Book Description

A Woman Can Dream, Can't She? is a soprano recital of art songs and arias from the Romantic and 20th Century periods of Western Music. The selections are unified around a theme of dreams; the dreams of a woman longing for connection and creation through love and music. Each piece displays the poetic and compositional characteristics common to each of these eras, and together with the unique qualities of each composer and poet comprises a set of arias and art songs which animate the expanse and flavor of dreams. Additionally, each selection expresses this theme as it relates to my personal journey as a woman, a mother, and an artist. This autobiographical aspect renders a deeply personal program of music which mirrors my experiences as an undergraduate in Boston and culminating with recent experiences of personal and musical exploration at California State University, Northridge. Accompanied by Helen Wu on piano, the program contains works of composers from the Romantic and 20th Century eras of Western music. A set of Italian bel canto art songs Vaga luna, che inargenti by Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835) and Aragonese by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) begins the program, followed by Gustav Mahler's (1860-1911) Rückert-Lieder, with text by Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866) with a Bellini aria Come per me sereno from his opera La Sonnambula, closing the first half of the program. Sergei Rachmaninoff's (1873-1943) epic art song Vocalise Op. 32, No 14, opens the second half of the program, followed by a set of selections from Claude Debussy's (1862-1918) Ariettes oubliées, with text by Paul Verlaine (1844-1896). Next is Benjamin Britten's (1913-1976) aria How Beautiful It Is from his 1954 opera The Turn of the Screw, based on the Henry James novella, with libretto by Myfanwy Piper (1911-1997). A final set of three English art songs begins with William Walton's (1902-1983) Through Gilded Trellises with text by Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) with two selections from the Aaron Copland (1900-1990) / Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) collaboration Heart, We Will Forget Him and Why do They Shut Me Out of Heaven? concluding the program. This program of works by Rossini, Bellini, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Mahler, Britten, Walton, and Copland represents a colorful and evocative swath of art songs and arias of the Romantic and Twentieth Century periods of composition and poetry. The composer and poet in each selection create a singular universe with human life and the human heart at its center. As a collection of works in concert, this music creates a living dream of connection, artistry, life, and love.