ABOUT
A three-day festival of concerts which explored the complicated and deep relationships between Robert and Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.
PROGRAM I:
1840: MARRIAGE & A YEAR OF SONG
After a long courtship and legal battle with Clara Schumann’s father, Robert and Clara Schumann were finally able to marry in 1840. This year would earn the title of Liederjahr (‘Year of Song’) when later considered in the context of Robert’s life, marking a gigantic shift in Robert Schumann’s compositional output. Having previously devoted the majority of his composition toward works for solo piano, Schumann began to feel that writing for the piano alone was not sufficient to express his great love for his bride-to-be. During this year of increased creativity and devotion to Lieder, Robert composed 168 songs alone.
This program explored many of the songs he and Clara wrote during this pivotal year, all settings of the poets Heinrich Heine and Friedrich Rückert.
presented in partnership with The Poetry Foundation
ARTISTS
Susanna Phillips, soprano | Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano | Nicholas Phan, tenor | Joshua Hopkins, baritone | Myra Huang, piano
PROGRAM
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Prelude and Fugue in G Major BWV 884
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Tragödie Op. 64, no. 3
R. SCHUMANN: Myrthen, Op. 25 (sel.)
ROBERT & CLARA SCHUMANN: Gedichte aus ‘Liebesfrühling’ (sel.)
R. SCHUMANN: Minnespiel, Op. 101
PROGRAM II:
ANNUAL RECITAL
ARTISTS
Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano | Kevin Murphy, piano
PROGRAM
A solo vocal recital program with mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung and pianist Kevin Murphy, which included performances of:
JOHANNES BRAHMS: Von ewiger Liebe op. 43, no. 1 | Dein blaues Auge op. 59, no. 8 | Meine Liebe ist grün op. 63, no. 5
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Lieder und Gesänge aus dem “Wilhelm Meister” von Goethe op. 98a
PROGRAM III:
ENTER JOHANNES
“Here again is one who comes as if sent from God!” - Clara Schumann (née Wieck)
“Visit from Brahms (a genius).” - Robert Schumann
The two above quotes are taken from Clara’s and Robert’s journals respectively, are their documents of their first impressions of a 20 year old Johannes Brahms, who timidly knocked on their door in Düsseldorf, where Robert was now music director, on September 30, 1853 in hopes to show Robert some of his compositions and further his compositional career. Little did any of them know that the fateful meeting would forever change the course of their lives, inaugurating a new chapter for all three of them – in the case of Robert, a tragically premature final one. This program explored some of the songs inspired from this chapter of their lives.
ARTISTS
Susanna Phillips, soprano | Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano | Nicholas Phan, tenor | Joshua Hopkins, baritone | Myra Huang, piano | Nicholas Hutchinson, piano
PROGRAM
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Bei Schenkung eines Flügels WoO 26, No. 4
JOHANNES BRAHMS: Variations on a Theme of Schumann (theme only)
R. SCHUMANN: Spanische Liebeslieder Op. 138
BRAHMS: Liebeslieder Walzer Op. 52