EMW Concert Series: Kristjan Randalu - Toronto

Hear renowned Estonian pianist Kristjan Randalu perform “Dichterliebe” (Robert Schumann (1810-1856) / Kristjan Randalu (1978) “Dichterliebe” op. 48 (1840) / (2020)).

The Dichterliebe song cycle, Op. 48 (1840), might be Robert Schumann’s most celebrated cycle of Lieder and, following Franz Schubert’s earlier cycles Die Schöne Müllerin (1823) and Winterreise (1828), constitutes part of the central core of the genre in musical literature. Based on German poet Heinrich Heine’s Lyrisches Intermezzo, a 65-poems spanning collection first published in 1823, Dichterliebe in a way even represents the epitome of romantic poetry set to music. Both, Heine and Schumann, were progressive spirits who bent genres and rewrote the rules of their crafts. Therefore, it only seems right that Estonia-born pianist Kristjan Randalu, a forward-thinking mind in today’s contemporary music world, would do his part in bending genres by tackling this song cycle and updating its structure and vocabulary with the language of the 21st Century.

Throughout his lifetime, Schumann had occasionally been a frustrated pianist, surrounded by peers who didn’t believe in his future as a truly successful piano player. Not to mention the competition of his talented pianist wife Clara Schumann, who’d play a significant role in making her husband’s piano work famous. Consequently, and arguably in an effort to prove himself, Schumann’s pianistic ambitions pervade Dichterliebe in the form of intricate left-hand accompaniment, rapid sequencings over all octaves and a general tendency towards demonstrating technical virtuosity, without omitting the occasional thematic nod to his idols, Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven – two other masters of the German Lied form. In his recasting of Dichterliebe, Kristjan Randalu picks up on this virtuoso aspect of Schumann’s piano scores and recognizes their stand-alone potential by leaving out the lyrics. Instead, his brisk movements across the keys imply the vocal lines and lyrical ideas that originally formed Schumann’s compositions and expand on the songs’ architectural foundations.

“The abstract element of music without words has always fascinated me and these songs have accompanied me for years”, explains Randalu, adding: “My vision to re- interpret the cycle was through the musical language at which I have arrived today. The new versions were mostly initiated by specific melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements, providing the starting point for entirely new explorations.”

Like jazz piano heavy-weight Keith Jarrett, to whose illustrious improvisational treatment of classical forms Randalu’s conceptions here occasionally bear resemblance, the Estonian pianist’s earliest training on piano was classical and he’s kept his relationship to classical music close throughout his career – performing with celebrated conductors like Dennis Russell Davies and esteemed ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra in some of the world’s most acclaimed concert halls. But his first contact with Schumann’s Dichterliebe was already established in the ‘90s, when he was still a student, actively playing in a Lied-duo with a baritone and Dichterliebe being an important part of their repertoire.

“In our lessons and rehearsals, we focused on every little detail – how the music amplifies nuances in the lyrics or how the composer adds multiple layers to the meaning of the text with harmonic and melodic movements. The aesthetic of classical singing has a long tradition, developed over centuries. To me the essence of it is rather contrasting to the possibilities of expression in jazz, where things are more immediate, individual, not necessarily polished to meet a certain standard but instead reflect our surroundings here and now.”

There’s no doubt the here and now is mirrored in Randalu’s reinterpretations. In his substantial reworkings of the Dichterliebe cycle, the pianist washes over the keys in emotive displays of masterful craftsmanship. Founded in a broad understanding for classical piano tradition, Randalu’s variations provide a strictly contemporary vision that elaborates on Schumann’s romantic notions with impressionist design, vast improvisational liberties and the spontaneity and harmonic breadth of jazz. The number of thematic threads and the profound spectrum of melodic nuance Randalu is able to extract from this cornerstone of Romantic piano music is remarkable, making this project a unique endeavor with one foot in the shape-shifting present and the other firmly rooted in the tradition.

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