A recording of myself and the inimitable Colleen Rae-Gerrard performing Mimi's Act I aria "Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi" from Puccini's La Boheme. I'll be performing this aria and many others with Canberra Opera in our production of La Boheme from Nov 27 - Dec 6 at Ainslie Arts Centre, Canberra. 

La Boheme, Act I "Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi"

Mimi's Act III aria "Donde Lieta" from La Boheme, composed by Giacomo Puccini.

Performed by Louise Keast (Soprano) and Emily Leong (Piano) at the Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, on December 9, 2015. 

"Donde Lieta" from Puccini's La Boheme

Recorded at the Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, on May 2, 2015.

Louise Keast (soprano) and Colleen Rae-Gerrard (piano). 

Comme Autrefois from Les Pecheurs des Perles

Recorded at the Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, on May 2, 2015.

Louise Keast (soprano) and Colleen Rae-Gerrard (piano).

Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi from La Boheme.

Allerseelen, Strauss Op. 10

This is an excerpt from Mimi's Act 1 aria "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini. 

It was recorded in Campbell, Canberra, during a rehearsal with the Maruki Community Orchestra (conducted by John Gould) on Sep 3, 2016, by Len Ricardo.

I was lucky enough to perform this aria with Maruki Community Orchestra at Albert Hall, Canberra, on Sep 4, 2016. 

for soundcloud mimi excerpt sep 3

Excerpt from Act 1 of Puccini's La Boheme, in rehearsal with the Maruki Community Orchestra

Louise Keast (soprano) accompanied by the Maruki Community Orchestra. 

This performance was recorded at Albert Hall, Canberra, by Eric Pozza on 4 September, 2016. 

"Si, mi chiamano Mimi" from Puccini's La Boheme with the Maruki Community Orchestra

Louise Keast (soprano) accompanied by the Maruki Community Orchestra.

This performance was recorded at Albert Hall, Canberra, by Eric Pozza on 4 September, 2016.

"Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's Rusalka with the Maruki Community Orchestra

American Rhapsodies ARTSOUND 92.7 Radio Interview with Bill Stevens

Aired on ARTSOUND 92.7 FM on Saturday 1 April, 2017.

Interviewer Bill Stevens discusses "American Rhapsodies" with Louise Keast and Veronica Thwaites-Brown.

Shared with the permission of Bill Stevens.

American Rhapsodies ARTSOUND 92.7 Radio Interview with Bill Stevens

Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) composed his Italienisches Liderbuch (Italian Songbook)in two spurts - publishing Volume I in 1892, and Volume II in 1896. These two volumes contain 36 songs in total, each song a setting of anonymous Italian poems and folk songs which were collected and translated into German by Paul Heyse (1830-1914).

'Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen' is the 11th song in the Italian Songbook. A translation is below:

Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen:
Ach wäre doch ein Musikus mir gut!
Nun ließ der Herr mich meinen Wunsch erlangen
Und schickt mir einen, ganz wie Milch und Blut.
Da kommt er eben her mit sanfter Miene,
Und senkt den Kopf und spielt die Violine.

 How long has my yearning always been:
 Ah, if only a musician loved me!
 Now the lord has granted me my wish
 And sends me one, all pink and white.
 Here he comes, with gentle mien,
 And lowers his head, and plays the violin.

Louise Keast (soprano) accompanied by Colleen Rae-Gerrard (piano) at the Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, on 14 June 2017.
Live recording courtesy of Eric Pozza.

Hugo Wolf, Italienisches Liederbuch XI: Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen

Charles Gounod (1818-1893) composed Le Soir (1840-42)whilst living in Rome, originally without horn obbligato. A later edition, published 1861, included an optional horn obbligato and it is this version from which we are performing. The text comes from Alphonse de Lamartine's (1790-1868) celebrated 'Méditations poétiques'; A translation is below:

Le soir ramène le silence.
Assis sur ces rochers déserts,
Je suis dans le vague des airs
Le char de la nuit qui s'avance.

Vénus se lève à l'horizon;
À mes pieds l'étoile amoureuse
De sa lueur mystérieuse
Blanchit les tapis de gazon.

Tout à coup détaché de cieux,
Un rayon de l'astre nocturne,
Glissant sur mon front taciturne,
Vient mollement toucher mes yeux.

Doux reflet d'une globe de flamme,
Charmant rayon que me veux-tu?
Viens-tu dans mon sein abattu
Porter la lumière à mon âme?

Descends-tu pour me révéler
Des mondes le divin mystère?
Ces secrets cachés dans la sphère
Où le jour va te rappeler?

Viens-tu dévoiler l'avenir
Au coeur fatigué qui t'implore?
Rayon divin, es-tu l'aurore
Du jour qui ne doit pas finir?

The evening brings back silence.
Seated on these deserted rocks
I track in the hazy air
The advancing chariot of night.

Venus rises on the horizon;
At my feet the amorous star
With its mysterious radiance
Turns the lawn’s carpet white.

Suddenly leaving the heavens,
A ray from the nocturnal star
Glides upon my solemn brow
And arrives to gently touch my eyes.

Gentle reflection of that globe of flame,
Charming ray, what do you want with me?
Do you come to my battered breast
To bring light to my soul?

Do you descend to reveal to me
The divine mystery of worlds?
These secrets hidden in the sphere
Where  day goes to call you forth?

Do you come to unveil the future
To the tired heart which pleads with you?
Divine ray, are you the dawn
of the day which will not end?

Louise Keast (soprano) is joined by Chris Griffiths (french horn) and Stuart Long (piano) for this performance, recorded live by Eric Pozza at the Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, on 14 June 2017.

Louise Keast

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