Reflection
Caroline Taylor soprano
Sebastian Issler piano
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Auf dem See D.543 (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
Im Frühling D.882 (Ernst Schulze)
Schubert’s Lieder are a testament to his ability to translate poetry into deeply expressive music. Auf dem See, based on Goethe’s poem, captures the serenity of a boat ride across peaceful Lake Zurich, where the gentle movement of the water and the poet’s reflections on time intertwine in shimmering harmonies. Schubert’s fluid piano accompaniment mirrors the lapping of the waves, creating a dreamlike soundscape.
Im Frühling, set to Schulze’s nostalgic verses, explores themes of love, memory, and the passage of time. The music’s flowing melodies and subtle harmonic shifts evoke both the joy and melancholy that accompany spring’s renewal, as the poet contemplates a past love amid the beauty of nature. Schubert’s masterful settings elevate these poetic texts, allowing emotions to unfold with remarkable nuance and depth.
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
From 12 Romances Op.21
5. Lilacs / Сирень / Siren' (Ekaterina Beketova)
7. How Fair this Spot / Здесь хорошо / Zdes′ khorosho (Glafira Galina)
From 12 Romances Op.14
11. Spring Waters / Весенние воды / Vesenniye vody (Fyodor Tyutchev)
Rachmaninoff’s Romances stand as some of the most intimate and expressive works in the Russian art song repertoire. These pieces encapsulate the composer’s gift for lush harmonies, soaring melodies, and deeply felt emotion. Lilacs is a delicate ode to nature’s quiet beauty, where the imagery of lilac blossoms serves as a metaphor for memory and longing. The gentle piano accompaniment sways like a soft breeze, enveloping the listener in a world of wistful nostalgia.
How Fair this Spot transports us to a place of serene contemplation. The poem by Glafira Galina speaks of a tranquil refuge where all worries fade away. Rachmaninoff’s setting enhances this sentiment through sustained, floating vocal lines and shimmering harmonies, creating a moment of pure musical stillness.
In contrast, Spring Waters bursts forth with boundless energy. Tyutchev’s poem depicts the arrival of spring, when the thawing rivers rush forward with unstoppable force, heralding the end of winter’s grip. Rachmaninoff’s urgent rhythms and sweeping phrases embody this surge of life and renewal, making it one of his most exhilarating songs. Together, these pieces highlight Rachmaninoff’s ability to capture both the gentlest whispers of nature and its most dramatic awakenings.
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Abendbilder D.650 (Johann Peter Silbert)
Composed in 1819, Abendbilder is one of Schubert’s most atmospheric and introspective songs. Silbert’s poem depicts twilight descending over a tranquil landscape, where fading light and deepening shadows evoke serenity and quiet contemplation. As night falls, Schubert’s harmonies shift subtly, deepening the sense of mystery. The moment of transformation – when moonlight bathes the landscape – is masterfully rendered through a modulation from A minor to A major, a symbolic move from darkness to light, evoking redemption and spiritual peace. The piano accompaniment is rich in detail, with eerie triplet figures anticipating Winterreiseand bell-like tones foreshadowing later works such as Das Zügenglöcklein. Balancing darkness and light, Abendbilder is a poignant meditation on time’s passage and the stillness of night – both haunting and deeply moving.
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
The Seal Man (John Masefield)
Rebecca Clarke’s The Seal Man is a spellbinding art song that bridges English folk tradition and early 20th-century impressionism. Set to a poem by John Masefield, the song tells the haunting tale of a fisherman’s daughter who is drawn to a mysterious, otherworldly figure – the seal man – who emerges from the sea and lures her into his world beneath the waves. Clarke’s composition brims with dramatic intensity, using shifting harmonies and undulating accompaniment to evoke the relentless pull of the ocean. The vocal line alternates between ethereal lyricism and moments of urgent passion, mirroring the emotional turbulence of the tale. The music’s ebb and flow create a sense of foreboding, hinting at the tragic inevitability of the young woman’s fate. Clarke’s remarkable ability to blend storytelling with rich harmonic colour makes The Seal Man a striking and deeply atmospheric piece, standing in contrast to the more traditional Lieder in this programme.
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
From 3 Lieder aus Schillers 'Wilhelm Tell' S.292b
1. Der Fischerknabe (Friedrich Schiller)
Liszt’s setting of Der Fischerknabe is a captivating example of his ability to bring poetry to life through music. Friedrich Schiller’s text tells the story of a young fisherman who is drawn toward the enchanting waters of a lake, where a mysterious presence beckons him to its depths. The poem embodies themes of innocence, temptation, and the supernatural, all of which Liszt weaves into his musical setting with masterful finesse. The song’s rippling piano accompaniment mimics the motion of water, creating an atmosphere of gentle seduction and underlying tension. The vocal line moves fluidly between moments of serene beauty and growing intensity, reflecting the boy’s fascination and ultimate surrender to the unknown. Through his expressive harmonies and rich textures, Liszt transforms this legend into a miniature operatic drama, capturing both the allure and danger of the natural world.
Alban Berg (1885-1935)
Sieben frühe Lieder
1. Nacht (Carl Hauptmann)
2. Schilflied (Nikolaus Lenau)
3. Die Nachtigall (Theodor Storm)
4. Traumgekrönt (Rainer Maria Rilke)
5. Im Zimmer (Johannes Schlaf)
6. Liebesode (Otto Erich Hartleben)
7. Sommertage (Paul Hohenberg)
Alban Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder represent a remarkable synthesis of late-Romantic expressivity and the emerging harmonic innovations of early 20th-century music. Composed between 1905 and 1908, these songs reflect Berg’s formative years under the influence of Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, and his teacher Arnold Schoenberg. While rooted in the lush lyricism of Romanticism, the cycle also foreshadows the harmonic subtlety and expressive intensity that would define Berg’s later works.
The opening song of the cycle, Nacht, is a mysterious and shadowy evocation of the nocturnal world. The piano’s dark, undulating harmonies and the voice’s restrained intensity create an eerie atmosphere, as night slowly engulfs everything. Chromaticism and harmonic ambiguity enhance the song’s dreamlike quality.
In Schilflied, rustling reeds by a lake mirror the poet’s quiet sorrow and longing. Berg’s delicate accompaniment ripples like water, while chromatic harmonies deepen the sense of melancholy. The song lingers in hushed introspection, fading like a whisper in the wind.
A radiant contrast to the previous songs, Die Nachtigall celebrates love’s rapture through lush harmonies and a soaring vocal line. The accompaniment moves in sweeping, wave-like gestures, evoking the nightingale’s song and the poet’s overflowing emotion.
A dreamlike vision of love, Traumgekrönt bathes Rilke’s celestial imagery in luminous harmonies. The expansive vocal line moves between hushed tenderness and passionate climaxes, as Berg captures both ecstasy and nostalgia in this golden dream world.
The shortest song in the cycle, Im Zimmer is a fleeting moment of stillness. A quiet room, bathed in evening light, is evoked through soft piano chords and delicate vocal phrases. Its beauty lies in its understatement – a whispered pause before the cycle’s final passion.
Liebesode is an ardent declaration of love’s intensity, with sweeping vocal lines and rich harmonies reminiscent of Strauss and Mahler. Passion surges through shifting tonal centers, culminating in an ecstatic climax before gently fading into a glowing resolution.
The cycle closes with the radiant Sommertage, a celebration of golden summer days. Flowing vocal lines and shimmering piano textures create an atmosphere of warmth and nostalgia, capturing the fleeting beauty of love and nature in perfect harmony.