Auf Flügeln des Gesanges

Patrícia Rio Gonçalves (Soprano)
Florian Just (Baritone)
Matthias Havinga (piano)

Two great friends in life and music process their thoughts about grief, death and hope in a series of songs that seem to spring straight from their hearts. They compose their songs almost simultaneously and are inspired by the same book: the Bible. One, Dvorak, writes his Biblické Písně from the “New World” America, far from his home, tormented by insatiable homesickness, knowing that his father will soon die. The other, Brahms, lost many friends in the preceding years. He sees the death of his best friend Clara Schumann approaching and completes his Lied oeuvre with a masterpiece in which all his musical greatness flows together: the Vier Ernste Gesänge. But there is no bitterness, no reproach, no regret in either of them. You hear trust, hope, love.
The light-heartedness of Mendelssohn’s songs and duets, Schubert’s timeless mastery, Beethoven’s crystal-clear Adelaide, Croner de Vasconcellos’ Portuguese simplicity and Fauré’s softly rippling musical language leave death for what it is: just a shadow that fades when love illumines our hearts.

Program

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847)
Ich harrete des Herrn (Duet)
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Vier ernste Gesänge 
Antonín Dvořák (1841 –1904)
5 Biblical Songs
F. Mendelssohn
O wie selig ist das Kind (Duet)

~ ~ ~ Intermission~ ~ ~

Franz Schubert (1797– 1828)
Im Frühling
Der Musensohn
Gabriel Faure (1845– 1924)
La Fee aux chansons
Au bord de l’eau
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770– 1827)
Adelaide
Croner de Vasconcellos (1910 – 1974)
Redondilhas de Camões (I en III)
Fransisco de Lacerda (1869 – 1934)
Tenho tantas saudades
F. Mendelssohn
Auf Flügeln des Gesanges
Neue Liebe
Gruß (Duet)