Ravinia 2025 Issue 3

Urlicht O Röschen rot! Der Mensch liegt in größter Not! Der Mensch liegt in größter Pein! Je lieber möcht’ ich in Himmel sein! Da kam ich auf einen breiten Weg; Da kam ein Engelein und wollt’ mich abweisen. Ach nein! Ich ließ mich nicht abweisen: Ich bin von Gott und will wieder zu Gott! Der Liebe Gott wird mir ein Lichtchen geben. Wird leuchten mir bis das ewig selig Leben! — Des Knaben Wunderhorn Aufersteh’n Aufersteh’n, ja aufersteh’n wirst du, Mein Staub, nach kurzer Ruh! Unsterblich Leben Wird der dich rief dir geben. Wieder aufzublüh’n wirst du gesät! Der Herr der Ernte geht Und sammelt Garben Uns ein, die starben! —Friedrich Klopstock, “Die Auferstehung” O glaube, mein Herz, o glaube; Es geht dir nichts verloren! Dein ist, ja dein, was du gesehnt! Dein, was du geliebt, was du gestritten! O glaube: Du wardst nicht umsonst geboren! Hast nicht umsonst gelebt, gelitten! Was entstanden ist, das muß vergehen! Was vergangen, auferstehen! Hör’ auf zu beben! Bereite dich zu leben! O Schmerz! Du Alldurchdringer! Dir bin ich entrungen! O Tod! Du Allbezwinger! Nun bist du bezwungen! Mit Flügeln, die ich mir errungen In heißem Liebesstreben Werd’ ich entschweben Zum Licht, zu dem kein Aug’ gedrungen! Sterben werd’ ich, um zu leben! Aufersteh’n, ja aufersteh’n wirst du, Mein Herz, in einem Nu! Was du geschlagen, Zu Gott wird es dich tragen! —Gustav Mahler Primal Light O little red rose! Mankind lies in greatest need. Mankind lies in greatest suffering. How much would I rather be in heaven! There, I came upon a broad road. There an angel came and wanted to turn me away. Ah no! I did not let myself be turned away! I am of God, and to God I shall return. Loving God will grant me a small light, will light my way to eternal, blessed life. Resurrection Arise, yes, you will rise again, my dust, after a brief rest! Eternal life will be given you by Him who called you. To bloom again are you sown. The lord of the harvest goes and gathers the sheaves— us, who have died. Oh believe, my heart, oh believe! Nothing will be lost to you! Everything that you have desired is yours, yours, what you have loved, what you have struggled for. Oh believe: you were not born for nothing! You have neither lived not suffered for nothing! Whatever was created, that must perish! Whatever has perished, that must rise again. Cease your trembling! Prepare yourself to live! Oh sorrow! You are all-penetrating! I have been wrested away from you! Oh death! You are all-conquering! Now you are conquered! With wings, which I won in love’s passionate striving, I shall vanish into the light, which no eye has penetrated! I shall die in order to live! Arise, yes, you will rise again, my heart, in an instant! What you have conquered will bear you up to God. –Program notes and translations © 2025 Todd E. Sullivan JANAI BRUGGER A native of Chicago, Janai Brugger completed a master’s degree at the University of Michigan, where she studied with the late Shirley Verrett, then joined the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera and the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program at Los Angeles Opera for 2009–11. In 2012, she not only won the Metro- politan Opera National Council Auditions but also took all three top prizes in the Operalia competition: Opera Prize, Song Prize, and Au- dience Prize. Since debuting at the Met as Liù in Puccini’s Turandot , Brugger has appeared with the company as Jemmy in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell , Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen , Helena in the pastiche The Enchanted Island , Pamina in Mo- zart’s The Magic Flute , Glauce in Cherubini’s Médée (a role debut), and Pip in Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick , as well as Clara in Gershwin’s Por- gy and Bess for several recent productions. This season Brugger returns to the Met as Donna El- vira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and makes her role debut as Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème at Los Angeles Opera, which has recently featuring her as Servilia in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito and Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro . In 2023, Brugger created the role of Mary Jane Bower in Jake Heggie’s Intelligence with Houston Grand Opera and made her role debut as the title char- acter of Floyd’s Susannah with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Highlights of recent seasons have also included reprising Micaëla for her Glyndebourne Festival and BBC Proms debuts; Pamina for her Royal Opera at Covent Garden debut; Glauce with Canadian Opera Company; and Liù at Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she has also appeared at Ilia in Mozart’s Idome- neo . In concert, Brugger recently sang Aaron Zigman’s Émigré with the Deutsches Sympho- nie-Orchester Berlin and Hong Kong Philhar- monic, Florence Price songs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center, and Anton Bruckner’s Psalm 150 and Margaret Bonds’s Credo at the Grant Park Music Festival. Janai Brugger was a fellow at Ravinia’s Steans Institute in 2011 and has returned to Ravinia to sing in Weill’s Zaubernacht (US premiere), Ber- nstein’s Kaddish Symphony (broadcast on PBS’s Great Performances ), and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, as well as portray Mozart’s Zerlina ( Don Giovanni ), Servilia, and Pamina. RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 73 DARIOACOSTA