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Justin Holland
Justin Holland (1819-1887) was a 19th-century black American guitarist. He was the most important guitarist of his generation. Over 300 of his guitar arrangements were published. His earlier editions predate the Civil War. He would have been a household name to anyone who played guitar in that era of home music-making. Virtually none of those guitar players would have been aware of Justin Holland's race.
Moreover, Justin Holland devoted much of his life working for the end of slavery and the advancement of his race. He participated in the operation of the Underground Railroad in Cleveland. He secured recognition of African-American Freemasons by white Freemasons in Europe. He joined other African-American leaders in local, state, and national Negro Conventions.
There's no sense in duplicating effort, so here are a few links to pages with some background information on Justin Holland:
Justin Holland pioneered 19th century classic guitar
Justin Holland: Black Guitarist in the Western Reserve
The Library of Congress site has a few things of interest about Justin Holland. Go to the main page of the Library of Congress. Then click on "American Memory". When that page comes up, enter "justin holland" (without the quote marks) in the search box. The first five hits of the search program are specific to Justin Holland:
Item Titles Collection Titles 1. Justin Holland (1819-1886) [photograph or print] African-American Experience 2. Linquist Justin Holland, of Euclid Avenue [from newspaper] African-American Experience 3. Delta Kappa Epsilon march / Sheet Music 4. Still I love thee / Sheet Music 5. La prima donna waltz / Sheet Music
You can also see the titles of all the Justin Holland editions I have found in the Library of Congress collection. Go to my catalog of guitar music, principally arrangements, copied from the LC collection. Then search on the word "holland". You will find solos, duos and songs for voice and guitar. There are also arrangements by Holland's son, Justin Minor Holland.
I don't pretend to be a scholar of black history, but it seems to me that Justin Holland may have been the first African-American to create or produce something, in any field, that was recognized and appreciated by Americans on a nationwide basis. If that honor rightfully goes to an earlier African-American, Justin Holland's achievements must still be viewed as astounding. His earliest publications predate the Civil War by about eight years. Even some of his publishers didn't know he was a black man. I'm always surprised how little-known he is, in American history, and even in the guitar world.
Scraps From The Operas - where you can listen
I've enjoyed playing the many Justin Holland arrangements I found at the Library of Congress. After all, I'm a guitar aficionado with a penchant for "old stuff", in general, and Americana, in particular.
Holland's set of twenty Scraps From The Operas Arranged For Two Guitars hits on a few extra cylinders. I'm a big opera fan; the music is by some of the world's greatest composers; the individual "scraps" would have been the "top hits" of the mid-1800s; and I subscribe to the notion that guitars in combination make a much nicer listening experience than the solo guitar.
So it was only natural that I should get the bug to record the set of Opera Scraps. That was only made possible with the contribution of two excellent guitarists for the Guitar Primo parts: Bob Wysong and Chris Braddock. (Contribution??? - if you want to call the lion's share of the work a "contribution." I was the one who helped out.) The recordings were completed between November 2006 and January 2009.
The liner notes found below accompany that recording of Justin Holland's Scraps From The Operas Arranged For Two Guitars.
You can listen to the complete set, all 20 pieces, one time for free at this page on Lala. You'll need to create an account first, but that's easy.
You can hear 30-second excerpts of each piece, as many times as you want, at this page on CD Baby. The excerpts here are carefully selected, as opposed to what you'd get on iTunes or Amazon.
If you'd like to buy a copy - whether for the good-sounding guitars, the opera in miniature, or an important piece of black history - your cheapest options are an mp3 download of the whole album from CD Baby for $1, or adding the whole album to your "web collection" of songs at Lala for $.80.
Or, for $3, which more or less covers my cost, you can buy a CD directly from me. The CD, besides having full CD-quality sound, is the definitive version; it's been remixed and improved in a few spots over the version available on web.
The $3 price includes postage and handling. The CD comes with all the liner notes you see below, in handy print form. You need to do three things:
1. Send me an email at donaldsauter@gmail.com indicating you're ordering the OPERA SCRAPS cd for $3. Also include your MAILING ADDRESS (optional, if your address on file with PayPal is up-to-date.)
2. Wait for a CONFIRMATION EMAIL indicating everything is in order. This is mainly for your benefit; without confirmation you might not be sure this offer is still in effect.
3. Deposit $3 in my PAYPAL account, using my email address, donaldsauter@gmail.com . In PayPal, click the button for "This is a purchase of Goods." Also enter a short message in the "Email to recipient" box, so that I will receive a notification message from PayPal.
That's it. Sit back a wait a few days.
Here's what's in store.
Scraps From The Operas - liner notes
To fully appreciate opera, knowing what's going on is essential. Your listening experience will be much more rewarding with the story which inspired the music playing in the opera house of your mind.
Most of the arrangements are made up of two or three familiar excerpts, or "scraps", from the opera. A time in parentheses (1:22) indicates where the scrap begins within the recording. You'll see that Holland's scraps are often out of order relative to the story of the opera, so the Scrap 3 note may make Scrap 1 clearer, for example.
The twenty editions making up this series were each "Entered according to Act of Congress A.D. 1868 by J. L. Peters in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of N.J." I found 19 of the 20 duos at the Library of Congress. The missing one, Il Trovatore, was found in the Vahdah Olcott Bickford collection.
1. Faust Waltz (Gounod)
2. Faust March (Gounod)
3. Fra Diavolo (Auber)
4. Der Freischutz (Weber)
5. La Fille du Regiment (Donizetti)
6. Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)
7. Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti)
8. Maritana (Wallace)
9. Martha No. 1 (Flotow)
10. Martha No. 2 (Flotow)
11. Masaniello (Auber)
12. Oberon (Weber)
13. Norma No. 1 (Bellini)
14. Norma No. 2 (Bellini)
15. La Traviata (Verdi)
16. Il Trovatore (Verdi)
17. La Sonnambula (Bellini)
18. Vespers Siciliennes (Verdi)
19. La Favorite (Donizetti)
20. The Crown Diamonds (Auber)
A word about the arrangements.
The performers.
Opera: Faust
Composer: Charles Gounod
Premiere: Paris, 1859.
Scrap 1: Tempo di Valse.
From Act 2 of 5 is the famous Faust Waltz, or Ainsi que la brise legere ("As the breeze raises dust, we are caught up in the waltz!") While the townspeople sing and dance in the square, the meeting of Faust and Marguerite, which was set up by Mephistopheles, takes place.
Scrap 2 (1:22): Piu Mod.
In Act 3 Marguerite sings the famous Jewel Song, or Ah! je ris de me voir (Ah! How I laugh to see myself so beautiful in this mirror! Is it really you, Marguerite?") Marguerite is thrilled with the casket of jewels left on her doorstep. She adorns herself, and then looks in the mirror in the bottom of the box. Mephistopheles conjured up this box of jewels as a present from Faust. Poor Siebel's gift of flowers seem pathetic in comparison.
Within Holland's abbreviated Jewel Song is a section marked "Piu lento" (2:08). I've never found this minor mode section in the Jewel Song or anywhere in the opera. Was it in the source Holland worked from, or did he compose it?
Scrap 3 (2:55): Tempo primo.
Reprise of the Faust Waltz.
Opera: Faust
Composer: Charles Gounod
Premiere: Paris, 1859.
Scrap: Tempo di Marcia.
From Act 4 is the famous Faust March, also known as the Soldiers' Chorus or Gloire immortelle ("Immortal glory of our ancestors, be faithful to us! Let's die as they did!") Where the music changes character at 1:48, the soldiers sing, "Let us hasten to our hearths! Peace has come!" Marguerite's brother Valentin is among the soldiers returning from war. He will learn of Marguerite's fallen state shortly, and be slain by Mephistopheles in a duel.
Opera: Fra Diavolo
Composer: D. F. E. Auber
Premiere: Paris, 1830.
Scrap 1: Allegro moderato.
This music is heard in Act 2 of 3 as Lorenzo and his soldiers return to the inn (for a second time; see scrap 3 below) while Fra Diavolo and two cohorts hide in Zerline's room with the intention of stabbing her and robbing the rich Lord and Lady in another room.
The music is heard again in the Finale to the last act, as Lorenzo and his soldiers close in on Diavolo.
Scrap 2 (1:07): Allegro cantabile.
The aria Voyez sur cette roche ("On yonder rock reclining") was very popular in the 19th century. It is from Act 1. Zerline, daughter of the innkeeper, tells of the exploits of Fra Diavolo, the bandit, to the "Marquis". The Marquis listens with evident terror. Not really - he himself is Fra Diavolo in disguise! The word fitting the big chords? "Tremble!"
The music is also used in the Entr'acte preceding Act 3, and again at the end of the opera as the principal characters express thanks for the capture of Diavolo.
Scrap 3 (2:35): Allegro.
This music accompanies the Finale of Act 1 in which Lorenzo and his soldiers return to the inn after capturing twenty of Fra Diavolo's band. The chorus shouts "Victory!" The band had robbed Lord Cockburn and his wife on the road. With his reward, Lorenzo is now an acceptable suitor for Zerline in the eyes of her father. Fra Diavolo, in the disguise of the "Marquis", does not share in the jubilation.
This music is used again in the Finale to the last act while the peasants shout "Victory!" It is also used in the Fra Diavolo Overture, which is still played.
Opera: Der Freishütz (The Freeshooter; i.e. the marksman
with magic bullets)
Composer: Carl Maria von Weber
Premiere: Berlin, 1821.
Scrap 1: Allegretto.
This is the famous Hunters' Chorus from Act 3 of 3. The hunters sing, "What pleasures on earth equal that of hunter?" It immediately precedes the shooting match in which Max appears to shoot Agathe with the bullet under the control of the devil.
The music is also used in the Entr'acte preceding Act 3.
Scrap 2 (1:11): Andantino Cantabile.
Max, a forester and expert marksman, sings a despairing aria, Durch die Wälder, durch die Auen ("Through the forests, through the meadows"), in Act 1. He has just lost a shooting contest and suspects dark powers have robbed him of his skill - a skill which made him the likely husband for Agathe, the daughter of the head forester, and put him in line for the head forester job.
Scrap 3 (2:24): Tempo di Valse.
This Bohemian waltz directly precedes Max's aria above in Act 1. He has been invited to join in, but is in no mood for it.
Opera: La Fille du Regiment (The Daughter of the Regiment)
Composer: Gaetano Donizetti
Premiere: Paris, 1840.
Scrap 1: Moderato.
This is the Entr'acte preceding Act 2 of 2. In some performances the music may be heard again near the end of the act, when the Marchioness reveals that Marie, the "daughter of the regiment", is really her daughter and explains why Marie must marry the son of the Duchess of Krackentorp. Of course, love prevails and the Marchioness ultimately gives her blessing to the marriage of Marie and Tonio.
Scrap 2 (1:11): (no tempo indication shown)
This is the song of the celebrated 21st Regiment, Chacun le sait, chacun le dit ("Everyone knows it, everyone says it.") Marie sings it in Act 1 at the request of the soldiers. Marie, the canteen girl and "daughter of the regiment", was an orphan who was adopted and raised by the regiment.
Scrap 3 (1:51): Movement de Valse.
This is a continuation of the preceding song of the 21st Regiment, beginning, Il est la, il est la, morbleu! ("It is there, it is there, dang it!") The soldiers join in the singing with Marie.
This verse pops up again in Act 2, where Marie is taking music lessons from the Marchioness, who claims to be Marie's aunt. The sergeant Sulpice listens in on the dreadfully dull music, but the line "of beauty quite supreme" sends him and Marie off into the lively regiment song, much to the Marchioness's consternation.
Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor
Composer: Gaetano Donizetti
Premiere: Naples, 1835.
Scrap 1: Tempo di Marcia.
In Act 2 of 3, Lucia surrenders to her brother's pressure to marry Arturo. The wedding guests sing Per te d'immenso giubilo ("Everything around is bright with rejoicing for you [Arturo]"). Believe it or not, this is the only joyful music in the entire opera. A little later, Lucia's lover Edgardo bursts in on the ceremony and throws things into chaos. Then, in Act 3, while the unaware guests continue their rejoicing with the same chorus, the mad Lucia is up in her bedroom murdering her bridegroom.
Scrap 2 (0:58): Andantino.
Following her famous mad scene in Act 3, Lucia sings to her absent lover Edgar, Spargi d'amaro pianto ("Shed a bitter tear on my mortal remains"). Now the guests look on in dumbfounded shock.
Scrap 3 (2:11): Marziale.
Reprise of Per te d'immenso giubilo. The closing measures in triplets actually form introductory material for the chorus when it is first heard in Act 2.
Opera: Lucrezia Borgia
Composer: Gaetano Donizetti
Premiere: Milan, 1833.
Scrap 1: Andantino.
This is the famous Brindisi, or drinking song, sung by Orsini in Act 2 of 2. It is also known as Il segreto per esser felice ("The secret of happiness"). This secret is to not give a hang about tomorrow. The irony is that the wine Orsini and his chums are enjoying has been poisoned by Lucrezia Borgia. But she does not have the last laugh; her illegitimate but beloved son Gennaro is one of the revelers. They are all doomed; Lucrezia, too, shortly after revealing to Gennaro that she is his mother.
Scrap 2 (1:11): Piu lento.
During the Prolog (the first "act" of the opera, preceding Act 1) Gennaro sings Di pescatore ignoble esser figliuol credei ("I once believed I was the son of a humble fisherman") to a mysterious woman. He tells how he was given a letter from his mother beseeching him to never seek after her. The woman recognizes the letter as her own. Gennaro does not know he is singing to his mother, the wicked Lucrezia Borgia.
Scrap 3 (3:29): Tempo primo.
Reprise of the Brindisi.
Opera: Maritana
Composer: William Vincent Wallace
Premiere: London, 1845.
Scrap 1: Andantino.
The King's minister, Don Jose, sings In happy moments, day by day in Act 2 of 3. If anyone can translate the Victorian babble into understandable English, please do. In any case, Don Jose is in the midst of his schemes to win the object of his desires, the King's wife.
Scrap 2 (1:39): Cantabile.
This is the famous Scenes that are brightest, from Act 3. It has been called "one of the most admired of all English songs." Once again, who knows what the lyrics are trying to say? Maritana is set up in a magnificent room in the King's palace, but despairs of ever being re-united with Don Caesar, whom she married earlier that day.
After Don Caesar enters and thwarts the King's designs on Maritana, the music is heard again when Don Caesar and Maritana are left alone. At the very end of the opera, the music is used for the big choral finale: "Viva, Maritana! May thy name be great in story, may thy fame be bright in glory."
The music also appears twice in the Overture.
Scrap 3 (3:21): Vivo.
This lively waltz is nowhere to be found in my "complete" recording of Maritana. Humph.
Opera: Martha
Composer: Friedrich von Flotow
Premiere: Vienna, 1847.
Scrap 1: Scherzando.
This music is not to be found in my "complete" recording of Martha. It has a similar spirit to the ensemble of young maids at the Richmond Fair where they tout their skills to the farmers in the hopes of being hired out ("I can sew, I can mow").
Scrap 2 (1:14): Adagio con molto espress.
This is the famous song The Last Rose of Summer. Flotow didn't write it; the melody is an old Irish air called "The Groves of Blarney", and Thomas Moore wrote the English words.
You need to know that "Martha" is really the Queen's maid of honor, Lady Harriet, masquerading as a servant girl for a lark. She was hired by the farmer Lionel at the fair. In Act 2 of 4, she is completely inept at the chores assigned to her, but Lionel develops a fondness anyway. He asks her to sing a folk song, and she sings The Last Rose of Summer. Lionel falls completely then, and she herself is somewhat touched by his evident good qualities, but she escapes from the house that night.
In Act 3, a downcast Lionel sings a few lines of The Last Rose of Summer himself. This directly precedes the famous aria "Ah, so pure" (see Scrap 2 in Martha No. 2 below.) Lionel is hauled off to jail for his "mad" behavior towards the Queen's maid of honor.
Lionel is released, and in Act 4 Lady Harriet ("Martha") visits him to patch things up. There is fear that he has lost his mind over what he's been through, and Lady Harriet sings The Last Rose of Summer again to try to bring him back to his senses. It doesn't work.
All ends well, since Lionel was actually high-born himself. The music for The Last Rose of Summer is used one more time for the closing of the opera. Lady Harriet ("Martha") and Lionel sing: "Spring has come, the roses are in bloom. The future shines pleasantly," and everyone joins in.
Scrap 3 (2:51): Tempo primo.
Reprise of Scrap 1.
Opera: Martha
Composer: Friedrich von Flotow
Premiere: Vienna, 1847.
Scrap 1: Allegretto.
Meanwhile, Lionel's foster brother Plunkett has fallen for Nancy, Lady Harriet's own lady-in-waiting who thought up the crazy idea of pretending to be servant girls. In this Act 4 duo, Plunkett tells Nancy that he wants to marry a certain girl who can't even spin (i.e., Nancy), and Nancy says that the girl he is thinking of could learn such household chores.
Scrap 2 (0:32): Andante.
Lionel sings the famous aria Ach! so fromm ("Ah, so pure", or "M'appari tutt'amor" in Italian) in Act 3. His life was miserable before he met Martha, and she showed him a happy future: "Martha, Martha, you disappeared and took with you my happiness."
Scrap 3 (2:36): Allegro non troppo.
Earlier in Act 3, Nancy and a group of ladies hunt with the Queen. Nancy tells how a woman, like a huntress, can bring down her game with darts from her eyes - and it's Cupid who carries those speeding darts! (See Scrap 1 above.)
Opera: La Muette de Portici (The Dumb Girl of Portici)
Composer: D. F. E. Auber
Premiere: Paris, 1828.
Note: Portici is a city near Naples. The alternate title,
"Masaniello", refers to the hero of the opera. The mute heroine of
the actual title is called Fenella.
Question: Is opera relevant? Maybe all you hear is pretty music,
but when the Belgians heard this opera in 1830, they stormed
out of the theater and started their own revolution for independence
from the Dutch.
Scrap 1: Allegro non troppo.
This is the lively Market Scene in which vendors cry their wares and the populace disports in the Italian sunshine. It is in Act 3 of 5. Below the surface, the citizens' resentment towards the Spanish rule churns. A little later, Masaniello's mute sister Fenella is seized in the square by the captain of the Spanish guard. Masaniello rescues his sister, and the people's determination to rise up is forged.
Scrap 2 (1:22): Barcarolle. Andantino.
In Act 2, Masaniello is requested to give a song to cheer his comrades who are also brooding on their oppressed state. Masaniello sings the famous barcarolle, Amis, la matinee est belle ("Friends, the morning is beautiful"). He assures them the day of freedom will come soon, and he cautions them to be careful to not let on anything is afoot.
The music is used again in Act 5 where Masaniello shows he has lost his sanity. The troops are marching on Naples and Vesuvius is erupting, and a disheveled Masaniello enters and sings of the fine night and the joy of a fisherman king's life.
Scrap 3 (3:26): Marcia. Allegro mod.
In Act 4, Masaniello promises safety to a fugitive at his hut who turns out to be the hated Viceroy's son. A little later, the people arrive and declare Masaniello their king. He rides away on a finely arrayed steed. To this march music, the people sing the praises of Masaniello while his comrades express disgust at his behavior.
Opera: Oberon
Composer: Carl Maria von Weber
Premiere: London, 1826.
Scrap 1: Allegro.
This duet between the secondary characters Fatima and Sherasmin is heard in Act 3 of 3. Unfortunately, they find themselves enslaved. Fortunately, they are slaves together! "Why repine? Let's be merry while we may, love our song and joy the chorus, while hope still shines before us!"
Scrap 2 (0:51): Andante con moto.
In Act 2, Puck has just raised up a pavilion of flowers to surround and protect the sleeping Huon. Now, as night comes on, he hears the "witching strain" of the mermaids, Oh 'tis pleasant to float on the sea.
Scrap 3 (2:08): Allegretto. (This tempo indication seems incorrect.)
Huon sings a martial aria in Act 1. It glorifies the charge of the Christian cavalry. Don't be misled by the prettiness of the scrap heard here; the sentiment is, "Mourn, ye maidens of Palestine. Your lovers lie stark in the cold moonshine. Their eyes, which you kissed before they left, are food for the kits and crow."
This music also comes around twice in the Overture.
Opera: Norma
Composer: Vincenzo Bellini
Premiere: Milan, 1831.
Scrap 1: Andantino.
You need to know that the Druid high priestess Norma has managed to conceal the fact that she has had two children by the Roman proconsul Pollione. Pollione has since lost interest in Norma and fallen in love with a Druid temple virgin, Adalgisa. Norma has given Adalgisa permission to leave the temple and go back to Rome with Pollione.
Here in Act 3 of 4, Norma has just fallen short of bringing herself to murder her two children. She still plans to take her own life. In Deh! con te, con te li prendi ("For pity's sake, take them with you) she implores Adalgisa to take the children with her to Rome and not let them end up as abandoned slaves. Adalgisa is horrified at Norma's plans and replies that she will tell Pollione of Norma's grief, and his love for her will be reawakened. Norma swears she will not plead with Pollione. This scene continues in Norma No. 2 below.
Scrap 2 (1:35): Marcia.
As the opera opens, the time is getting close for Norma to give the signal for the Druids to rise up against the Romans. Here, in Act 1, the Druids sing a great chorus to their terrible god Irminsul, Dell'aura tua profetica ("With your prophetic aura, inspire feelings in Norma of hatred for the Romans").
Scrap 3 (2:20): (no new tempo indication shown)
In this arrangement the transition is seamless, but in the opera this scrap is separated from the previous Druid chorus. Pollione and the soldier Flavio have sneaked into the sacred grove just vacated by the Druids. They hear the bronze shield of Irminsul being struck signaling that Norma will come and make her pronouncement. To this march music the Druids warn any ungodly to depart from the sacred grove. Flavio implores Pollione to flee; Pollione says he is protected by a power greater than theirs - his love for Adalgisa. He will burn the groves and smash the altars of the god who contends with him for that divine maiden.
Note that Bellini got the main theme of this scrap from Figaro's humorous aria "Non piu andrai" in "The Marriage of Figaro", by Mozart.
Opera: Norma
Composer: Vincenzo Bellini
Premiere: Milan, 1831.
Scrap 1: Andantino.
This is the famous duet Miro, o Norma ("See, Norma, at your knees these dear children") in Act 3. Adalgisa further tries to convince Norma that there is hope for her and Pollione. Norma does not appreciate Adalgisa's efforts to weaken her resolve.
Note the order of the singers; first, Adalgisa, a soprano, and then Norma, a mezzo-soprano. That's why the melody doesn't go as high the second time around.
Scrap 2 (2:34): Allegro.
This is the up-tempo closing section, called a "cabaletta", to the previous duet. Adalgisa assures Norma her own feelings for Pollione have faded, and Norma is finally won over. Here they sing together that, come what may, Si, fino all'ore estreme ("Yes, until our last hour you will have me as a comrade").
Opera: La Traviata (The Wayward Woman)
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Premiere: Venice, 1853.
Scrap: Andante.
In Act 3 of 3, Alfredo comes to Violetta on her deathbed. He takes all the blame for their misunderstandings. In this duet, Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo ("We will leave Paris, my darling"), they plan to start again. Violetta's health will bloom again. The entire future will smile on them. In fact, in just a few more moments, consumption will claim Violetta.
At 2:21 there is a variation on the main theme that is not heard in the opera. Was it in the source Holland worked from, or did he compose it?
Opera: Il Trovatore (The Troubadour)
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Premiere: Rome, 1853.
Scrap: Andantino.
You need to know that Manrico, the "troubadour", believes the old gypsy Azucena is his mother. In fact, in her panic she had thrown her own son on the pyre her mother was burned on, and then kidnapped the old Count's son and raised him as her own. This makes Manrico and his enemy, the young Count di Luna, brothers.
In Act 4 of 4, Azucena has finally been captured by Count di Luna. So has Manrico. Azucena has visions of her mother being burned at the stake. She's certain the same fate is in store for her. The opening chords of this scrap accompany Azucena's plea to Manrico to wake her if he sees "the horrid glare of the stake." Manrico tells her (0:16) to find some peace in sleep. In the duet (0:37) Ai nostri monti ritorneremo ("Home to our mountains"), Azucena, half asleep, imagines the peaceful life of old they will have when they return to their mountains.
Later, as the quarrel between Manrico and Leonora over the price she paid di Luna to secure Manrico's freedom reaches a peak, Azucena in her semi-delerious state quietly breaks in with her peaceful Home to our mountains vision again - a very powerful scene. In case you're curious, di Luna will get nothing from Leonora; she's already near death from the poison she took. Di Luna will order Manrico beheaded. And a moment later Azucena will have the satisfaction of informing di Luna he just killed his brother.
Opera: La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker)
Composer: Vincenzo Bellini
Premiere: Milan, 1831.
Scrap 1: Andante Sostenuto.
In Act 1 of 3, all the villagers are happy for the young couple, Elvino and Amina (the "sleepwalker" of the title), who are about to sign a marriage contract. In this duet, Prendi, l'anel ti dono ("Take now the ring I give you"), Elvino gives Amina a ring, and she gives him a flower. So far so good, but things start to go awry moments later when a handsome stranger arrives in town.
Scrap 2 (2:12): Allegro.
Near the beginning of Act 1, prior to the above duet, a chorus of villagers sing the praises of Amina's beauty: In Elvezia non v'ha rosa, fresca e cara al par d'Amina ("In all of Switzerland there's no blossom like Amina"). She also puts the doves and stars to shame. The chorus is led by Alessio to annoy Lisa, the inn-mistress who won't be bothered with Alessio's attentions.
Opera: Les Vêpres Siciliennes (The Sicilian Vespers)
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Premiere: Paris, 1855.
Note: On the cover page the title is given as
"Vespers Siciliennes" and on the music pages as "Les Vêspres Siciliennes",
neither one quite right.
Scrap 1: Tempo di Barcarolle.
In Act 2 of 5, the French oppressors have abducted all the brides at a mass wedding of Sicilians. Adding insult, this barcarolle is heard coming from a boat bearing French officers and nobleman and Sicilian ladies to a ball at the palace. The chorus on the boat sing, Del piacer s'avanza l'ora ("The hour of pleasure approaches!"), while the Sicilian patriots make plans to attend the ball in disguise and assassinate the Governor of Sicily.
Scrap 2 (1:36): Adagio.
In Act 3, Arrigo, a leader of the Sicilian movement, discovers he is the son of the detested Governor of Sicily. In spite of himself, he thwarts the assassination of the governor at the ball. The guilty parties are captured and sentenced to death. They sing this hymn to Sicily: Ah! patria adorata ("Ah! beloved fatherland, I leave you, prostrate in blood, in sorrow!") They also curse the apparent traitor Arrigo.
Scrap 3 (2:29): Allegretto.
In Act 5, in the gardens of the Governor's palace, knights and maidens celebrate the upcoming wedding of Arrigo and Elena that will end so many sorrows: Si celebri alfine ("Let us celebrate at last"). In fact, the tolling of the vesper bell will be a signal for the Sicilians to begin the slaughter of the French, starting with everyone at the wedding. Even Arrigo and Elena will be sacrificed.
Opera: La Favorita (The Favorite)
Composer: Gaetano Donizetti
Premiere: Paris, 1840.
Note: Original French title is La Favorite.
Scrap 1: Marziale.
In Act 3 of 4, Fernando returns a war hero and is told by the king to choose his reward. He asks to marry a certain lady. The king agrees, but it quickly comes out the lady is the king's own mistress, Leonora, the "Favorite" of the title. In anger, the king sticks to his promise. Leonora is torn by this development; she loves Fernando but knows the marriage will cause him great shame when he finds out what she is. In this aria, Scritto in cielo e il mio dolor ("Heaven itself decreed my grief"), she says to strew flowers on the the altar cloth; the grave has opened at her feet. She is cursed and cannot hope for pardon.
Scrap 2 (1:32): (no new tempo indication shown)
Fernando is eventually told what the situation is and he renounces all of the king's rewards. He returns to the monastery to take his vows. Leonora, near death, comes to the monstery to ask for forgiveness. She begs him to overcome his hatred and show some of heaven's clemency. Fernando relents and forgives Leonora. In the process of doing so his love for her reawakens. In Act 4, at the end of the opera, he sings Vieni, ah vien! Io m'abbanbdono ("Come, oh come! I yield myself without reserve to joy and love!") He urges Leonora to fly with him. Leonora is ecstatic, but knows this is impossible. By the end of the duet, she is dead.
Scrap 3 (2:26): (no new tempo indication shown)
In Act 2, King Alfonso sings of his love for his mistress Leonora: De' nemeci tuoi lo sdegno ("Your enemies' disdain I will challenge for your sake"). He will give her his realm and his soul. He will make her his queen, his "life's companion in the eyes of heaven."
Opera: Les Diamants de la Couronne (The Crown Diamonds)
Composer: D. F. E. Auber
Premiere: Paris, 1841.
Scrap 1: Allegro.
This is a scaled down version of the Overture. To give you a story to hang it on, the plot of the opera in a nutshell is that the Queen of Portugal has a scheme to replenish the national treasury by selling the crown diamonds and replacing them with counterfeits.
Justin Holland arranged these pieces for either one or two guitars. In other words, the "Guitar Primo" part was complete in itself, and the mostly chordal "Guitar Secondo" added thickening. Being self-contained, Guitar Primo could be, in musician parlance, a "bear". Adding Guitar Secondo, which duplicates many of the notes in Guitar Primo, presented the obvious solution; Guitar Primo simply drops notes handled by Guitar Secondo. In fact, it could go both ways, Guitar Primo occasionally taking over a problem note from Guitar Secondo. Moreover, by deliberately avoiding duplication of notes between the parts, a smoother, lighter sound is obtained. If all the notes of Guitars Primo and Secondo were played there would be a slight overload of notes yielding a mildly "clunky" effect.
In addition to dropping or handing off notes, we sometimes rearranged the notes in a chord to keep it out of the way of the Guitar Primo melody. We occasionally changed the arpeggio pattern of Guitar Secondo to more closely suggest the operatic orchestration. We occasionally added a repeat or altered the route through the piece to match the opera performance. While Holland may have viewed each work as a connected medley, we sometimes felt a complete separation of unrelated sections was more appropriate. In those cases, we often added basic one- or two-measure intros like the ones Holland wrote. Bob also changed a note here and there based on a comparison with opera recordings.
In two instances, Holland made use of arrangements by European guitarist Matteo Carcassi. Some Guitar Primo material in Holland's "Fra Diavolo" and "Masaniello" comes from Carcassi's Fantaisies on "Fra Diavolo" and "La Muette di Portici", opuses 37 and 33, respectively. In both cases, there is material in Holland's arrangement not found in Carcassi's. I'm not aware of any other instances of borrowings by Holland in this set; for example, he made no use of Carcassi's arrangement of "Der Freischütz" (op. 19) or "Les Diamants de la Couronne" (op. 71).
Bob Wysong - Guitar Primo on all pieces except Nos. 12, 13, 14, and 18.
Chris Braddock - Guitar Primo on Nos. 12, 13, 14, and 18, plus the Jewel Song in No. 1.
Donald Sauter - Guitar Secondo throughout.
Guitar Primo is always placed on the left channel; Guitar Secondo on the right. I wish you could hear the recordings on a real stereo system, such as from the early '80s.
Recording began on November 4 2006 and was completed on January 2 2009.
There are 45 different "scraps" from 17 operas in these twenty duos. I hope you enjoy most of them. They were, after all, the "hottest hits" of the mid-19th century. Have our ears or brains changed that much? If any of the scraps in particular capture your imagination, you should have little trouble finding a recording of the complete opera. And if you happen to catch the opera bug, I say, "Good for you, and welcome!"
Donald Sauter
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