In the cellars of Heidelberg Castle, there is a huge tun that is a popular spot for tourists. Constructed in 1751, its capacity exceeds 220,000 liters, equivalent to approximately 300,000 bottles at standard capacity. From the photos, I would estimate that it is roughly ten meters in diameter, even though I haven't been able to find the exact measurements.
In addition to commemorating the centenary of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, this year we are also honoring the centenary of someone who, even if he wasn't so influent to the recent history of music, was also an exceptional singer. I am referring to Nicolai Gedda.
Aus alten Märchen winkt es [From Fairy Tales of Old] is the third song of Dichterliebe that speaks of dreams, after Ich hab' im Traum geweinet and Allnächtlich im Träume. It is also the song that opens the way to acceptance of the loss by the poet, definitively.
This is the 14th year that we celebrate Sant Jordi's Day on Liederabend. I haven't reviewed all the roses of previous years, but I would say that most were rather sad or nostalgic: roses were symbols of an ephemeral youth, of the passage of time, of love that has ended... There are not many songs that celebrate love, as we celebrate love on Saint George's Day. However, this year is the case.
As I do every year during Easter, I bring you a short text to present a song with a religious theme. This year is a song that is little-known, in every way: it is little performed and little documented. Musicologists have been bringing together the few available pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to reconstruct its history, with many doubts remaining.