Anke Vondung,
Werner Güra
& Christoph Berner

‘Auch kleine Dinge können uns entzücken...’ (even little things can charm us) – a line from the Italienisches Liederbuch that could be applied to Hugo Wolf’s whole cycle, which comprises 46 miniatures in song. To create these gems, Wolf drew on an anthology of short Italian poems that Paul Heyse translated into German and published in 1860. The order in which the poems are to be sung is not fixed, but a conversation unfolds between the two singers – on the subject of love (what else)? – whose tone switches from passion to light-hearted mockery to lamentation and despair. Werner Güra and Anke Vondung are both outstanding lieder singers and have appeared in our recital series several times in the past. Together, they make of the Italienisches Liederbuch a lovers’ sparring match, bearing in mind Wolf’s motto: ‘Let poetry, the true source of my musical language, speak’.

PROGRAMME

• Hugo Wolf
  Italienisches Liederbuch (nach Paul Heyse), (1890-1891 / 1896)