She / Her - Women’s voices in concert

Kristee Haney, mezzo soprano & Kathryn Olander, piano

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Illumination (from The Joy of Uncreating) - Lori Laitman

Der Einsame - Mary Howe

Kennst du meine Nächte? - Alma Mahler

An April Day - Florence Price

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Vökuró - Jórunn Viðar

Berceuse Cosaque - Pauline Viardot

Wiegala - Ilse Weber

Te Quiero Dijiste - Maria Grever

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Trois Morceau - Nadia Boulanger piano solo, Kathryn Olander

Soleils couchants - Nadia Boulanger

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How could I ever know? - from The Secret Garden - Lucy Simon / Marsha Norman

Besame Mucho - Consuelo Velásquez

Both sides now - Joni Mitchell

Translations of song texts:

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Der Einsame - text by Ranier Maria Rilke - music by Mary Howe

The Lonesome One

No! my heart is like a very tower, and I stand upon it’s outer rim.

Where naught is left me, but pain and sorrow, the unspeakable against the world.

One more thing is yet immense before me darkening now, and then again a light.

Still one lost and longing face is near, with the thrust that never more has stillness.

Yet, I see the outer face of stone, of stone.

Willing from an inner weightiness it’s own.

That the distance, although scorned forever, drives them, drives them ...

Always, always happier to be.

—-

Kennst du meine Nächte? - author of text unknown - music by Alma Mahler

Do you know my nights?

Do you know my nights?

By the lake the most secret evening shower,

silent yearning after flowers in the deepest gardens

and like slender gold barques going

reflect lights from the white villas through the lake.

Do you know my nights?

Weary with dreams, maidens draw in glimmering robes

to the park’s dark green cypresses,

grasses shower forgetting themselves, weary with dreams,

they sit bordering the high fountain.

Do you know my nights?

Clear as summer the lovely dreams of longing luminate me,

through the light marble spaces there the trees grow darkly,

there breathe the alien white busts clear as summer.

Do you know my nights?

Deep the lake between me and the far summer place.

The floods slumber and the wastes mourn, yonder the white walls yet gleam

but never the lattice gate clanks over the lake.

—-

Vökuró - text by Jakobina Sigurðardóttir - music by Jórunn Viðar

Vigil - english translation by Colin Levin

Home of mine, home of mine and yours quietly sleeps in peace.

Falling snow, silent dusk on Earth.

Grass of mine, grass of mine and yours, earth protects until spring.

Nestling spring hiding at the hill’s root stays awake just as we.

Trusting life quiet icy spring eyes from the depth into firmament gazing still at night.

Hope of mine, blessed smile of yours, rouses verse from quiet sleep.

Earth will rest all embraced by snow.

Lily-white closes her blue eyes, little girl of mine.

—-

Berceuse Cosaque - text by Yuriy Mikhail Lermontov - music by Pauline Viardot

French translation by Louis Pomey - English translation by Katherine Eberle

A Cossack Lullaby

There in the folds of my veil, sleep, o my child.

On to you comes the stars faint smile.

I will tell you a tale.

Such a simple song, but in the sky shines the moon, sleep o my child.

Along the banks of the Terek, the Lesghin comes to us crawling

towards us through the night.

Fear no harm, your old father has fought many a foe.

Smile and close your eyes - do not wake.

For you even that time of war, the hour will come and take you away

from the sweet touch of your mother!

With you away, my tears quietly swell.

I answer over there, your brow is so sweet, be at rest!

In a trail of tears my life has passed, all peace has vanished. Night and day for you I pray.

I dream of you and wonder to myself, far away yonder, what is his fate?

There, fear no harm from the storms, be at rest.

I will give you the sacred icon of your patron saint.

Do not fear in your travels to call his name.

When the wretched times come, the times of combat, remember how I love you.

Be at rest!

—-

Wiegala - Text and music by Ilse Weber

Beddy-bye

Beddy-bye, beddy-bye, bire

the wind plays sweetly on the lyre

he’s playing sweetly in the reeds, the nightingale sings in the meads.

Beddy-bye, beddy-bye, bire

the wind plays on the lyre

Beddy-bye, beddy-bye, blantern

the moon, she is a lantern,

she looks from heaven’s tent up high, a twinkle in her tired eye

beddy-byes, beddy-byes plantern

the moon she is a lantern

Beddy-bye, beddy-bye, blying

the world in stillness lying!

No sound disturbs your peace and rest, my baby huddle in your nest.

Beddy-byes, beddy-byes blying

the world in stillness lying.

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Te Quero Dijiste - text and music by Maria Grever

Magic is the moonlight

I love you, you said taking hold of my hands between your loving hands.

I felt in my chest a strong throbbing, then a sigh and the click of a kiss.

Sweet little doll with golden hair and teeth as white as pearls you have mastered me.

Tell me if you love me the way I adore you, if you remember me the way that I do you.

And sometimes I hear a diving echo that, wrapped in the breeze, seems to say:

Yes I love you so much, so much, so much, so much,

as much as back then, forever until death.

As much as back then, forever until death.

——

Soleils couchants - text by Paul Verlaine - music by Natalia Boulanger

Sunsets - English translation by Richard Stokes

A faint dawn sheds on fields

The melancholy of setting suns

Lulls with sweet songs

My heart lost in the setting suns.

Setting on shores - Roseate ghosts - drift endlessly,

are drifting still, like mighty suns setting on shores.

——

Besame Mucho - text and music by Consuelo Velázquez

Kiss me much

Kiss me now, with passion as if this were to be our very last night.

Kiss me now, for you I may never more see once past early light.

I want to hold you closely, and see your eyes mirroring mine.

I’m sure dawn will find me lonely, so far behind where you will then be.

Kiss me now, kiss me much - fearing tomorrow i’ll lose you past dawn’s early light.

Kristee Haney, mezzo soprano

Praised as “darkly seductive” with a “smooth, rich tone,” mezzo-soprano Kristee Haney recently joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for productions of Janáček’s Jenůfa and Massenet’s Werther. Her genre - adventurous and versatile repertoire encompasses everything from core baroque and romantic roles, cutting edge contemporary operas, to jazz standards and musical theatre. The 22 -25 seasons include appearances with New York City Opera , various concert performances as well as releasing her first solo album, ECHOS.

A regular with New York City Opera, Ms. Haney has appeared in world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, North American and European tours of Bizet’s Carmen and in the American premiere of Wuorinen’s Brokeback Mountain as Mrs. Beers.

Engagements cancelled in the 20-21 season include the Secretary in Menotti’s The Consul and Mrs. Mister in Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock. Scheduled concert appearances included the Alto Soloist in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Mass in C, as well as a series of solo recitals.

Past highlights on the operatic stage include the title role in Bizet’s Carmen with the New York City Opera, The Fox in Portman’s The Little Prince with Tulsa Opera, the title role in Massenet’s Cendrillon and Handel’s Giulio Cesare at the Siena Music Festival and Trentino Music Festival respectively, and performances with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Flora in La Traviata, Second Lady in The Magic Flute, and Second Secretary to Mao in Nixon in China among others. She has also appeared as Maddalena in Rigoletto with Union Avenue Opera, and as Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible with Rimrock Opera.

In addition to her extensive and versatile operatic engagements, Ms. Haney also enjoys a busy concert and crossover career. On the concert stage, she has made Carnegie Hall appearances as the alto soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Corigliano’s Fern Hill, and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass. As an oratorio soloist, she has appeared with the New York City Chamber Orchestra, Boston Early Music Festival, Kansas City Baroque Consortium, the Spoleto Festival USA, and Orpheus Chamber Singers among others.

Oratorio performance highlights include such works as Duruflé's Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater; Bach’s St. John Passion, St. Matthew Passion, Mass in B Minor and Magnificat, as well as Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Messiah.

A believer that great art happens in a wide variety of genres, Ms. Haney is equally at home in crossover works and musical theatre. Sondheim classics have brought critical acclaim in roles such as - Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Countess Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night Music, Dot in Sunday in the Park With George, and Amy in Company. Additional crossover highlights include, Maria in The Sound of Music and Margaret Johnson in The Light in the Piazza. In collaboration with New York City Opera, Ms. Haney debuted at 54 Below, and while in residence at Music Academy of the West, she has worked with legendary comedienne Carol Burnett.

Ms. Haney is an alumna of the Resident Artist Program with Lyric Opera of Kansas City where she performed in productions of The Rake’s Progress, Trouble in Tahiti, Norma, and Così fan tutte. Ms. Haney currently resides in New York City.

Kathryn Olander, piano

Recently hailed by Opera News for her “impressive playing”, Kathryn Olander is principal coach / pianist at New York City Opera and guest pianist with opera companies throughout the US. Recent season highlights include performances in Carnegie Hall, Assembly Hall and numerous performances on the outdoor stage at Bryant Park. In addition to coaching privately she has held coaching positions with the Juilliard School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Emerald City Opera, and Chautauqua Institute. An avid recitalist, highlights include perfomances at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Weill Hall and Zankel Hall, The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bryant Park’s concert series, the Hungarian Consulate of New York and the Polish Consulate of New York, and Bechstein Hall.

Ms. Olander is on the faculty of the Opportunity Music Project, a program specializing in bringing music to underserved communities. She is a frequent guest pianist working with developing artists at Reaching for the Arts, Opus 118, and Creative Stage.

Ms. Olander holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at New England Conservatory and a Masters of Music in collaborative piano from the Manhattan School of Music.