Waltraud Meier & Joseph Breinl
Grammy Award-winning German mezzo soprano Waltraud Meier, makes a welcome return to the International Festival following her debut in 2011.
One of the world’s greatest opera singers, her charisma, dramatic voice and impressive stage presence make her a favourite with the world’s leading conductors, and a regular at La Scala, Covent Garden and Metropolitan Opera. She performs an inspiring evening of songs by Schumann, Schubert and Strauss, accompanied by her regular collaborator, young German pianist Joseph Breinl.
The very popular song-cycle, Frauenliebe und -leben (A Woman's Love and Life) was written by Schumann in one of his most prolific years, referred to as his ‘year of song’. Beautiful, sincere and emotional, the eight poems share a woman’s experience of first meeting her love, their marriage and finally his death and her withdrawal from the world.
Still considered some of the most haunting music ever written and a knowing acknowledgement of his imminent death, Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) suits Meier’s Wagnerian voice perfectly. While a selection of Schubert’s best loved songs including Der Wanderer and Du bist die Ruh which open Meier’s recital bring together a wonderful selection of German Lieder for Festival audiences to enjoy.
Waltraud Meier Mezzo Soprano
Joseph Breinl Piano
Schubert
Der Wanderer
Der Zwerg
Du bist die Ruh
Die junge Nonne
Schumann
Frauenliebe und-leben
Strauss
Vier letzte Lieder