Music from Williams Bequest TGS Recital

The recent recital in the Tullamore Court Hotel presented by Noel Badrian was compiled from the LP album collection of the late Edmund Williams. Members of the Williams family were present to formally hand over the collection to the society. They also presented the society with a magnificent music centre for use by the members to play recordings of their choice from this extensive collection. Noel, who works tirelessly in promoting what"s good about the society, has transferred details of all the LPs in the collection to 'http/local.mobhaile.ie/tgs'. Mr Williams" obvious love of opera had dictated Noel"s choices for this recital and he called it "An Opera Sampler in Four Acts". This faultless recital began with music from that master of overtures Rossini with the playing of the overture from the opera "La Cenerentola". Then to Act One featuring some of the great tenors with Luciano Pavarotti singing "Nessun dorma" from Puccini"s opera "Turandot". This was Puccini"s last and unfinished opera and Placido Domingo sang "La doicissima effigie sorridente". La Gioconda by Ponicelli is the source of that wonderful ballet music, "Dance of the Hours", Jussi Bjorling sang "Cielo i mar" (Sea and Sky). The next aria began with "And the stars were shining, and the earth smelled sweet" sung by Beniamino Gigli from Puccini"s opera "Tosca". In Umberto Giardano"s opera "Andrea Chenier" brought Act One to a close. Enrico Caruso leads in singing a quartet from Verdi"s "Rigoletto". The Quartet is made up of the Duke, singing "Bella figlia dell"amore" (Fair daughter of love) to the new object of his desire, Maddalena while being spied on by his court jester Rigoletto and his daughter Gilda whom the Duke had seduced earlier." Lucia di Lammermoor is generally held to be Donizetti"s finest work. The sextet featured here rises to the full height of the dramatic situation that has been created. It does so because the music reflects the part each character plays in the action. The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Go, my thoughts on golden wings), from Verdi"s opera "Nabucco" is sung by the oppressed Hebrew slaves lamenting their exile by the waters of Babylon. Then to the finale of "Fidelio" the only opera of Ludwig van Beethoven. The opera centres on the loyalty and love of Leonora for her jailed husband Florestan. The ride of the Valkyries is the famous introduction to a third act of "Die Walkure" which is one of the four operas in the epic Ring Cycle. These operas were designed by Wagner to be heard over four consecutive nights and take over 15 hours to perform. Robert Merrill and Jussi Bjorling sang the duet from "The Pearl Fishers" by Bizet, where the first act shows a company of pearl fishers on the coast. They choose Zurga as chief. Kathleen Ferrier sang "Che faro senza Euridice" from Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck before Kurt Bohme was heard singing "In diesen heil"gen Hallen" from "The Magic Flute" by Mozart which brought Act Three to a close. In this final part of the recital we heard Margaret Burke Sheridan singing an aria from Puccini"s "Madama Butterfly". Maria Callas sang "Casta Diva" from "Norma" by Bellini and Beverly Sills brought the recital to a close with "Addio del passato" from "La Traviata" by Verdi. In thanking Noel for a wonderful recital Chairperson Catherine Loughman said that 'he had lifted the lid on a treasure trove'. This collection of marvellous music has found the perfect home. The next recital takes place in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Thursday February 5 at 8pm when Cait Prendergast will be calling the tunes. Everyone welcome.