurice Maeterlinck. It was written in 1918 and was first staged at the Municipal Theatre of Athens on 11 and 13 May 1920 under the direction of the composer himself. The role of Sister Beatrice in that first staging was played by Katina Paxinou, a friend of Mitropoulos, who was then attempting a carrier as a lyric singer, and who also personally had undertaken the biggest part of the expenses of the staging. The orchestra was directed by Armand Marsick, who was the schoolteacher and the mentor of the then young Mitropoulos. The first night of the staging was attended by composer Camille Saint-Sa?ns, who commented favourably on the work and its young composer. Since then, the opera was never staged again (due to the excessive self-criticism attitude of the composerâ?¦), but â??it was revivedâ?? recently in an exceptional way at Thessalonica (Hall of Ceremonies AUTH, 1.11.1996) with the New Bulgarian Symphonic Orchestra and the Chorus â??Voices of Sofiaâ??. The re-establishment of the musical text as well as the general musical direction were done by Byron Fidetzis. Cast: Martha Arapi (Beatrice), Varvara Tsambali (Abbess), Vangelis Hadjissimos (Prince Bellidor) and select Bulgarian soloists (in the secondary roles). Martha Arapi was very good in the leading role. The musical preparation was done by Dimitris Yakas. And only the fact itself of making the first recording publication of Dimitri Mitropoulosâ?? unique opera is undoubtedly important. The reasons are obvious. Known as one of the leading directors of the 20th century, Mitropoulos - the Composer continues remaining still mainly unknown. Therefore, as Byron Fidetzis also rightly points out in the introductory text of the CD, â??what is important however now is to afford the work an opportunity to be heard and exist as a work of art in the conscience of todayâ??s listeners; and this basic need is being fulfilled by the present recording». [b]SYNOPSIS/[b] The story is set in a 13th century French convent. At the beginning of the opera (Scene I) Sister Beatrice is praying to the statue of the Virgin. She confesses that she is about to commit mortal sin, that she is going to leave the convent with Prince Bellidor who told her that he loved her. She is torn between her love for the Virgin and her love for the prince. When the prince arrives he uses 17th century musical language to seduce Beatrice into coming with him. He removes her veil and her mantle which she leaves at the foot of the statue of the Virgin, and they run off together. Immediately after they leave, (Scene II) the statue of the Virgin comes alive. She puts on the veil and mantle Sister Beatrice left on the floor and assumes Sister Beatriceâ??s duty of giving alms to the poor. Allette, a young girl, comes to the door and says shyly that the â??poor brothersâ?? are not coming because they saw Sister Beatrice riding away with the prince. The Virgin kisses Allette, and soon Allette believes that the Virgin is Sister Beatrice. They hear a chorus of pilgrims approaching. The pilgrims sing a medieval pilgrim song with words that (as pilgrim songs do) praise the Virgin, but they do not realize that they are singing it to the Virgin herself. The Virgin, dressed as Sister Beatrice, forgives all their sins and gives them garments that turn into radiant jewel-covered robes. After the pilgrims leave the Abbess reproaches Sister Beatrice for forgetting to ring the matin bells, and when she notices the statue of the Virgin is gone she blames Sister Beatrice for not guarding her properly. Furthermore the Abbess notices that Sister Beatriceâ??s garments have a glow about them. She removes Sister Beatriceâ??s veil and mantle and condemns Sister Beatrice for â??stealing the imageâ?? of the Virgin. A chorus of nuns joins her as they command Sister Beatrice to speak, but she does not answer. They call the Priest who tells the nuns to take off their belts and beat Sister Beatrice with the rods of penance. They take her offstage. Immediately there is a chaotic cacophony from which emerges a six voice setting of the â??Ave Maris Stella.â?? The nuns enter holding flowers and the stage is full of flowers. Sister Beatrice turned their belts and rods into flowers. Everyone proclaims that Sister Beatrice is holy. Twenty-five years pass and Scene III looks exactly like the end of Scene Iâ??the statue of the Virgin is in place, and Sister Beatriceâ??s veil and mantle are on the floor. It is winter. Sister Beatrice, now old and sick enters the convent and throws herself at the foot of the statue. She tells the statue of the Virgin what has happened to her, the scandal that her life became out in the world, and that she has come back to the convent to die. She finds the veil and mantle and puts them on. The sisters enter and they think that she has aged overnight. They also notice that the statue of the Virgin has returned to them. Sister Beatrice is confused. She asks her sisters to pardon her. She tells them that she left the convent with Prince Bellidor 25 years ago, that he left her after three months, that she became a prostitute, that three of her children died and that she killed her fourth child herself so it wouldnâ??t suffer. The sisters do not believe her because they know Sister Beatrice was with them every day. Sister Beatrice does not understand why the sisters are not angry with her. The opera ends with her words â??I have lived in a world where I did not understand the aims of hate and misery, and now I die in another world where I do not understand the aims of mercy and love.â?? Technical Characteristics Ripper: dBpoweramp v12.4 (Secure Mode) (MP3: 164Mb) Encoder: LAME v3.97 Settings: -V 0 --vbr-new Estimated bitrate: 240 kbps (VBR) Stereo Mode: Joint Stereo (FLAC: 496Mb) Encoder: FLAC v1.2.1 Settings: -8 -V

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pnikol (2013-09-13)

Would you please seed?