Songs of the Night

HANS PFITZNER (1869-1949): Lockung, Im Herbst, Nachts, Ich aber weiß, Zum Abschied meiner Tochter, RICHARD STRAUSS (1864-1949): Nachtgang, Ständchen, Die Nacht, VIKTOR ULLMANN (1898-1944): Verdämmern, Nacht, Stille, HANNS JELINEK (1901-1969): Maskenball in Hochgebirge, CARL LOEWE (1796-1869): Hochzeitslied, FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886): Oh quand je dors, “Comment”, disaient-ils, SALVATORE SCIARRINO (b.1947): Lo sguardo velato, CHRISTOPHE SIRODEAU (b.1970): L’Étoile.

Description: A nicely planned 'theme' recital of less than obvious repertoire ranging from the voluptuously chromatic, darkly glowing jewels by Sirodeau (Rimbaud) and Rihm (Nietzsche), redolent of the intoxicating fumes of the end of the last Romantic era, via the antecedents of that fin de siècle aesthetic from Pfitzner and Strauss, and Ullmann's darkly contemplative songs to texts by Hans Günther Adler (a Terezín survivor who was responsible for preserving the murdered composer’s manuscripts), to Sciarrino's fugitive, shadowy "The Veiled Glance". A lively cabaret song by Hanns Jelinek is a suitable encore. No text/translation info available. Christian Miedl (baritone), Jendrik Springer (piano).