Matinee Piotr Beczala

A home game for the Slavic soul: Piotr Beczała, a favorite of the audience from the Vienna State Opera to the New York Met, connects the little-known, deeply expressive song treasure of his compatriot Mieczysław Karłowicz with great romantic songs by Antonín Dvořák, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Some of these pieces seem tailor-made for the opera stage, where Beczała has celebrated great successes for decades, and to which he pays homage in three arias from Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin," Dvořák's "Rusalka," and Stanisław Moniuszko's "Straszny Dwór." Joining him at the piano in Grafenegg is the celebrated French song pianist Sarah Tysman, making her debut in this venue.

Cast:
Tenor: Piotr Beczała
Piano: Sarah Tysman

Program:
Mieczysław Karłowicz
"Zawód" (Disappointment) op. 1/4
"Rdzawe liscie strzasa z drzew" (The autumn wind strips the trees)
"Idzie na pola" (It goes to the fields) op. 3/3
"Zasmuconej" (Sorrowful) op. 1/1
"Mów do mnie jeszcze" (Speak more with me) op. 3/1
"Najpiekniejsze piosnki" (My most beautiful songs) op. 4
"Pamietam ciche, jasne, zlote dnie" (I remember the quiet, bright, golden days) op. 1/5

Stanisław Moniuszko
"Czisa dokola ..." Recitative and song of Stefan from the opera "Straszny Dwór"

Antonín Dvořák
From "Gypsy Melodies" op. 55
"Když mne stará matka" (When my old mother)
"Struna naladěna" (The strings are tuned)
"Široké rukávy" (In the wide, broad, airy linen dress)
"Dejte klec jestrábu" (High above the rocks the hawk soars)

Antonín Dvořák
"Vidino divná, přesladká" Aria of the Prince from the opera "Rusalka"
- Intermission -
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
"Net, tolko tot" (Only he who knows longing) op. 6/6
"Otschego?" (Why?) op. 6/5
"Sred schumnogo bala" (In the midst of the ball) op. 38/3
"To bylo ranneju wesnoi" (It was at the beginning of spring) op. 38/2
"Mit einem Wort" no op.
"Nam swesdi krotkije siwali" (The stars have shone gently) op. 60/12
"Den li zarit?" (Is it day?) op. 47/6

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
"Kuda, kuda vi udalilis" Aria of Lenski from the opera "Eugene Onegin"

Sergei Rachmaninoff
"Son" (A Dream) op. 8/5
"Siren'" (Lilac) op. 21/5
"Ne poj, krasavica!" (Do not sing, you beauty) op. 4/4
"Vesenniye vodi" (Spring waters) op. 14/11