Liedduo Linde Schulz
Hartmut Schulz [Bariton] Margita Linde [Piano]
«Schwanengesang» Concert Oslo, Saturday 6 February 2016
start time: 6:30 pm (18:30)
ticket prices: 250,- NOK regular; 150,- NOK for pupils and students; children under 16 years are free
PROGRAM
Hugo Wolf: 4 Songs on Texts by Goethe:
Franz Schubert: 6 Songs on Texts by Heine from ‘Schwanengesang’
Hartmut Schulz ‘Magnetic Songs’ on texts by Malin Kjelsrud
Ferruccio Busoni: 3 Songs on texts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Dagfinn Koch: „An die Brüder”, “Urban Portraits”, “Finnischer Tango”
Christian Sinding „Fra vår til høst“ op. 36About the program
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Four songs on texts by Germany’s celebrate poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe by the high romantic Austrian composer Hugo Wolf open the concert. They show the ‘Kunstlied’ at the height of artistic expression: no other composer has ever reached Hugo Wolfs ability to blend text and music into such a detailed and precise manner.
The second set of songs – giving the name to the entire program – is by the inventor of the genre himself, Franz Schubert. “Schwanengesang” («Swan song»), D.957, is Franz Schubert’s final musical statement to the world, and in terms of musical development his most advanced, too. Especially the songs on words of Heinrich Heine go far beyond what was normal in romantic music and touch the edges of impressionism.
A short contemporary intermezzo by Hartmut Schulz follows the two Austrian composers: 6 epigrams for solo voice, based on small texts by Oslo poetess Malin Kjelsrud
Finally, 3 songs again on texts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe by Ferruccio Busoni end the first part of the program. Though born in Italy, Busoni was firmly rooted in German culture and music. Many of his works are inspired by the major poets of his chosen homeland, most of all by Goethe.
“Schwanengesang” («Swan song»), D.957, is Franz Schubert’s final musical statement to the world, and in terms of musical development his most advanced, too. Especially the songs on words of Heinrich Heine go far beyond what was normal in romantic music and touch the edges of impressionism. Those 6 songs on texts by Heine will be performed in this concert.
The second part of the concert program is dedicated to music by Norwegian composers.
Three works by contemporary Oslo composer Dagfinn Koch form a modern counterpart to the prediominantly romantic attitude of this concert. His “…an die Brüder” for unaccompanied voice was written in 1997 on a freemason text by Emanuel Schickaneder (librettist of Mozart’s Zauberflöte) and Johann Leonhardi. The following “Urban portraits” for piano solo transform three portrais by painter Malin Kjelsrud into music. Finally, in “Finnischer Tango” on words by Hans Magnus Enzensberg, voice and piano are again united in a cabaret style song.
The final work of this concert program is the late romantic song cycle «Fra vår til høst», op. 36, by Christian Sinding. Linking back to Schubert’s “Schwanengesang”, these ten songs on Danish poems by Nils Collett Vogt also depict a voyage through life – from spring to autumn.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Latvian-born pianist Margita Linde and the German baritone Hartmut Schulz work together as a lied duo since 2011. They specialize in the music of the late romantic period and of the early 20th century. Apart from that, they co-operate with a number of contemporary composers, among others Garrett Fisher, David Walther and Dagfinn Koch, whose compositions form a part of this program.
They recently released a CD entitled “Goethe Balladen” with music by Othmar Schoeck, Hugo Wolf and Ferruccio Busoni.
web: www.liedduo.koeln