Last February, I spoke about Lieder that Brahms wrote from those songs that Ophelia sings in her last scene in Hamlet; that day, my post was titled "Ophelia and Brahms" but, as I told you back then, it could also have been "Ophelia and Strauss". Today, before the season ends, I go back that title to talk about the songs that Richard Strauss wrote with the same Shakespeare's texts. Yes, I know that there are still three months left before the 2017-2018 season begins, but, according to my notebook, if everything goes as planned, the summer weeks are going to be really busy indeed!

 

The King and the executioner are waiting, in front of the Cathedral, for the wedding of the King's daughter and knight Olaf to end, to execute the groom. The knight, smiling, asks the king to grant him some more time, until midnight; he would like to celebrate the wedding. The hours pass by; the Knight has his last drink and dance for the last time with his wife, while the executioner is waiting at the door. And midnight arrives.

Heinrich Heine tells this terrible story in his ballad Ritter Olaf, written in 1839. As other two previous ballads, Erlkönig by Goethe (1772) and Erlkönigs Tochter by Herder (1778), it was probably inspired, although vaguely, by an old Norse legend; those legends were a source of inspiration to German poets for decades. In fact, the [...]

 

Choosing who would represent singers "in the old times" in our Liederabend's alphabet wasn't difficult; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was my only option, for the reasons I told you about when we got to the F letter. To choose a present-day singer could seem more difficult, because we can't rely on the perspective that time gives, but I didn't have any doubts: the name had to be Simon Keenlyside. Because he's much admired on Liederabend, because he's the most heard among the active singers and because if I would have chosen another singer, those of you who know me well would have asked me in awe: "Who are you kidding?" So, here we are, with a new letter in the alphabet, K is for Keenlyside.

 

We were taught at school that the Rhine is one of the longest rivers in Europe, from the Alps to the North Sea; that during the Roman Empire it became one of the most important trade routes; that it constitutes some country borders and passes through this and that country; my ability to forget maps is only comparable to my ability to forget dynasties and their dates. However, we weren't taught (I would remember it) that it became a symbol of Romanticism.All requirements were met: mountains, valleys, gorges, forests and fog brought up that true and inaccessible nature so desired. Castles in ruins evoked the past, that time of medieval heroes. There were legends bound to specific places, such as those of the Loreley or the Hostile Brothers. In short, the Rhine, especially what is known as Mittelrhein, about 600 km between Bingen and Bonn, represented the world idealized by Romanticism [...]

 

La Central, one of the best bookshops in Barcelona, organizes every season, a series of short courses on literature and, recently, also about music. During their Winter Academy, I gave a course on Lied, for seven weeks (fourteen hours), covering very briefly from pre-schubertian to post-straussian Lieder, a course that ended one month ago. I greatly enjoy giving those courses, and this one wasn't an exception. So, my first reason to write this post is to show my gratitude to all participants. Thank you for your trust, your contributions, your curiosity your good mood... Thank you very much indeed!