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DE UN MAESTRO DE CAPILLA
(FROM THE MAESTRO
OF THE CHAPEL)
In this Christmas Villancico we find an
amusing little play. The Maestro, depicted as a very
fearsome
teacher who threatens the children of the choir with a whipping if they
don't learn their
solfege (perhaps a self-portrait7), enters the scene after the choir
states that, as usual, the Villancico they are to sing for their Christmas
festival has not been prepared. Though they fear
him
as they would Nero, they provoke the Maestro more and more with naughty
exclamations and
pranks. Of special intererst in this Villancico are the tempo changes that
occur at each
entrance of the Maestro and
choir.
The Maestro has the boys sing some charming
five-part canons in solfege that are also used
as
an exercise for them in canonic singing. The humor of the opening gives
way to a serious
text in the Recitative that
leads into the two- verse Tonadilla. This "little song" is noteworthy
for
the typical Mannheim style of the accompaniment figures in the strings;
and after the
second verse is sung by the
second soprano, this graceful Villancico ends with still another
change
of tempo and style.
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CHORUS
Andantino
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Como no es nuevo
esta noche
el que estén los
villancicos,
aún despues de
muy mascados,
poco o nada
digeridos,
a estudiar uno al
portal
se vienen los
cantorcillos
para que el Niño
los libre
del
maestro y de sus gritos.
¡Atención,
que lo extraño
del Villancico,
acredita
lo raro de su capricho!
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This isn't the
first time that a night like this
brings us the
Villancicos,
after long and
arduous chewing,
part,
or not at all, digested.
The little
singers come now
to
enter the room to study.
They want the
Child to free them
from
the Maestro and his shouting.
Attention,
to the singular
Villancico,
that
shows rare inspiration! |
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MAESTRO
Allegretto
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¡Ea, muchachos! ¡Estad
alerta!
¡Que ya es hora
de dar lección!
Vamos aprisa
todos
entrando.
que está en un
punto
mi
estimación.
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Come, now, my
children! Please pay
attention!
Because it's time
now for your class to begin!
Come, now, at
once
and each make his
entrance;
my
reputation is at stake. |
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CHORUS
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¡Qué buena maula
es
el maestro!
¡Sólo procura
por
su opinión!
¡Y con nosotros.
en los solfeos,
hace el oficio
de
tundidor!
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Oh, what an
egoist
is
the Maestro!
He only looks out
for
his
own prestige!
And in our
classes,
when we sing
solfege,,
our bottoms serve
as drums
for
his strong hands! |
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Allegro
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Buena es la
idea,
raro
el capricho.
¡Siga y prosiga
la
diversión!
Vaya de solfa
porque es
precise
que al bello
Infante
divierta
el son.
—¿Oyes, Juanillo?
—¿Qué es eso
conmigo?
—¡Hoy viene el
maestro
de
buen humor!
—¡Sólo de verle
todo me hielo,
porque Ie temo
como
a Nerón!
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A good idea,
this
inspiration.
We must continue
our
solfege class!
And if we're beaten
as drums are beaten,
and the sound pleases the
beautiful Prince,
ready
are we, ready are we.
—Listen, Juanillo!
—Do tell me what's wrong now?
—The Maestro comes today
in
good humor!
—I only look at him
and I'm frozen;
I fear him more than
Nero himself!
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MAESTRO
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¡Cómo se burlan
los picarillos
haciendo, vaya,
su
presunción!
¡Voto a mis
barbas
que, si me enfado,
la Nochebuena
será
Pasión!
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These little
rascals
joke about me;
it is outrageous
how
they behave!
I swear by my
beard,
let them get me
angry;
the Christmas
will
be a Passion! |
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CHORUS
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A estas barbazas
las
tengo miedo.
¡algameCristo!
¡Qué largas
son!
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That very long
beard
fills
me with great fear.
O Jesus!
help me!
How long it is! |
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MAESTRO
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¡Como se burlan
los picarillos
haciendo, vaya,
mi
pretensi6n!
¡Vengan apriesa
los
cantorcillos!
Y si no, i arriba
el
camis6n! |
These little
rascals
joke about me;
it is outrageous
how
they behave!
Come quickly now,
my young singers,
or I'll see that
your robes
are
raised up at once! |
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CHORUS
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¡Ay, de nosotros!
¡Que mascarón!
¡Muy destemplada
tienelavoz!
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Oh, do have pity!
Frightening face!
Oh, what discordant sounds
in
his voice!
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MAESTRO
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Ya tienen miedo
los tiplecillos,
que, con trabajo,
les
toqué yo.
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Now they're
afraid,
my tiny sopranos,
for I have played
drumsticks
on them. |
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CHORUS
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Buena es la
idea,
raro
el capricho.
¡Siga y prosiga
la
diversión!
Vaya de solfa
porque es
precise
que al bello
Infante
divierta
el son.
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A good idea,
this
inspiration.
We must continue
our
solfege class!
And if we're beaten
as drums are beaten,
and the sound pleases the
beautiful Prince,
ready
are we, ready are we. |
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MAESTRO & CHORUS
Allegro
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El siervo infame
no es razón
que mejor
sea
que
su señor.
¡Ea, muchachos!
¡Vaya, por Dios!
Fa, la, fa, sol,
re ...
(Hablando) Rezad
o decid conmigo:
(Cantando) Fa,
la, fa, sol, re ...
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There is no
reason
why a lowly slave
should live much
better
than
his Senor.
Come, now, my
children,
let's
go, by God!
Fa, la, fa, sol,
re ...
(Speaking) Recite
or say with me:
(Singing) Fa, la,
fa, sol, re ... |
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(Whenever they wish to stop, all say
together:
"Bravo, Bravo!" This is to indicate
that the children,
some before the others, during the
singing applaud
and cry "Bravo," interrupting the
music, laughing and
joking,
which causes the Maestro to become angry.)
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MAESTRO
Recitative
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¡Jueguen y
enreden bien los rapazuelos.
que
una zurra ha de haber, viven los cielos!
¡Y no he de ser
en daros nada escaso
si
no sabeis entrar aqueste paso!
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Urchins, you can
play wildly all you care to,
but a whipping
shall come,
so
help me heaven!
And I will not be
miserly with beatings
if
you cannot sing well the proper tempo! |
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MAESTRO & CHORUS
Canon á 5
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Mi, mi, fa, fa, mi, re, mi, mi
...
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Mi, mi, fa, fa, mi, re, mi, mi ... |
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(Once again, when the chorus wishes,
interrupts
the
canon with "Bravos" and applause.)
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MAESTRO
Recitative
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Mas, ¿qué miro,
infelice criatura?
¡Válgame Dios! ¡Qué
nube tan obscura
de
lejos se descubre!
¡Ya todo el mundo
de
pavor se cubre!
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But, look here
now, we're poor unfortunate
creatures.
Oh, help me.
Lord! What cloud appears so
darkly
upon the far horizon!
See, all the
people cower with terror! |
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MAESTRO & CHORUS
Andantino
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Al fin, mis
esperanzas fueron vanas:
¡Ay que tocan a
nublo las companas!
Din . . . din . .
. din . . . din . . .
¡Tente, nublo,
que
al río viene turbio!
¡Tente,
detente.
que
asustas a la gente! |
Now all my
greatest hopes
are lost forever:
Woe! The bells
strike loudly to announce
thunder,
lightning!
Din . . . din . .
. din . . . din . . .
Stop, stop storm,
for
you make the rivers muddy!
Halt, halt at
once,
for
you frighten all the people! |
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Allegro
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¡Tente, nublado.
no
vengas al poblado!
De las fiestas de
enero.
San Hilario es el
primero . . .
Amén, amén . .
.
¡No te metas en
Belén!
¡Tente, varón.
que
primero es San Antón!
Din, don . . .
Din, don . . .
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Stop, gathering
storm clouds,
and
don't invade our village!
Of the Saint's
days of January,
Hilary's the
first one.
Amen, amen,
do
please stay away from Bethlehem!
Stop, fearful
storm,
a
command by San Anton!
Din, don . . .
Din, don . . . |
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CHORUS
Andante
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Vamos y al Niño
le pediremos
que de la nube
libres
quedemos.
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Let's go and pray
now
to the Child
Jesus,
that from the
cloud of darkness
He will free us. |
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SOPRANO SOLO
TONADILLA
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1.—No quieras,
Niño querido,
pues vienes a
remediarme,
en la tormenta
perezca,
que
sólo para vengarse.
el enemigo movió,
el
enemigo movió.
2.—Amante dueño
gracioso,
no quieras
desampararme,
ni dejes que mi
contrario
intente
vanagloriarse
que la victoria
alcanzó,
que
la victoria alcanzó.
Ya que
amoroso
te estoy mirando
por mí llorando,
por mí llorando,
cante yo alegre
triunfos de amor,
triunfos
de amor.
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1.—Do not allow
me to perish
in this storm, my
dearest Infant,
for
Thou art born for my salvation.
It is only for
vengeance
that
this dread foe does oppress me.
2.—0 Child of
Love, oh, so gracious,
do not desert me
in my loneliness;
do not allow my
enemy
to proclaim
vaingloriously
with false pride
that
he is victorious.
Now that I see Thee
with all my true love,
weeping now for me,
weeping now for me,
I shall sing joyful
triumphs of love,
triumphs
of love. |
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