Star of The Last Night of the Proms and the world’s great stages, Dame Sarah Connolly’s Festival appearances are always eagerly anticipated. With the celebrated pianist Julius Drake, she sings Hector Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été (‘Summer nights’), a cycle of six songs that are one of the masterpieces of this firebrand composer. Also featured are songs by Ivor Gurney’s contemporaries Herbert Howells and John Ireland.

Emerging Artists Charles Cunliffe and Gus Tredwell open the evening with George Butterworth’s famous settings of A.E. Housman’s A Shropshire Lad, which resonate strongly with our earlier focus on Ivor Gurney.

Star of The Last Night of the Proms and the world’s great stages, Dame Sarah Connolly’s Festival appearances are always eagerly anticipated. With the celebrated pianist Julius Drake, she sings Hector Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été (‘Summer nights’), a cycle of six songs that are one of the masterpieces of this firebrand composer. Also featured are songs by Ivor Gurney’s contemporaries Herbert Howells and John Ireland.

Emerging Artists Charles Cunliffe and Gus Tredwell open the evening with George Butterworth’s famous settings of A.E. Housman’s A Shropshire Lad, which resonate strongly with our earlier focus on Ivor Gurney.

• Julius Drake (Pianist)
• Joan Rodgers (Soprano)

Sixteen exceptional musicians at the outset of their careers are in residence for the second week of the Festival, working intensively to hone their skills as song performers. They study each day with the renowned soprano Joan Rodgers and a different guest tutor, building up to their showcase concert on the closing day (see Event 102). Sessions are open to the public and run concurrently in the Holywell Music Room (in person only) and the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building (in person and online).

• Julius Drake (Pianist)
• Joan Rodgers (Soprano)

Sixteen exceptional musicians at the outset of their careers are in residence for the second week of the Festival, working intensively to hone their skills as song performers. They study each day with the renowned soprano Joan Rodgers and a different guest tutor, building up to their showcase concert on the closing day (see Event 102). Sessions are open to the public and run concurrently in the Holywell Music Room (in person only) and the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building (in person and online).

ALMA MAHLER AND THE VIENNA OF THE TOMB OF THE CENTURY
One of the great ladies of the current lieder scene finally debuts at LIFE Victoria with a program dedicated to Alma Mahler and contemporary composers of Vienna at the time, putting in context the compositions of this artist who has often been hidden under the elongated shadow of her first husband. It will begin with the preamble of Johannes Brahms, passing by Hugo Wolf, who exploited the exacerbated romanticism of the song, arriving at the compositions of the Mahler marriage. The marital relationship between Gustav and Alma was quite tortuous: judged as femme fatale for her infidelity with Walter Gropius – founder of the Bauhaus and whom she
later married – recent studies have shown that her history with Mahler was full of grays. ..
Here Connolly confronts her compositions. The tour will end with the Viennese postromanticism of Alexander von Zemlinsky and these six Lieder based on symbolist texts by Maurice Meterlinck. A fascinating woman at a fascinating historical moment.

Franz Schubert: “An Sylvia,” D. 891
Franz Schubert: “Liebesbotschaft,” D. 957, no. 1
Franz Schubert: “Wanderers Nachtlied II,” D. 768
Franz Schubert: “Der Winterabend,” D. 938
Franz Schubert: “Bei dir allein,” D. 866
Hugo Wolf: Songs from the Mörike Lieder
“Gesang Weylas”
“Fussreise”
“Heimweh”
“Begegnung”
“Verborgenheit”
“Der Feuerreiter”
“Um Mitternacht”
“Abschied”
Mark Anthony Turnage (Thomas Hardy): Without Ceremony (North American premiere)*

1. The Voice
2. The Walk
3. I Found Her Out There
4. The Going
5. Without Ceremony
6. Your Last Drive
7. Let Me Enjoy

Shakespeare in Love
Thomas Morley: “O Mistress Mine” (Twelfth Night)
Erich Korngold: “Under the Greenwood Tree” (As You Like It) from Four Shakespeare Songs, op. 31
Erich Korngold: “Hey Robin” (Twelfth Night) from Songs of the Clown, op. 29
Derek Holman: “When That I Was” (Twelfth Night)
Michael Tippett: Full Fathom Five (The Tempest) from Songs for Ariel
Madeleine Dring: “Take, O Take Those Lips Away” (Measure for Measure)
Cole Porter: “Where is the Life That Late I Led” (Petrucchio – Taming of the Shrew) from Kiss Me Kate

Franz SCHUBERT
An Sylvia D 891
Liebesbotschaft D 957, No.1
Wanderers Nachtlied II D 768
Der Winterabend D 938
Bei dir allein D 866

Hugo WOLF  Selections from Mörike-Lieder
Gesang Weylas
Fussreise
Heimweh
Begegnung
Verborgenheit
Der Feuerreiter
Um Mitternacht
Abschied

Peter LIEBERSON  Songs of Love and Sorrow

Shakespeare in love
Thomas MORLEY  O mistress mine (Twelfth Night)
KORNGOLD  Under the Greenwood (As you like it)
KORNGOLD  Hey Robin (Twelfth Night)
RAUTAVAARA  I compare thee (Sonnet 18)
TIPPETT  Full fathom five (The Tempest)
DRING  Take O take those lips away (Measure for Measure)
PORTER  Where is the life (Petrucchio – Taming of the Shrew)