Liederabend

Tonight was slightly heartbreaking. Marija Vidovic, soprano performed an evening of art song with Maria de los Angeles Rubio, piano, and guest Shkelzen Doli, violin from the Vienna Philharmonic. I was eager to attend this concert, as it would be my first in the Brahms Saal, in which Clara Schumann had given the opening concert, and because Robert Schumann's song cycle "Frauenliebe und -leben" was on the program and I am currently working on this cycle. I am also very much in love with it.

The sad part is that I was a few minutes late to the concert. I had cooked a lot and had laundry in the dryer, so as my 7 pm should-be-leaving-time crept closer and closer I was scrambling to get everything done and had to run. The Schumann song cycle was first on the program, and they were just at the end of the first song when I arrived, but since the audience was holding applause until the end of the 8 songs, I had to wait outside until the entire piece was over.  The woman working at the bar wasn't allowed to turn the volume of the live-screen of the concert up, so I could only barely hear what was going on. A couple of songs she took wayyyy slower than I would, but I couldn't really hear her voice very well. I had to wait in agony through the next seven songs of my favorite song cycle before I was let in.


What killed me is that for every other song cycle on the program, the audience started clapping in between movements, even though it was very clear that applause should have been held until the very end. If only they had done this for the Schumann! I have also found that concerts start exactly on time here, to the minute, which is very different from where I come from...

However, the part of the concert I sat through is also worth noting, as the rest of selections were beautiful and interesting pieces. She sang my favorite Strauss song, "Morgen". This is often performed with violin, but I've never liked it much that way. The opening has the violin ascending in half notes while the piano has ascending, beautiful arpeggios that tend to get covered up by the violin holding its one note and not going anywhere. But tonight the balance was perfect, and it made me want to perform this with John. (hint). Marija Vidovic also sang Cantilena from Bachiana brasileira No. 5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos, which I have only ever heard as soprano with eight cellos. It was slightly different with piano and violin, but still lovely, and as that combination is generally easier to come by, I'm going to put this piece back on my list of chamber music possibilities (with John).

to rap up: first concert at the Brahms Saal, pretty soprano in a deep blue dress I would wear in a heartbeat, got some new ideas for stuff to sing with John when we're famous (or just at Christmas), and don't be late to concerts in punctual countries like Austria. All in all, quite the educational experience.