Songs of Love and Farewell: A Liederabend of Korngold and Ullmann

Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs, internationally acclaimed soprano, and Michael Recchiuti, award winning conductor and pianist will explore the art of the Late Romantic 20th century German Lied.

The program will present outstanding examples composed by two Jewish artists – Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Victor Ullmann – both born in the Czech portion of the Austrian Empire before its ultimate collapse after the First World War. Both lived, studied and worked in Vienna, cultural capital of the empire. Time, politics and war would destroy their world and lead each to a dramatically different destiny. Erich Wolfgang Korngold would carve out a path of material success and create a new life half a world away from his beloved Vienna. Victor Ullmann, conversely, would stay in Europe, thereby consigning himself to artistic isolation, virtual oblivion, and, ultimately, death at the hands of the Nazis.

I
Victor Ullmann
Fünf Liebeslieder von Ricarda Huch. op. 26

1. Wo hast du all die Schönheit hergenommen….
2. Am Klavier…
3. Sturmlied…
4. Wenn je ein Schönes mir zu bilden glückte…
5. O schöne Hand….

II
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Drei Lieder op. 22

1. Was du mir bist…(Van der Straaten)
2. Mir Dir zu Schweigen… (Kobald)
3. Welt ist stille eingeschlafen… (Kobald)

INTERVAL

III
Victor Ullmann
Hölderlin-Lieder

1. Sonnenuntergang
2. Der Frühling
3. Abendphantasie

IV
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Lieder des Abschieds op. 14

1. Sterblied (Rosetti - Kerr)
2. Dies eine kann mein Sehnen nimmer fassen (Ronsperger)
3. Mond, ich gehst du wieder auf (Lothar)
4. Gefasster Abschied (Lothar)

For more information about the event, visit dvoraknyc.org.

This event is organized by the Dvořák American Heritage Association with support of the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association.

Host or Publisher Dvorak American Heritage Association