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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.- Details
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 [...]- Details
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!
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Let me tell you a secret. As you know, the words in Liederabend's alphabet are outstanding names or references about issues that we repeatedly discussed. When I planned the alphabet, I thought of "I" for "incertesa" (uncertainty). We sometimes spoke about song recitals in Barcelona, that for many years, have been programmed mostly by private promoters, while public auditoriums usually program them in a rather erratic way. Some years they are scheduled and others aren’t. One season we have two concerts in a certain place and the next, none. So, we can occasionally enjoy very good concerts but there isn't a defined line, therefore, the word for Art Song lovers is "uncertainty" (yes, life is hard when you're an Art Song lover). However, some time ago I happened to know that next season things would begin to change and our letter "I" could have been for "il·lusió” [...]- Details
J is for Jordi, or, in other words, for George. To be more precise, for St. George's Day, a day that we celebrate on Liederabend every year with roses, as the Catalan tradition dictates. We also remember some other dates each year, Easter and Christmas; occasionally, All Saints' Day or even the Feast Day of Saint Anthony of Padua; anything goes if we can listen to a related song. However, among those festivities that we recall, my favourite is Sant Jordi's Day, so, this week, it's absolutely entitled to a letter in our alphabet because Saint George is on 23th April, next Sunday. These pages are read in many places, even in the antipodes, so I would like to dedicate this post to those of you who have no chance to celebrate this day in Catalonia and I'd like to explain to why it's so special. If you live in Catalonia you have your own opinion on this day, so feel free to share it with us!
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