Rachel Willis-Sørensen Vocal Recital
Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson Recital Series at Stanford UniversityTamar Sanikidze, piano
Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen sings late Romantic songs by Rachmaninoff, Sibelius, and Strauss, along with dramatic 20th-century selections by Korngold, Kander, and Previn. A regular presence at the Metropolitan Opera and an audience favorite at San Francisco Opera, Willis-Sørensen has been hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle for her “heroic power and tenderness.” Especially noted as a Strauss interpreter, she was recently honored with the Beverly Sills Artist Award and made her Carnegie Hall recital debut.
Acknowledgements:
This performance is sponsored by:
Program
AMY BEACH: "I Send My Heart up to Thee!" Three Browning Songs, Op. 44
JEAN SIBELIUS: Op. 37
I. "Den första kyssen" (The First Kiss)
IV. "Var det en dröm?" (Was It a Dream?)
V. "Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte" (The Girl Returned from Meeting Her Lover)
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF: Six Romances, Op. 38
I. "Ночью в саду у меня" ("Noch'yu v sadu y meny"/"In My Garden at Night")
II. "К ней" ("To Her")
III."Маргаритки" ("Margaritki"/"Daisies")
IV. "Крысолов" ("Krysolov"/"The Rat-Catcher")
V. "Сон" ("Son"/"The Dream")
VI. "A-y!" ("A-u!"/"A-oo")
Pause
ANDRÉ PREVIN: “I Want Magic” from A Streetcar Named Desire
JEFF BEAL: Our Better Selves
I. "Relief"
II. "Power"
III. "How can it be?"
IV. "Tenderness and Rot"
RICHARD STRAUSS: Selected Songs
I. “Schlechtes Wetter” ("Dreadful Weather")
II. “Allerseelen” ("All Souls' Day")
III. “Frühlingsfeier” ("Rite of Spring")
IV. “Morgen!” ("Morning")
V. “Cäcilie” ("Cecily")
JOHN KANDER: “A Letter from Sullivan Ballou”
Refuge in Music
Born in Berlin, André Previn immigrated to the United States at age nine after his Jewish family—originally named Priwin—faced the loss of professional opportunities and the growing threat of violence under Nazi rule. In 1938, as antisemitic persecution escalated toward what would become Kristallnacht, the family settled in Los Angeles, where Previn came of age within American musical culture. As a composer and conductor at MGM from the 1940s through the 1960s, he helped shape the sound of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and established a symphonic approach to film scoring that left a lasting imprint on American cinema. Previn also led major orchestras and gained recognition as a jazz pianist who moved fluidly between genres. His versatility, media presence, and commitment to music education helped cultivate public appreciation for orchestral music, securing his place as one of the most influential American musicians of the 20th century.
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