Recital: Runyu Feng '22, Soprano
NEC's students meet one-on-one each week with a faculty artist to perfect their craft. As each one leaves NEC to make their mark in the performance world, they present a full, professional recital that is free and open to the public. It's your first look at the artists of tomorrow.
Runyu Feng '22 studies Voice with Lisa Saffer.
This performance is open to in-person audiences, and can also be viewed via livestream.
- Runyu Feng '22, soprano
- Leona Cheung, piano
- Lisa Saffer, studio teacher
Roger Quilter | Now sleeps the crimson petal, op. 3 no. 2
Text
Now sleeps the crimson petal
Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;
Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;
Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font:
The fire-fly wakens: waken thou with me.
Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,
And slips into the bosom of the lake:
So fold thyself, my dearest, thou, and slip
Into my bosom and be lost in me.
Alfred TennysonRoger Quilter | Three Songs of the Sea, op. 1
The Sea-Bird
Moonlight
By the SeaTexts
The sea bird
I watched a seabird flying
Along the wintry shore
Just as the light was dying
O’er sunsets golden floor.
I saw them curve and quiver
Against the fading sky,
And heard the sad waves shiver
Under his deathlike cry.
Slowly his great wings lifting
He floated away along,
Like some tired spirit drifting
Into the great unknown.Roger Quilter
Moonlight
Under the silver moonlight, flutter the great white wings,
Woo'd by the soft night breezes tender with whispered things.
Silently onward gliding into the silent night,
Like to a fairy vessel crowned with a fairy light.
Whisper O soft night breezes, murmur your tender tune,
Carry the white wings onward, under the silver moon.
Roger Quilter
By the sea
I stood today by the shimmering sea;
Never was wind so mild and free;
The light and the loveliness dazzled me,
Dazzled me.
The waves did frolic and curl and roll;
They sigh’d and sang to my list’ning soul,
And the might of their mystery made me whole.
I stood today by the shimmering sea;
Never was wind so mild and free;
The light and the loveliness dazzled me,
Dazzled me.
Roger Quilter
George Frideric Handel
“Qual nave smarrita” from Radamisto
”Ch’io mai vi possa” from SiroeText
Qual nave smarrita
Qual nave smarrita
Trà sirti e tempesta,
Nè luce nè porto
Gli toglie il timor
Tal io sena’ aita,
Fra doglie funeste,
Non trovo conforto
Al misero cor.
Nicola Francesco Haym
Ch'io mai vi possa
Ch'io mai vi possa
Lasciar d'amare,
No lo credete,
Pupille care;
Nè men per gioco
V'ingannerò.
Voi foste e siete
Le mie faville,
E voi sarete,
Care pupille,
Il mio bel foco
Sin ch'io vivrò.
Pietro MetastasioThe Vessel Storm Driven
The vessel storm driven
O’er quick-sands leeshoreward,
No lighthouse, no shelter
Can rescue her from care!
So I who have striven,
Drift hopelessly forward,
Mid life’s angry welter,
My heart is in despair.
Translation by Nathan Haskell Dole
That I will ever be able
That I will ever be able
to stop loving you
No, don't believe it,
dear eyes!
Not even to joke
would I deceive you about this.
You alone
are my sparks,
and you will be,
dear eyes,
my beautiful fire
as long as I live, ah!
Translation from Italian (Italiano)
to English copyright © by Christie
Turnage Turner, reprinted with
permission from the LiederNet Archive,
https://www.lieder.net/Johannes Brahms
Der Sonntag
Vergebliches Ständchen
Dein blaues Auge
O wusst’ ich doch den WegText
Der Sonntag
So hab’ ich doch die ganze Woche
Mein feines Liebchen nicht geseh’n,
Ich sah es an einem Sonntag
Wohl vor der Türe steh’n:
Das tausendschöne Jungfräulein,
Das tausendschöne Herzelein,
Wollte Gott, wollte Gott, ich wär’ heute bei ihr!
So will mir doch die ganze Woche
Das Lachen nicht vergeh’n,
Ich sah es an einem Sonntag
Wohl in die Kirche geh’n:
Das tausendschöne Jungfräulein,
Das tausendschöne Herzelein,
Wollte Gott, wollte Gott, ich wär’ heute bei ihr!
Johann Ludwig Uhland
Vergebliches Ständchen
Er: Guten Abend, mein Schatz,
Guten Abend, mein Kind!
Ich komm’ aus Lieb’ zu dir,
Ach, mach’ mir auf die Tür,
Mach’ mir auf die Tür!
Sie: Mein’ Tür ist verschlossen,
Ich lass’ dich nicht ein;
Mutter, die rät’ mir klug,
Wär’st du herein mit Fug,
Wär’s mit mir vorbei!
Er: So kalt ist die Nacht,
So eisig der Wind,
Dass mir das Herz erfriert,
Mein’ Lieb’ erlöschen wird;
Öffne mir, mein Kind!
Sie: Löschet dein’ Lieb’;
Lass’ sie löschen nur!
Löschet sie immerzu,
Geh’ heim zu Bett, zur Ruh’!
Gute Nacht, mein Knab’!
Anonymous, Lower Rhein folk song
Dein blaues Auge
Dein blaues Auge hält so still,
Ich blicke bis zum Grund.
Du fragst mich, was ich sehen will?
Ich sehe mich gesund.
Es brannte mich ein glühend Paar,
Noch schmerzt das Nachgefühl:
Das deine ist wie See so klar
Und wie ein See so kühl.
Klaus Groth
O wüßt ich doch den Weg zurück
O wüßt ich doch den Weg zurück,
Den lieben Weg zum Kinderland!
O warum sucht ich nach dem Glück
Und ließ der Mutter Hand?
O wie mich sehnet auszuruhn,
Von keinem Streben aufgeweckt,
Die müden Augen zuzutun,
Von Liebe sanft bedeckt!
Und nichts zu forschen, nichts zu spähn,
Und nur zu träumen leicht und lind,
Der Zeiten Wandel nicht zu sehn,
Zum zweiten Mal ein Kind!
O zeig mir doch den Weg zurück,
Den lieben Weg zum Kinderland!
Vergebens such ich nach dem Glück –
Ringsum ist öder Strand!
Klaus GrothSunday
For a whole week now
I haven’t seen my love;
I saw her on a Sunday,
standing at her door:
my loveliest girl,
my loveliest sweet,
would to God I were with her today!
Yet I’ll still be able
to laugh all week;
I saw her on a Sunday,
as she went to church:
my loveliest girl,
my loveliest sweet,
would to God I were with her today!
Vain Serenade
He: Good evening, my sweetheart,
good evening, my child!
I come because I love you;
ah! open up your door to me,
open up your door!
She: My door’s locked,
I won’t let you in;
mother gave me good advice—
if you were allowed in,
all would be over with me!
He: The night’s so cold,
the wind’s so icy,
my heart is freezing,
my love will go out;
open up, my child!
She: If your love goes out,
then let it go out!
If it keeps going out,
then go home to bed and go to sleep!
Goodnight, my lad!
Your Blue Eyes
Your blue eyes stay so still,
I look into their depths.
You ask me what I seek to see?
Myself restored to health.
A pair of ardent eyes have burnt me,
The pain of it still throbs:
Your eyes are limpid as a lake,
And like a lake as cool.
Ah! If I but knew the way back
Ah! if I but knew the way back,
The sweet way back to childhood’s land!
Ah! why did I seek my fortune
And let go my mother’s hand?
Ah! how I long for utter rest,
Immune from any striving,
Long to close my weary eyes,
Gently shrouded by love!
And search for nothing, watch for nothing,
Dream only light and gentle dreams,
Not to see the times change,
To be a child a second time!
Ah! show me that way back,
The sweet way back to childhoods’ land!
I seek happiness in vain –
Ringed round by barren shores!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of
The Book of Lieder (Faber), provided
via Oxford Lieder (www.oxfordlieder.co.uk)Olivier Messiaen | Trois mélodies (1930)
Pourquoi?
Le sourire
La fiancée perdueText
Pourquoi?
Pourquoi les oiseaux de l’air,
Pourquoi les reflets de l’eau,
Pourquoi les nuages du ciel,
Pourquoi?
Pourquoi les feuilles de l’Automne,
Pourquoi les roses de l’Été,
Pourquoi les chansons du Printemps,
Pourquoi?
Pourquoi n’ont-ils pour moi de charmes,
Pourquoi?
Pourquoi, Ah! Pourquoi?
Olivier Messiaen
Le sourire
Certain mot murmuré
Par vous est un baiser
Intime et prolongé
Comme un baiser sur l’âme.
Ma bouche veut sourire
Et mon sourire tremble.
Cécile Sauvage
La fiancée perdue
C’est la douce fiancée,
C’est l’ange de la bonté,
C’est un après-midi ensoleillé,
C’est le vent sur les fleurs.
C’est un sourire pur comme un cœur d’enfant,
C’est un grand lys blanc comme une aile, très haut
dans une coupe d’or!
O Jésus, bénissez-la!
Elle!
Donnez-lui votre Grâce puissante!
Qu’elle ignore la souffrance, les larmes!
Donnez-lui le repos Jésus!
Olivier MessiaenWhy?
Why are the birds of the air,
Why are the gleaming waters,
Why are the clouds of heaven,
Why?
Why are the leaves of autumn,
Why are the roses of summer,
Why are the songs of spring,
Why?
Why for me are they devoid of charm,
Why?
Why? Ah, why?
The smile
A certain word whispered
By you is a kiss,
Intimate and lingering,
Like a kiss on the soul.
My mouth wishes to smile
And my smile flickers.
The lost fiancée
She is the gentle fiancée,
She is the angel of kindness,
She is a sun-drenched afternoon,
She is the wind on the flowers.
She is a smile as pure as a child’s heart,
She is a tall lily, white as a wing, towering
in a gold vase!
O Jesus, bless her!
Her!
Bestow on her your powerful Grace!
May she never know pain and tears!
Bestow peace of mind on her, O Jesus!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of
A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000),
provided via Oxford Lieder (www.oxfordlieder.co.uk)Maurice Ravel | La flute enchantée from Shéhérazade
Text
La flûte enchantée
L'ombre est douce et mon maître dort
Coiffé d'un bonnet conique de soie
Et son long nez jaune en sa barbe blanche.
Mais moi, je suis éveillée encore
Et j'écoute au dehors
Une chanson de flûte où s'épanche
Tour à tour la tristesse ou la joie.
Un air tour à tour langoureux ou frivole
Que mon amoureux chéri joue,
Et quand je m'approche de la croisée
Il me semble que chaque note s'envole
De la flûte vers ma joue
Comme un mystérieux baiser.
Tristan KlingsorThe enchanted flute
The shade is soft and my master sleeps,
A cone-shaped silken cap on his head,
And his long yellow nose in his white beard.
But I am still awake,
Listening to the song
Of a flute outside that pours forth
Sadness and joy in turn,
A tune now languorous now lively,
Which my dear lover plays.
And when I draw near the casement,
Each note seems to fly
From the flute to my cheek
Like a mysterious kiss.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of
A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000),
provided via Oxford Lieder (www.oxfordlieder.co.uk)Artists- Hui Lam Mak, flute
- Hanwen Shi, piano
Special thanks to:
Professor Lisa Saffer, Leona Cheung, my Ravel chamber group, my family and Yifei Zhou.