It’s always difficult to figure out when and how a February 29th birthday should be celebrated. Once every four years you can do it on the day but what do you do the other three years when it’s a non-day? The good folks at the Rossini Festival decided to through a non-birthday recital on February 28th in honour of the lad from Pesaro who made good in the music world. Ever the rugged individualist I decided to wait until today to celebrate one of my favourite composers.
Sometime after 1848 Franz Liszt wrote a piano transcription of La caritá (Charity) the third of Rossini’s Trois choeurs religieux from 1844. Appropriately the other two are called La fede (Faith) and La speranza (Hope). The lyricist of Rossini’s original settings is unknown though it is thought that the composer may have translated the texts into Italian from poems by the French poet Louise Colet, the mistress of Gustav Flaubert. They were both visitors to Rossini’s famous Paris and Passy salons, as indeed was Liszt.
The first version of the transcription was never published but later Liszt created a simplified version that became, for a time, very popular. I had hoped to post a video I made back in 2014 which featured Leslie Howard playing that published version however Hyperion has blocked it* and there is not a wide choice of performances available. However I did find an interesting version which appears to be a performance by Anne-Marie Dubois of that first unpublished score. I think it’s a fitting birthday salute to my beloved Gioachino on his 229th birthday. Though let’s be honest the Swan of Pesaro has only had 55 real birthdays since 1792; the other 174 have been non-birthdays.
Here is the original piece for chorus and soprano solo that Liszt based his transcription(s) on. I could not find a translation of the lyrics so have done a rather rough – non-literal – one of my own.
O caritade, virtù del cor,
Tu l’uomo infervori di santo ardor.
Tu l’affratelli, e nei martir
Consoli il povero de’ suoi sospir.
Iddio rivélasi solo per te:
Tu inspiri al misero del ben la fe’.
L’alma che accendesi del tuo fervor
Spande suglio uomini divin fulgor.
Allor che il mondo tua voce udrà,
Di guerra il fremito si spegnerà;
L’ira, l’orgoglio fian vinti allor
Da un sacro vincolo d’eterno amor.
O charity, virtue of the heart,
You fire mankind with holy passion.
You inspire brotherhood and martyrdom.
You console the poor in their need.
God is revealed only through you:
You inspire us to do good works and
Your spirit spreads a holy warmth upon the world that envelopes mankind.
When the world attends your voice,
the thrill of war will be extinguished; Anger and pride will be defeated
In a sacred bond of eternal love.
Whither it be the 55th or the 229th I say “Auguri e bon compleano, caro Gioachino!” Your music has brought us joy for over 200 years and long may it do so!
*As I always do I gave full credit on the video for the artist, label and ordering information which normally is appreciated but I understand fully the desire and right to protect copyrights.
The word for March 3rd is:
Charity /ˈCHerədē/: [noun]
1.1 An organization set up to provide help and raise money for those in need.
1.2 The voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.
1.3 Kindness and tolerance in judging others.
1.4 Archaic: love of humankind, typically in a Christian context.
Late Old English (in the sense ‘Christian love of one’s fellows’): from Old French charite, from Latin caritas, from carus ‘dear’.
Willy Or Won't He 