SCHUBERT WEEK

Over the past three years, rising baritone Julien Van Mellaerts, born in New Zealand, has won some of the most prestigious prizes for lied interpretation. He now comes to the Pierre Boulez Saal for the final concert of the Schubert Week, a Sunday matinee performance. Songs include Goethe’s Gesänge des Harfners as well as settings of Schiller and several compositions on poems by Johann Mayrhofer, a member of Schubert’s circle of friends. Julius Drake, one of the foremost lied pianists of our time, is the accompanist.

The Schubert Week was curated by Thomas Hampson.

Antonín Dvořák’s Stabat mater is a deeply felt work of mourning. Following the death of his daughter Josefa, he composed it for solo voices, chorus and piano, but left it unfinished. Two two years later he lost two more of his children, Otakar and Ružena. Only then did he complete and orchestrate the work.

The early version with piano accompaniment, performed by pianist Julius Drake, a quartet of first-rate vocal soloists and the BR Choir under the baton of its artistic director Howard Arman, offers a fresh look at a familiar Dvořák oratorio.

The missing movements are filled in with new pieces from the Slovakian composer Ľubica Čekovská.

Ever since the première of ‘Passio’ over 35 years ago the BR Choir has maintained a special relationship with Arvo Pärt and his music. To round off the evening the chorus is presenting the German première of Pärt’s recently completed short choral piece, And I Heard a Voice.

The Grand Théâtre de Genève has wanted to present this artist for a long time, this English mezzo-soprano who was born in Yorkshire and whose diary fills up at a dizzying speed. She performs on all the most important international stages: La Scala, the Met, Munich, Paris, Baden Baden’s Festspielhaus… as well as at all the big festivals: Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg… In Covent Garden, she performed Didon, Fricka and Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde. Without doubt, we will fall under the spell of this artist, her stunning vocal technique and highly touching musicality, not to mention her outstanding theatrical ability. She has impressed in transvestite roles (Hosenrolle), and her acting talent has enabled her to work with the best directors including Richard Jones (Juliette or la Clef des songes at the Grand Théâtre in 2012) and David McVicar, who will return during this season to stage Médée. In 2013, when the production has been created, she played the main role. Whether in recital or in concert, Sarah Connolly excels equally. Her powerful, velvety voice has a sweetly subtle touch. Her diction is clear and her phrasing perfectly natural. Nothing seems artificial, the artist only sings, but what singing!! The Independent has described her as: “unrivalled: simply the best, most exciting, most galvanizing performer we have today!” Don’t wait too long before reserving your seats?

Christiane Karg

Soprano

Sophie Rennert

Mezzo-soprano

Mauro Peter

Tenor

Andrè Schuen

Baritone

Helmut Deutsch

Piano

Julius Drake

Piano

Johannes Brahms: »Liebeslieder-Walzer«; Three Quartets, op. 31 (Wechsellied zum Tanze, Neckereien, Der Gang zum Liebchen); Three Quartets, op. 64 (An die Heimat, Der Abend, Fragen); Four Quartets, op. 92 (O schöne Nacht!, Spätherbst, Abendlied, Warum?); »Neue Liebeslieder-Walzer«

Ian Bostridge

Tenor

Julius Drake

Piano

Franz Schubert: Lieder on poems by Friedrich Rückert (Die Wallfahrt, Greisengesang, Lachen und Weinen, Du bist die Ruh, Daß sie hier gewesen, Sei mir gegrüßt)
Hans Werner Henze: »Cäsarion« and »Das Paradies« from »Sechs Gesänge aus dem Arabischen« (dedicated to Ian Bostridge and Julius Drake)
Hugo Wolf: Lieder on poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe