I have fallen into a well of obsession brought on in part by too much time in isolation. I hope things open up soon so I can get out of the house.
Programm
Ludwig van Beethoven
Irish Songs
Baritone Edwin Crossley-Mercer and piano trio.
2. The Pulse of an Irishman (WoO154, Nr. 4
Ludwig van Beethoven
Schottische Lieder op. 108
Baritone Edwin Crossley-Mercer and piano trio.
2. O sweet were the hours
3. Come fill, fill, my good fellow
4. O Mary, at thy window be
5. Faithfu’ Johnie
6. Sunset
7. Bonny Laddie, Highland Laddie
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sechs Lieder von Gellert, op. 48
Soprano Lise Davidsen with Sophie Raynaud on piano.
2. Die Liebe des Nächsten
3. Vom Tode
4. Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur "The heavens declare the glory of Gott"
5. Gottes Macht und Vorsehung
6. Bußlied
Ludwig van Beethoven
Heiligenstädter Testament (Brief des Komponisten Ludwig van Beethoven an seine Brüder Kaspar Karl und Johann von 1802)
Nikolaus Bachler, reader. There is no music.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Streichquartett a-Moll, op. 132, 3. Satz
Canzona di ringraziamento. Molto adagio
Musicians from the orchestra of the Bayerische Staatsoper
One knows from hanging around in libraries that these songs exist. They're in the complete works, after all. But one never hears them performed. Schubert seems to have kicked other people's songs out of the way. The Scottish songs are in Scottish dialect, and Lise sings only in German. She hits just the right religious note. I wish I was seeing more of her. I noticed that both singers rushed on to the next song with no pause between. Just because songs appear together on the same opus doesn't mean it is all one piece. It was possible to tell how many songs had been sung only by looking at the program. A small separation would have worked better for me. One wishes to characterize each song individually.
For the speaking there are no titles. Nikolaus Bachlere has a lot of confidence in his diction.
The colors of the interior of the Bayerische Staatsoper have changed from the last time I visited. You can see above that they're pale blue now.
This virtual concert comes with a sound machine in case you were missing the normal noises of a concert. It includes booing.