 Giuseppe Verdi |
SATURDEE OPRY
LINKS |
 Giacomo Puccini |
|
Giuseppe Verdi |
SATURDEE OPRY
LINKS |
Giacomo Puccini |
|
Saturdee Opry Links # 105: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Edition!
Here is Saturdee Opry Links' tribute to the late Supreme
Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion of opera
as well as those in need. Please enjoy all ten
selections, plus overture and encore. Or please don't,
if that is your preference. You might find some
surprises, or insights, via Justice Ginsburg's
preferences, or you might not. The sun might not come up
tomorrow, for that matter, or chickens might stop
clucking. You never really know.
 The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a lifelong devotee of opera, on stage with Washington National Opera in a speaking role in Donizetti’s “Daughter of the Regiment.”
Saturdee
Opry
Links
Overture
Prelude,
Act
3,
"La
Rondine,"
by
Puccini.
Gorgeous!
1.
Our
opening
selection
today
is
from
the
late
Justice
Ruth
Bader
Ginsburg's
favorite
opera,
"La
Nozze
di
Figaro,"
by
Mozart.
This
is "Sull'aria,"
also
known
as
the
"letter
duet,"
which,
yes,
you
have
heard
in
"The
Shawshank
Redemption"
(gawd
he'p
us.)
Here
are
sopranos
Mirella
Freni
and
Kiri
Te
Kanawa
in
this
exquisite
duet.
Synopsis
:
Susanna
and
the
Countess
are
plotting
to
trick
the
Count,
who
has
been
attempting
to
seduce
Susanna.
They
have
planned
for
Susanna
to
meet
the
Count
this
evening.
The
Countess
dictates
a
letter
to
Susanna
that
informs
the
Count
where
he
can
meet
Susanna.
She
repeats
the
Countess's
words
as
she
writes.
Translation:
On
the
breeze
What
a
gentle
little
zephir
A
little
zephir
This
evening
will
sigh
This
evening
will
sigh
Under
the
pines
in
the
little
grove.
Under
the
pines…
Under
the
pines
in
the
little
grove
Under…the
pines…in
the
little
grove
And
the
rest
he’ll
understand
Certainly,
certainly
he’ll
understand.
2.
Small
wonder
that
the
late
Justice
Ruth
Bader
Ginsburg
named
Mozart's
"Marriage
of
Figaro"
as
her
favorite
opera.
It
is
just
wall-to-wall
with
melody,
from
tender
arias
to
strident
declarations
to
comic
frivolity.
It
also
features
duets,
trios,
quartets,
and,
well,
at
the
end
of
act
two,
a
duet
that
morphs
into
a
trio
that
morphs
into
a
quartet
that
morphs
into
a
quintet
that
morphs
in a
septet.
(Somehow,
poor
sextet
was
left
out.)
Here
is
the
end
of
that
sequence
from
act
two,
with
English
subtitles
to
help
you
along.
Now,
understand
that
to
our
ears,
this
music
sounds
almost
predictable.
Why?
We
are
so
used
to
hearing
it,
and
hearing
it
parodied.
You
have
to
divorce
modern
context
and
listen
as
if
with
new
ears.
That
awful
cliche
you
find
in
every
Ken
Burns
documentary,
over
and
over
again,
applies:
"No
one
had
ever
heard
anything
like
it
before."
This
was
not
only
revolutionary,
but
a
light-year
ahead
of
most
other
music
of
the
day,
in
cleverness,
intelligence,
creativity.
It's
also
just
plain
fun.
The
plot?
Hell
if I
know.
All
Mozart
operas
are
Marx
Brothers
movies,
as
far
as
I'm
concerned.
About
the
finale
of
act
2:
About
the
opera:
Synopsis
of
opera:
The
Marriage
of
Figaro
continues
the
plot
of
The
Barber
of
Seville
several
years
later,
and
recounts
a
single
"day
of
madness"
(la
folle
journée)
in
the
palace
of
Count
Almaviva
near
Seville,
Spain.
Rosina
is
now
the
Countess;
Dr.
Bartolo
is
seeking
revenge
against
Figaro
for
thwarting
his
plans
to
marry
Rosina
himself;
and
Count
Almaviva
has
degenerated
from
romantic
youth
of
Barber
into
a
scheming,
bullying,
skirt-chasing
baritone.
Having
gratefully
given
Figaro
a
job
as
head
of
his
servant-staff,
he
is
now
persistently
trying
to
exercise
his
droit
du
seigneur
–
his
right
to
bed
a
servant
girl
on
her
wedding
night
–
with
Figaro's
bride-to-be,
Susanna,
who
is
the
Countess's
maid.
He
keeps
finding
excuses
to
delay
the
civil
part
of
the
wedding
of
his
two
servants,
which
is
arranged
for
this
very
day.
Figaro,
Susanna,
and
the
Countess
conspire
to
embarrass
the
Count
and
expose
his
scheming.
He
retaliates
by
trying
to
compel
Figaro
legally
to
marry
a
woman
old
enough
to
be
his
mother,
but
it
turns
out
at
the
last
minute
that
she
really
is
his
mother.
Through
Figaro's
and
Susanna's
clever
manipulations,
the
Count's
love
for
his
Countess
is
finally
restored.
SOL
EXTRA!
As
everyone
must
know,
Ruth
Bader
Ginsburg
would
have
been
an
opera
singer,
if
she'd
had
the
chops
for
the
job.
Opera
was
the
greatest
abiding
love
of
her
life,
although
she
had
many.
She
and
the
odious
Scalia
somehow
maintained
a
very
close
friendship
for
decades,
built
largely
on
their
love
of
opera.
(In
the
art
imitates
life
department,
the
composer
Derrick
Wang
wrote
an
opera
about
their
weird,
almost
perverse
friendship,
"Scalia/Ginsburg,"
in
2017.)
The
late
justice
was
a
real,
hard-core
operaphile
(unlike
Saturdee
Opry
Links,
which
likes
some
aspects
of
opera,
and
can't
stand
others)
who
could
discuss
the
history
of a
given
opera,
the
characters
and
plot
vagaries,
even
the
nuances
of
singing
technique
(she
was
a
pianist
and
cellist.)
Here
she
explains
her
top
five
favorite
opera
choices,
from
which
SOL
is
mostly
choosing
today's
selections.
3.
Justice
Ginsburg
adored,
in
fact,
exalted,
Richard
Strauss's
"Der
Rosenkavalier,"
naming
it
her
second-favorite
opera,
or
third,
if
you're
keeping
score
at
home
(more
later.)
This
grand
venture
that
is
part
opera
buffa,
part
opera
seria
(at
least
in
effect),
is a
study
in
aging,
love,
heartbreaking
choices,
and
fatuous
ego.
The
music
fairly
swims
and
roils
and
swoops
and
weeps.
It
is
tender
and
it
is
thrilling;
it
is
intoxicatingly
lyrical
and
quietly
meditative.
Justice
Ginsburg
loved
the
character,
the
Princess
von
Werdenburg,
better
known
as
the
Marschallin,
who
must
face
the
harsh
cruelty
of
growing
older.
Here
she
looks
at
her
face
in a
mirror,
studying
the
lines
of
age,
worrying
about
the
time
when
she
will
be
an
old
woman.
This
is "Da
Geht
er
Hin,"
in
which
The
Marschallin---evidently
post-coitus
with
a
strapping
young
man
(whom
she
ultimately
gives
up
so
he
can
marry
appropriately
with
his
young
love)---tries
to
come
to
grips,
for
the
first
time,
with
Father
Time.
Note:
this
is
not
a
"beautiful
melody"
type
of
aria,
but
a
musical
mood
painting.
Here
is
Kiri
Te
Kanawa,
with
English
subtitles.
Translation:
MARSHALLIN
There
he
goes,
the
bloated
oaf,
and
gets
the
pretty
young
thing
and
a
ton
of
money.
As
if
it
had
to
be
like
that.
And
it
comes
to
mind
that
it
is
he
who
forgives
something.
What
is
it
that
makes
me
angry?
That's
the
way
of
the
world.
Can
I
also
remember
a
girl
who
is
fresh
from
the
convent
commandered
into
the
holy
state?
Where
is
she
now?
Yes,
look
for
the
snow
from
last
year!
That's
what
I
say.
But
how
can
it
really
be
that
I
was
the
little
Resi
and
that
I
would
be
the
old
woman?
The
old
woman,
the
old
marshal!
"Victory,
there
goes
the
old
Princess
Resi!"
How
can
that
happen?
How
does
God
do
that?
Where
I
am
always
the
same.
And
if
he
has
to
do
it,
why
does
he
let
me
watch
it
with
such
a
clear
sense!
Why
is
not
he
hiding
from
me?
It's
all
secret,
so
much
secret.
And
you're
there
to
endure
it.
And
in
the
"how"
there
is
the
whole
difference.
4.
It's
very
telling,
I
think,
that
the
late
Justice
Ginsburg
gravitated
toward
the
more
serious,
dramatic
opera,
certainly
an
indication
of
depth
of
emotion
and
intellect.
The
first
opera
she
ever
saw---the
moment
that
set
her
on a
life-long
love
of
the
genre---was
the
less-performed
"La
Gioconda,"
by
Ponchielli
(you
know
his
music
from
the
dancing
hippos
and
ostriches
in
"Fantasia.")
One
can
only
wonder
what
impact
this
particular
scene
must
have
had
on
the
young
Ruth
Bader,
as
it
depicts
a
woman
in
deep,
suicidal
despair.
Setting:
A
room
in a
ruined
palace
on
the
Giudecca
island,
Venice,
17th
century
Synopsis:
The
singer
La
Gioconda's
life
is
in
shambles.
She
is
engaged
to
Enzo
but
he
does
not
love
her.
He
instead
loves
Laura,
who
La
Gioconda
has
saved
from
Laura's
vindictive
husband
several
times.
In
order
to
save
Enzo
as
well,
La
Gioconda
has
offered
herself
to
the
evil
spy,
Barnaba.
In
addition,
her
mother
has
disappeared.
She
now
contemplates
suicide,
hoping
that
it
will
release
her
from
the
pain
she
feels.
This
is
the
wrenching,
"Suicidio!"
sung
by
soprano
Saioa
Hernandez.
Translation:
GIOCONDA
In
these
enormous
moments
you
alone
remain
for
me,
and
tempt
my
heart.
Final
voice
of
my
destiny,
Ultimate
cross
of
my
road.
And
one
day
the
hours
flew
in
lightweight
hours,
I
have
lost
mother,
love,
conquered
by
unfortunate
jealous
fever!
Now
I
fall
exhausted
among
the
darkness.
To
the
task!
I
ask
heaven
to
sleep
quietly
in
the
tomb.
5.
Verdi's
"Otello"
was,
the
late
Justice
Ginsburg
said,
her
preferred
way
to
experience
the
story---yes,
over
Shakespeare.
"The
opera,
to
me,"
she
said,
"is
more
engaging."
(Verdi,
who
revered
Shakespeare,
would
have
loved
that.)
Of
course,
this
story
of
deceit,
betrayal,
nefarious
plotting,
insane
jealousy,
and
murder,
is
not
your
average
opera
buffa!
It
was
Justice
Ginsburg's
number-four
recommended
opera,
which,
again,
illustrates
much
about
the
seriousness
of
her
personality.
Here
is
the
gorgeous,
tender,
heart-rending
"Ave
Maria,"
from
Verdi's
"Otello,"
in
which
Desdemona,
knowing
full-well
that
she
has
moments
to
live,
offers
a
final
prayer.
The
soprano
is
the
great
Leontyne
Price
(who
was
part
of
the
most
memorable
opera
experiences
Justice
Ginsburg
ever
had:
her
debut
with
Franco
Corelli
in
Verdi's
"Il
Trovatore."
(More
on
that
later.)
Translation:
SOL
EXTRA!
Ruth
Ginsburg
Loved
Opera,
and
Opera
Loved
Her
Back
by
Francesca
Zambello
Director,
Washington
Opera
6.
Another
of
late
Justice's
five
most
recommended
operas
would,
she
said,
have
to
be
by
Puccini.
Her
quote:
"Now
I
could
pick
'Boheme,'
'Tosca,'
'Butterfly,'
'Turandot,'
but
I'm
not
going
to
pick
any
of
those
because
the
women
don't
fare
very
well.
They
die
of
consumption,
they're
insanely
jealous.
.
.and
poor
Butterfly.
But
Puccini
wrote
an
opera,
'Girl
of
the
Golden
West,'
where
Minnie
saves
her
man
from
the
gallows.
She
plays
cards
with
the
sheriff
to
decide.
If
she
wins,
she
saves
her
man.
If
she
loses,
it's
not
gonna
be
so
good
for
Minnie
or
her
man.
But
Minnie
is a
very
strong
woman,
and
there
are
not
too
many
of
those
in
grand
opera."
(Interesting
to
note
that
she
based
her
decision
here
on
politics
and
not
music.
"Girl
of
the
Golden
West"
is
Puccini's
least
melodic
opera.)
COMMENT:
I
would
respectfully
dispute
Justice
Ginsburg
on
this
point.
Minnie
is a
noble
figure,
almost
holy,
but
I
rather
dislike
the
term,
"strong
woman,"
as
it
implies
that
it
is
an
unusual
thing
to
be a
"strong
woman."
I
disagree.
I
also
think
that
"strength"
takes
many
forms.
"Mimi"
in
"La
Boheme"
knows
she
is
terminally
ill,
yet
lives
exactly
as
she
wishes,
and
takes
Zen-like
pleasure
in
embroidering
flowers.
Her
passions
are
undiminished
by
her
illness.
"Butterfly"
waits
five
long
years
for
the
scoundrel,
Pinkerton,
to
keep
his
pledge
to
return
to
her.
Again,
strength!
When
he
does
return---with
a
new
wife,
intent
on
stealing
the
child
he
had
with
Butterfly---she
courageously
indulges
the
one
recourse
laid
out
by
her
culture:
hara
kiri.
Again,
this
is a
type
of
strength.
"Tosca"
(the
Justice's
second
Puccini
choice)
features
a
lead
character
who
murders
the
man
who
sexually
extorted
her
for
the
life
of
her
imprisoned
beloved.
Yup,
strength!
And
"Turandot"
is a
fairy
tale,
yet
the
murderous
queen
title
character
changes
her
ways
when
she
finally
understands
love.
Strength?
I
think
so.
And
throughout
opera,
there
are
many
valiant,
tragic
female
figures
who
bear
up
as
well
as
they
can
under
the
most
unjust
and
outrageous
situations.
So
that's
my
point.
Will
Your
Honor
stipulate
to
it?
SO.
.
.here
is
Minnie
explaining
how
she
doesn't
miss
men
because
she
is
surrounded
by
glorious
nature.
"O
se
sapeste,"
from
"Girl
of
the
Golden
West."
The
soprano
is
Eva
Maria
Westbroek.
How
it
can
look
on
stage:
Translation:
Oh
if
you
only
knew
how
cheerful
living
is!
I
have
a
little
"chicken"
that
takes
me
to a
gallop
Over
there
for
the
countryside;
for
daffodil
meadows,
Of
burning
carnations,
for
deep
rivers
Which
perfumed
the
shores
with
jasmine
and
vanilla!
Then
I
return
to
my
pines
in
the
Sierra
mountains
So
close
to
heaven
that
God,
passing
by,
seems
to
incline
his
hand
toward
you
From
the
earth
like
this,
comes
the
desire
to
beat
at
the
threshold
of
heaven
To
enter!
7.
In
order,
Justice
Ginsburg's
favorite
operas
are:
"Marriage
of
Figaro,"
(Mozart),
"Don
Giovanni,"
(Mozart),
"Der
Rosenkavalier,"
(R.
Strauss),
"Otello"
(Verdi),
and
"Fanciulla
del
West"
(Puccini.")
(She
said
that
"Figaro"
and
"Giovanni"
are
practically
a
tie.)
Here,
from
"Don
Giovanni,"
is
"Ah,
chi
mi
dice
mai,"
in
which
one
of
Don
Juan's
"conquests"
vows
revenge.
(Careful,
Don,
she
really
means
it.)
The
soprano
is
Anna
Caterina
Antonacci,
who,
sad
to
say,
spent
most
of
her
career
in
Europe.
With
English
subtitles!
(The
aria
begins
about
1:30,
but
the
whole
sequence
is
worth
watching.)
"I
will
rip
his
heart
out!"
proclaims
Donna
Elvira.
Gad---a
"strong
woman!"
8.
Justice
Ginsburg's
favorite
tenor
was
the
titanic
Swedish
lirico
spinto,
Jussi
Bjorling.
One
of
her
favorite
recordings
was
Verdi's
"Aida,"
with
Bjorling,
Zinka
Milanov,
Leonard
Warren.
Here
is
Bjorling
with
the
graceful
curvature
of
"Celeste
Aida,"
a
great
challenge
for
any
tenor
because
it
comes
early
in
the
opera,
before
voices
have
had
a
chance
to
warm
up.
(Her
favorite
soprano,
by
the
way,
was
Renata
Tebaldi.)
Setting:
A
hall
in
the
Palace
of
the
Kings
at
Memphis.
Synopsis:
Rumors
of
an
impending
war
with
Ethiopia
have
been
circulating.
Radamès
has
just
been
told
by
Ramfis
that
Isis
has
named
a
new,
young
man
to
command
the
Egyptian
Army.
Translation:
SOL
EXTRA!
Justice
Ginsburg
appeared
in
several
operas
as a
supernumerary,
but
the
highlight
of
her
"opera
career,"
certainly,
was
her
speaking
part
in a
Washington
Opera
production
of
Donizetti's
"Daughter
of
the
Regiment."
She
portrayed
the
"Duchess
of
Krakenthorp,"
with
the
dialogue
(in
English)
rewritten
with
her
in
mind
(as
you
will
hear.)
Here
is a
brief
clip:
9.
Okay,
kids,
one
of
Justice
Ginsburg's
greatest
operatic
experiences
was
being
in
the
audience
in
1961
at
the
Met,
when
Leontyne
Price
debuted
with
the
great
Franco
Corelli.
Here
is
that
debut,
in
Verdi's
masterpiece,
"Il
Trovatore"
(The
Troubadour),
in
the
form
of
the
great,
welling
aria,
"Tacea
la
Notte
Placida"
("The
Night
Was
Still
and
Quiet,
at
2:36.)
If
you
want
to
stay
tuned
for
the
second
aria,
"D'amor
sull'ali
rosee,"
("On
the
Rosy
Wings
of
Love,"
at
9:05)
have
at.
If
you'd
rather
stick
your
thumb
up
your
ass
and
watch
"Sesame
Street,"
that's
fine,
too.
(Just
testing
to
see
if
you're
reading!)
Now,
if
you
listen
verrrrrry
carefully,
you
can
hear
her
(and
husband
Marty)
applauding.
Setting:
The
gardens
of
the
palace
of
Aliferia,
Aragon,
1409.
Synopsis:
Leonora
reveals
to
her
servant
Ines
that
she
heard
someone
serenading
her
in
the
garden.
However,
when
she
goes
out
to
see
who
the
troubadour
is,
she
finds
that
it
is,
in
fact,
a
knight
in
black
armor
who
she
had
once
crowned
as
the
champion
of a
tournament.
She
quickly
fell
in
love
with
him.
Translation:
Annnnnnd,
for
"D'amor
sull'ali
rosee:"
Setting:
A
hall
in
the
palace
of
Aliferia,
Aragon,
1409.
Synopsis:
Manrico
has
been
captured
in
an
attempt
to
save
his
mother
from
being
executed
and
is
now
being
held
in
prison
by
the
Count
of
Luna.
Leonora
has
come
to
the
prison
in
disguise
in
order
to
see
him.
She
hopes
that
he
will
be
sustained
by
her
love
for
him.
Translation:
FINAL
BOW:
“Most
of
the
time,
even
when
I go
to
sleep,
I’m
thinking
about
legal
problems,”
Ruth
Bader
Ginsburg
once
said.
“But
when
I go
to
the
opera,
I’m
just
lost
in
it.”
Saturdee
Opry
Links'
tribute
to
the
valiant
public
servant
concludes
in
perhaps
an
unlikely---or
unexpected,
at
least---way.
As
Washington
Opera
Director
Francesca
Zambello
revealed
in a
New
York
Times
tribute
piece
this
past
week,
"She
loved
Wagner’s
'Götterdämmerung,'
and
its
finale,
the
Immolation
Scene.
We
had
a
lot
of
conversations
about
Brünnhilde,
and
why
it
took
a
woman
to
save
the
world.
That’s
what
she
said:
Only
a
woman
could
do
it;
only
a
woman
could
change
the
course
of
history.
She
did
always
love
pieces
where
the
woman
was
the
protagonist."
I
have
a
few
probably
unsophisticated
responses
to
this.
First,
I
find
it
reductive
to
take
the
feminist
angle,
and
favor
moments
in
opera
merely
because
they
feature
"strong
women."
I
find
this
disappointingly
political,
though,
yes,
understandable.
But
Justice
Ginsburg's
life
was
one
of
fighting
like
hell
for
women
to
get
ahead
in
any/all
professions,
and
later,
as a
member
of
the
Supreme
Court,
fighting
like
hell
for
people
who
needed
it,
period.
So
her
agenda
is
understandable,
and
it
is
also
understandable
that
she
would
therefore
thrill
at
opera's
great
heroines.
One
could
argue,
not
that
you
care,
I'm
sure,
that
opera's
greatest
heroine
was.
. .Brunhilde.
Why?
Does
she,
in
fact,
"save
the
world?"
Yes
and
no.
She
destroys
the
world---you
could
say,
the
universe---because
of
the
corrupt,
hopeless
follies
of
the
Gods.
In
short,
she
effects.
.
.justice!
Ah-ha!
Yes,
Brunhilde
was
a
sort
of
Chief
Justice!
As
for
whether
she
saved
"creation,"
that's
a
matter
of
debate.
Does
Wagner's
"Götterdämmerung"
end
The
Big
Everything,
or
does
it
signify,
to
use
the
current
banal
techno-term,
a
"re-boot?"
We
don't
know.
But
we
do
know
that
Wagner
designated
an
incredibly
brave
female
figure
of
immense,
unyielding
principle,
to
do
it.
Principle
that
flew
in
the
face
of
the
gods'
laws,
and
actions
that
openly
defied
her
father,
the
thick-headed
king
of
the
gods,
Trump,
I
mean
Wotan.
Hmm.
.
.an
incredibly
brave
female
figure
of
immense,
unyielding
principle?
Now
who
does
that
sound
like?
Here
is "Brunhilde's
Immolation,"
the
end
of
the
whole
damn
enchilada,"
from
"Götterdämmerung,"
by
Richard
Wagner.
So
long,
Ruthie!
This
is
the
Patrice
Chereau
production
with
Gwyneth
Jones
as
Brunhilde.
Translation:
Go here and search for "Mighty logs."
Saturdee Opry Links' Ruth Bader Ginsburg special ENCORE!
Here, again, is the aria we began with today, "Sull'aria," from her very favorite opera, "The Marriage of Figaro," by Mozart. With a lovely and appropriate backdrop.
Synopsis : Susanna and the Countess are plotting to trick the Count, who has been attempting to seduce Susanna. They have planned for Susanna to meet the Count this evening. The Countess dictates a letter to Susanna that informs the Count where he can meet Susanna. She repeats the Countess's words as she writes.
On the breeze
What a gentle little zephir
A little zephir
This evening will sigh
This evening will sigh
Under the pines in the little grove.
Under the pines…
Under the pines in the little grove
Under…the pines…in the little grove
And the rest he’ll understand
Certainly, certainly he’ll understand.
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