MY DESERT ISLAND
MUSIC
With recollections
of her father, the conductor EUGENE
GOOSSENS
by Renée Goossens
This is my selection of favourite music.
My father gave me an
incredible gift: that of music. All
music. He introduced me, from my cradle,
to sounds emanating from the rich repertoire
he knew from working with some of France’s
greatest contemporary musicians. He
worked closely with English and Russian
composers too and was one of the champions
of their works abroad. He had a dedicated
knowledge of each note and nuance, and
in many cases, had discussed with composers
their wishes as to performance detail.
This brought an extra dimension of richness
to his conducting, and gave his orchestra
a connection with a world they would
otherwise never have known.
Particularly in his
work with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
(prior to my birth and in my earliest
five years of life) he gave Americans
who had not travelled (it was wartime)
an insight into the world of Europe,
and a taste of the present skills and
beauty being created by Debussy, Ravel
and Satie, amongst others. His interpretation
of Stravinsky was motivated not only
by knowing Igor as a personal friend,
but by his genuine love and appreciation
of his work. Such understanding was
brought to his work then when he came
to Sydney as Chief Conductor of the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He toured
country areas extensively, as well as
visiting South Africa and conducting
many orchestras, giving them his unique
insight into works classical, ‘old’
and new.
There was a time in
the Sixties when London’s opera goers
were treated to a feast of Australian
singers, Joan Sutherland, Ronald Dowd,
Donald Smith, Clifford Grant, Margreta
Elkins, Robert Allman, John Shaw, Geoffrey
Chard, Elizabeth Fretwell, Marie Collier,
Neil Warren-Smith, Gregory Dempsey,
and so many others that I fear omitting
some who should be on the list. It was
said that if the Australians became
too disenchanted with the weather (most
of them eventually did come ‘home’)
there would be no Covent Garden and
no Sadler’s Wells (as it was then called).
My family has been
involved in opera for the past three
generations. My father, his father and
great grandfather (all called ‘Eugene’
of which Daddy was Eugene III) were
operatic conductors. The gamut of opera
in English versus opera in the original
had always been a huge discussion point
within the family. Eugene I and Eugene
II, with their pronounced Belgian ancestry,
although favouring opera in the original,
gave the public what it sought, opera
in a language they could understand,
so opera in English was the rule at
the Carl Rosa Company.
When my father introduced
opera through the students at the NSW
State Conservatorium of Music he wisely
chose professional singers in most of
the principal roles, giving young students
an opportunity to learn closely by observation
or a type of "osmosis", as
well as good, hard work. The project
was successful and during the period
1946-56, amongst which were large productions
such as The Mastersingers, The Walkyrie,
his own opera Judith (in which Joan
Sutherland made her debut), Gianni Schicchi,
Boris Godounov, Pelléas and Mélisande,
The Bartered Bride and Romeo and Juliet.
Although Australian
artists were busily engaged in live
performances, apart from Joan Sutherland,
not many were recorded – not representative
of their actual importance on the world’s
operatic scene, so many great performances
are available only on "pirated"
recordings. For reasons of policy and
finance, the Australian opera in recent
years has also failed to record or video
performances. In the Eighties, several
operas were recorded on video, mainly
those starring Joan Sutherland and conducted
by Richard Bonynge, so through these
we are able to hear a selection of some
of Australia’s finest voices.
When I returned to
Australia in 1967, I worked at the Conservatorium
of Music teaching students of opera
French repertoire, therefore upholding
the tradition of opera in the original
language once more. Consequently I worked
at the Australian Opera coaching the
singers their roles in French.
In 1981, working for
the Multicultural Television station
Special Broadcasting Service, also known
as (Channel O), we purchased some twenty
operas from Europe, great productions
including some by acclaimed French director
Jean Pierre Ponnelle. It was a tremendous
challenge to learn to subtitle these
operas into English for screening on
television. This meant combining all
the skills I had ever learnt linguistically
and musically to attempt careful translations
which were rhythmic rather than rhyming.
It was a work I adored, but the irony
of doing the opposite to the work of
my grandfather did amuse me too.
Opera nowadays is generally
viewed in major theatres with surtitles
in English (or the native language of
the audience) and this has brought meaning
to the libretto of many otherwise considered
"challenging" works, particularly
Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
- Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata
Violetta’s aria Addio, del passata
bei sogni ridenti with Maria Callas.
Sweet memories of the past, to which
we all wish to cling yet must so often
relinquish. This melodrama, after
the libretto of Francesco Maria Piave,
tells of a woman’s sacrifice for the
man she loves. Dying, she remembers
the best times they had, and her surrender
represents to me the total giving
within each woman when she truly loves.
This was one of Callas’s strongest
roles, and one which she played fully
in her own tragically shortened life.
- Richard Wagner: The Prize
Song from The Mastersingers of
Nuremberg with Placido Domingo,
my favourite tenor. This aria embodies
the drama of the piece, is the high
point of an opera which became my
favourite at the age of eight. The
philosophy of the mastersingers and
the creation of guilds is of historic
interest, as well as the romantic
appeal of winning the hand of a fair
maiden by a singing contest. I can
recall my anxiety as a child that
Eva would indeed need to be in love
with the contestant Walter.
- Jacques Offenbach: The
Tales of Hoffman: The Doll Song
with Joan Sutherland. I choose this
recording for several reasons. Firstly,
I know and admire the great soprano
and had the privilege of working with
her on the role in French, as well
as knowing her socially and within
the company during my years with the
Australian Opera as French coach.
Olympia, the doll with whom Hoffman
falls in love, represents man’s fantasies
about the perfect woman who does not
exist at all. As Olympia requires
winding up to continue her aria, she
reminds me of the multiple surgery
I have sustained to "wind me
up" and keep me functioning!
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
The finale of the last act of The
Marriage of Figaro.. ‘Al meno
per loro, perdono otterro‘ The Countess
shows her mercy for her husband despite
his philandering. Many a good wife
does the same, for love has its own
virtues and strengths, and forgiveness
is one of the greatest healers. I
would like the soprano to be Elizabeth
Schwarzkopf.
- Charles Gounod: Roméo
et Juliette, The love duet preceding
"Non, ce n’est pas le jour,"
when the young couple are savouring
their first love, following their
marriage, knowing that Roméo
is about to be exiled and fearing
their separation, knowing not what
the future holds. The recording artists
of preference would be Roberto Alagna
whom I consider to be the finest French
tenor of our decade in this repertoire,
with the Russian soprano Leontina
Vaduva who sang the role with him
when he first sang it at Covent Garden
just after the death of his first
wife. He decided to dedicate the performance
to his wife’s memory knowing she would
not have wanted him to cancel. Their
portrayal of the two young lovers
is visually as stunning as it is vocally
and is one of the all time great performances
of this opera I have ever had the
pleasure to enjoy. As a child I had
the fun of being an on-stage musician
during the Ball Scene in which Juliette
is introduced to society and first
sees the man who will be the love
of her tragically short life.
The theme of this
particular opera is central to our
world, is it not? Two families in
feud, two lovers who find each other
despite deadly risk. It reminds us
of the many needless wars between
people of differing faiths, backgrounds
and nationalities. Love only can cure
the world, but when is it permitted
to so do? The finale at least shows,
from Shakespeare’s marvellous play,
that both Capulets and Montagues comprehend
that their hatred must end, for it
has caused the deaths of their beloved
children, and others whom they held
dear.
- Modest Moussorgsky: Boris
Godounov: The nursery scene when
the Tzar explains the role he expects
of his son Feodor when he will rule,
following his father’s death. Chaliapin
worked with my father so I would like
this recording please. Father conducted
this opera at the Sydney Conservatorium
of Music when I was a child who played
an urchin in the production, disgracing
myself by having an attack of hiccoughs
as I knelt at the feet of the Tzar
during his great Coronation aria.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
The Marriage of Figaro: The
Vendetta aria from Act I, sung by
Australian bass Clifford Grant in
a recording conducted by Colin Davis.
I had the pleasure of working with
Cliff for several years at the Australian
opera (he sang for example, to great
acclaim, the role of Nilakantha in
Delibes’ Lakmé) and we have
remained close friends. Revenge is
a harmful emotion when carried to
extremes. It can lead to death and
misery, harming the lives of all who
become part of its evil power. Vengeance
thus is a universal theme, but here
the revenge against Figaro symbolises
only our fear of what is known sometimes
as ‘knocking down the Tall Poppy’!
Figaro is the loved and admired man
about town who succeeds at all he
does, whereas Dr Bartolo, who expresses
his strong emotions seeking revenge,
is generally frustrated and disliked.
- Giacomo Puccini: La Tosca:
Vissi d’Arte with Joan Carden the
Australian soprano who has made this
role special with heartfelt interpretation
of lyrics and dramatic effects which
are unforgettable, to all those who
have enjoyed her performances. It
is a privilege to honour a dear friend
once more.
(I would not choose
recordings by friends unless they
were outstanding artists, but obviously
the combination of friendship plus
fine music has a very strong influence
on my choice.)
- Pyotor Ilyich Tchaikovsky:
Prince Gremin’s aria. (After a poem
by Pushkin,) The Prince sagely explains
that age and experience can show that
love develops and never dies and his
understanding of Tatiana, whom he
adores, increases with every day.
He sings graciously to the anti-hero,
Onegin, who has foolishly wandered
the world seeking he knew not what,
abandoning the woman who had honestly
poured out her heart to him only to
be shamed by his disdain and haughty
rejection. This is a great bass role,
and should be sung by a singer with
technique and ability , and a confident
smooth legato such as Nicolai Ghiaurov.
Once more, it is love which is the
central theme. Had I not believed
in love and happiness, my life would
not be as filled with joy as it is
now.
- Engelbert Humperdinck Hansel
and Gretel, sung in English. I
leave the choice of performers to
the reader. The important connection
for me is that this was one of the
first operas to which I grew close.
As a child of twelve I was taken backstage
to meet the Australian soprano June
Bronhill who measured herself up beside
me, declared that "Gretel is
supposed to be twelve and we are the
same size" and that seemed a
great privilege to me! The score of
this opera is deceptively sophisticated.
Influenced by Mahler, the composer
blends a large orchestra with melodies
of great beauty. It is a difficult
work for a student production, and
although some schools insist on showing
it on the grounds that it is a good
introduction to young audiences, a
good cast is essential to do justice
to the excellence and challenge the
music holds. The excerpt known and
loved by many is, "Brother come
and Dance with me". I wanted
to have such a number within my selection
to balance against the heavier emotions
we have experienced, also to finish
on a lighter note.
For my selection I
have chosen only opera, which has always
been my first love and choice is so
abundant it goes on forever. In Sydney
in 2001 I was asked to choose my five
favourite recordings for a similar talk/chat
programme with broadcaster Margaret
Throsby for the Australian Broadcasting
Commission. These recordings listed
above are amongst some of my immediate
choices, but there were others, and
if you woke me in the middle of the
night and asked for another 10 just
off the top of my head, I would produce
more still. Not that I am fickle, but
that it would be an impossible choice
to eliminate almost anything from the
world’s magnificent repertoire!
September 3rd, 2003-09-03
Copyright Renée Goossens
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