NEC faculty members Tanya Blaich and Cameron Stowe present NEC graduate students from the departments of collaborative piano and voice in an evening of song.

The Liederabend—literally, "evening of song"—dates back to the 1800s, when musicians and lovers of music would gather at someone's home, and one or more singers and a pianist would perform the songs of composers of the day. In the field of classical music, these songs are referred to as "art songs," and the German art songs are called "Lieder." In Germany, the great age of song came in the 19th century. German and Austrian composers had written music for voice with keyboard before this time, but it was with the flowering of German literature in the Classical and Romantic eras that composers found high inspiration in great poetry, sparking the genre known as the "Lied."

The tradition of the art song composition continues today, with composers from all corners of the world setting poetry in many languages, scored for voice and piano. The NEC Liederabend series presents songs in a variety of languages—not only German—dating from the 19th century up to the present day.

Program:

Clara Schumann | Ich stand in dunkeln Traumen
Clara Schumann | Sie liebten sich beide
Johannes Brahms | Sommerabend
Johannes Brahms | Es liebt sich so lieblich im Lenze

Emma Robertson, soprano
Liya Nigmati, piano

Johannes Brahms | Mondenschein
Johannes Brahms | Meerfahrt
Johannes Brahms | Es schauen die Blumen alle
Philippe L'Espérance, tenor
Shalun Li, piano

Hugo Wolf | Wenn ich in deine Augen seh'
Robert Schumann | Mein Wagen rollet langsam
Hugo Wolf | Spätherbstnebel
Robert Schumann | Die Lotosblume
Lucas Ludwig Coura, countertenor
Hanzheng Li, piano

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel | Ich wandelte unter den Bäumen
Franz Liszt | Die Loreley
Jimin Park, soprano
Thomas Burrill, piano

Richard Strauss | Waldesfahrt
Richard Strauss | Schlechtes Wetter
Richard Strauss | Die heiligen drei Könige
Allyson Bennett, soprano
Alice Chenyang Xu, piano