FRANZ LISZT
A unique evening starting with songs by cosmopolitan Franz Liszt, to great French and German poetry by Hugo, Goethe (Mignon’s Lied), Heine (Die Lorelei), Freiligrath, and Lenau. A fine selection of songs that reveals beautiful and largely unknown aspects of a composer better known for his piano works.
In the second part, Hector Berlioz’s famous six-song cycle Les nuits d’été, to the poetry of Théophile Gautier. Written in 1840-41, it was orchestrated within the fifteen years that followed, and is a collection of songs about love, desire, and, above all, yearning.
– Franz Liszt: O Lieb’, so lang du lieben kannst (Ferdinand Freiligrath)
Oh! quand je dors (Victor Hugo)
Enfant, si j’étais roi (Victor Hugo)
Mignon’s Lied: ‘Kennst du das Land?’ (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
Die Lorelei (Heinrich Heine)
Die drei Zigeuner (Nikolaus Lenau)
– Hector Berlioz: Les nuits d’été, Op. 7 (Théophile Gautier)
Mary-Ellen Nesi mezzo-soprano
Dimitris Yakas piano