Download DUX 01103 / 2014 GERMAN DUETS Urszula KRYGER

DUX 01103 / 2014
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GERMAN DUETS
Urszula KRYGER - mezzo-soprano
Jadwiga RAPPÉ - alto
Hartmut HÖLL - piano
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Felix MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY (1809-1847) :
* Ich wollt, meine Lieb‘ ergösse sich op. 63 nr 1, * Abschiedslied der Zugvögel op. 63 nr 2, * Gruß op. 63 nr 3 ,
* Volkslied op. 63 nr 5, * Maiglöckchen und die Blümelein op. 63 nr 6 , * Lied aus Ruy Blas op. 77 nr 3
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) :
* Ländliches Lied op. 29 nr 1 , * Wenn ich ein Vöglein war op. 43 nr 1, * Schön Blumelein op. 43 nr 3 ,
* Liebesgram op. 74 nr 3, * Das Glück op. 79 nr 16 , * Frühlingslied op. 79 nr 18
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897) :
* Weg der Liebe I op. 20 nr 1 * Die Meere op. 20 nr 3 * Die Schwestern op. 61 nr 1 ,
* Phänomen op. 61 nr 3 * Klänge I op. 66 nr 1 , * Klänge II op. 66 nr 2 , * Am Strände op. 66 nr 3
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DUX MałgorzataPolańska& Lech Tołwiński, ul. MorskieOko 2, 02-511 Warszawa
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e-mail: [email protected], www.dux.pl
Aleksandra Kitka-Coutellier – International Relations kitka@dux
When we think about vocal duets, immediately we see a piano and two singers (most often female ones). Therefore,
three performers. A duet for three people. This confusing terminology, resembling something of a baroque way of
thinking, started with a solo sonata, which was a sonata for violin and basso continuo. In other words, a sonata for at
least three performers: violin, cello and harpsichord, positive organ, lute…. Additionally, the most famous sister of the
solo sonata – the trio sonata – was intended for at least four musicians (two violins and two musicians in the continuo
group). But also… for one musician, when an organ composition had a quality of trio sonata (manual I, manual II and
bass part on pedal).
The romantic duet for three people is similar to a baroque way of thinking, not only in the name, but also in the
texture. We have two melodic voices and rhythmic-harmonic accompaniment for the piano. This ensemble is of
countless possibilities, and not in the least imposing neither homophonic nor polyphonic solutions; on the contrary, all
kinds of textures sound equally well, leaving the composer with total freedom of shaping the material. Therefore, also
in later times and not only in classical music of the most classical kind, we find similar arrangements: in jazz (bass and
percussion, as well as melodic treatment of the piano and saxophone), in rock (bass and percussion, in addition to
two melodic guitars), or in the mostly connected with the past Astor Piazzolla’s quintet, which consciously referred to
baroque forms in his tango nuevo (bandoneon and violin, plus guitar, piano and bass).
In German vocal duet of the XIX century, the newly re-thought baroque texture mixes with the new expression of a solo
song – Das Lied – which is so much so an important phenomenon, as separate on the musical map of Europe. Duet is
a song for two singers – the lack of dialogue, dramatization of the texture, division of roles. Similarly to the choral songs
where all voices cooperate in conveyance with the emotional side of the text, yet none of the voices is treated separately.
In extreme cases, like in the song to the lyrics of Victor Hugo from Ruy Blas by Mendelssohn, the voices move in unison.
However, the most important factor differentiating German vocal duets from, for example, Slavic duets of this time, is
a demanding piano part – the composers of the genre were without exception extraordinary virtuosos of this instrument,
and all the achievements on the field of the piano texture elaborated for solo compositions, were also used in the song
accompaniment.
When we think about Felix Mendelssohn’s songs, we foremost see songs… but without words. A paradox? Only seemingly,
as many of those captivating piano miniatures had their source in vocal compositions written at the same time. The
primacy of melody over poetry is possibly the most important reason why Mendelssohn is not typically mentioned together
with Schubert, Brahms or Wolf. The poems are treated more like a pretext and not an inspiration. Mendelssohn also avoids
high emotions, or extreme subjects – as for the most part, he remains a continuator of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s
aesthetics, who believed that music, regardless of how strong emotions it shows, must always and foremost remain music.
The duets were intended to be used at home, to be performed by then decently prepared amateurs. It does not mean,
however, lowering of the artistic quality of those compositions; on the contrary – the best concert halls would be honored
with them. Even a technically simple piece performed by an artist of the highest quality, becomes a masterpiece and brings
a considerable amount of excitement.
Mendelssohn’s piano part is completely subordinate to the vocal part, and the texture sometimes shows much similarity to
the guitar’s (Ich wollt, meine Lieb ergösse sich or Maiglöckchen und die Blümelein to name the more obvious examples). It
is interesting that although most composers of the turn of the XVIII and XIX centuries had rudimentary knowledge how to
play plucked instruments, only Karol Maria Weber composed exceptional songs with a guitar accompaniment – the rest, with
Schubert at the front, were satisfied with imitating the guitar on the piano (Mit dem grünen Lautenbande z Die Schöne
Müllerin!).
Mendelssohn did not arrange his songs in cycles, he just published them in collections of several songs, like for example
Duets op. 63 issued in 1845 and composed between 1836-44 to the lyrics of various poets: Heine, Burns, or August H.
Hoffman von Fallersleben. The last poet from this group became famous in memorable year 1848, when he supported the
unification of Germany and threw on the barricades famous words Deutschland über alles, which were used with Haydn
imperial hymn to became the national anthem. Later the intended meaning of those words was so twisted by the poet’s
descendants, that today they had to be removed from the official national anthem of the Bundesrepublik altogether.
The simplicity of the elaboration does not exclude interesting solutions: in the stanza Ich wollt, meine Lieb ergösse sich in
E-major key, one strophic song is compiled in minor key (C-sharp minor), because it talks about a sweetheart’s dream. In
the middle part of Abschiedslied der Zugvögel the voices are given independence and enter successively, what in turn
makes the texture more dynamic. In turn Gruß , to the lyrics of Joseph von Eichendorff, vocal voices move consequently in
opposite direction.
The year 1840 Robert Schumann’s biographers usually call “the year of song”, as indeed, a volcanic-like eruption of
composer’s creativity in this field occurred then. It was the showdown time with Friedrich Wieck, the father of beloved
Clara, which clash ended in court ruling allowing the marriage. Robert felt victory in the air, he was sure of the girl’s
feelings, and all this led to an unusual state of his spirit. It is impossible to number here all the songs created in this time,
but some breakthrough cycles Frauenliebe und -leben op. 42 or Dichterliebe op. 48 must be mentioned. Also many vocal
duets were created at this time, like Ländliches Lied to the poetry of Emanuel Geibel, a fashionable poet of the time,
although today he is believed to be a writer of a lesser caliber. Schumann uses the form of a canon, though treated fairly
loosely, with a simple piano accompaniment, to present a picture of a carefree German village whose inhabitants enjoy the
month of May. The polyphonic form seems to be quite distant from an idyllic picture, yet in fact it is not atypical to German
folk music. Schumann does not, however, simply imitate folk songs, he just focuses on conveying the general atmosphere
of the text. As a result, the simplicity of this duet is delusive, as both singers are required to demonstrate an extraordinary
vocal technique, lightness and precision.
Duets op. 43 were created in the beginning of October, 1840, referring to an idealized picture of a happily married couple
playing music in the privacy of their home – Mr. and Mrs. Schumann were married less than a month at that time (the
ceremony took place on September 12). The simplicity of these duets is delusive, as it must be remembered what a couple
gave themselves to music: Robert and Clara both are ranked as one of the best musicians of that time! Duet Wenn ich ein
Vöglein war will soon be used in the opera Genoveva, and the piano part in Schön Blumelein requires an experienced
pianist – in seemingly steady move in triplets built of semiquavers there are so many hidden shifts of accents, that an
amateur musician would rather disturb the singers then support them. Those songs are therefore rather Schumann’s
representation of playing music at home than a real popular repertoire; the same can be said about “children’s” songs op.
79 which are rather about children, and not for them.
Lieder-Album für die Jugend was composed in 1849 – also a very prolific period in Schumann’s life – as a supplement to
piano Album für die Jugend composed a year earlier with his own children in mind. Let’s listen to a superfine duet Das
Glück, in which Schumann uses a technique worked out on the basis of piano miniatures composed in his youth. In the
beginning, the melody is shredded into short detached motifs appearing in three voices (both vocal and the right hand part
of the piano: soprano-piano-alto-piano), which in the course of the composition start to interrelate and tighten,
succumbing to constant transformation until the full unification of all the voices in the finale, which brings the moral.
Frühlingslied is elaborated more simply, in the sense that the voices are joined throughout the entire composition, save for
the piano accompaniment which again transfers everything into another dimension. It is not a joyful song about spring, but
an artistic representation of children singing such a song.
Also Liebesgram op. 73 nr 3 deserves special attention, coming from a collection Spanisches Liederspiel, composed in
1849, to the poem of the abovementioned Geibel, according to Cristobal de Castillejo. Schumann experiments a lot in this
song-cycle, as all the compositions are written for four voices and piano, however the cast changes in individual songs –
alongside quartet we also have solo songs and duets. The composer will similarly proceed in Spanische Liebeslieder op.
138 (here he uses four-hands accompaniment). Both song-cycles will later become an inspiration for Brahms (Liebeslieder
Waltzer also with the four-hands accompaniment) and Hugon Wolf (who partially utilized the same poems). From the
musical point of view “Spanishness” is limited to a fashionable at that time “salon” bolero, which opens the whole songcycle op. 73 – Schumann in his musical style, however, remained through and through a German creator of Lied.
We like to think about Johannes Brahms as a symphony composer, the creator of superb chamber and piano music. We
tend to forget that almost half of his legacy are songs, which unfortunately are not as popular as they deserve to be.
Usually Brahms composed to the lyrics of minor poets what allowed him more unrestrained interpretation of the poems. He
often referred to the idea of a folk song, hence frequent in Brahms diatonic, rhythmically homogenous melodies.
Instrumental pre- and postludes are not much developed, sometimes there is even a total lack of them altogether. This
self-imposed discipline allowed the composer to write works of the most sublime kind – none of the Brahms duets may be
described as intended for amateurs! Sophisticated piano parts demand a virtuoso, and the texture probably mostly
resembles a baroque way of thinking: the mastery of polyphony is visible for example in Klänge I op. 66 nr 1, in which the
second stanza is a canon by inversion.
In 1858 Brahms was enchanted with a singer Göttingen Agathe von Siebold. Under the influence of this feeling he
composed 15 songs, including Duets op. 20 with a characteristic text of the first duet Weg der Liebe, drawn from the
Stimme der Völker collection by Johannes G. Herder. It is a translation of an English folk poetry representing the topos of
love overcoming everything. Often in those poems there are parallels to the nature phenomena, for example mountains
able to stop a river, but not love. Brahms frequently uses canon and polymelody, but both voices always unite with the
words Find’t Liebe den Weg (Love will find the way).
In the third duet from op. 20 the composer refers to the idiom of bacarolle created by Mendelssohn. The indifference of
gently undulating sea is opposed to a lover’s restless heart. The text from Stimmen… this time comes from Italy. Both
voices are tightly united with the piano part what gives this miniature strongly influencing homogeneity of expression.
Voices in parallel motion were amusingly used in the charming duet Die Schwestern to the lyrics of Eduard Mörike: twin
sisters tell a story about how similar they are and how everything they do together. In the finale a listener cuts in, noticing
that this agreement will not last long as the sisters fell in love with the same boy, therefore it is time to finish the song!
Brahms – a humorist? By all means!
In the same collection op. 61 from 1874 we find one of the few examples of Brahms’ songs to the verse of an exceptional
poet. The lyrics of the duet Phänomen are taken from the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The rareness of the
situation (Apollo-Phoebus walks around a forest) is emphasized by harmony of an extraordinary coloring and characteristic
to Brahms hemiola, which opens the composition – ignoring the ¾ pattern the melody moves through few bars in halfnotes. Brahms’ also uses here an imitative entry of the voices in the middle part of the composition, which is a constant
feature of his duets.
Op. 66 was created in the same 1874 and is believed to be a pendant to the collection of op. 61. The conciseness and
directness of the composer’s expression are the more admirable that the musical means are far from being simple. Besides
the before mentioned canon by inversion in Klänge I, we find reference to medieval German song at the beginning of
Klänge II , which is even more interesting that it is a double citation. For Brahms used this melody in the slow part of his F
minor Sonata op. 2. The voices show much independence, they are rhythmically diversified, the composer avoids their
parallel motion. The last duet, Am Strande, brings an original, discrete illustration of waves. A crucial achievement, as at
that time the imitation of the water movement was an illustrative procedure so commonly used in various ways, that
became almost kitsch-like. Brahms avoided a cliché introducing polyrhythm in the piano part: every two notes of the right
hand are matched by three of the left one, and the move is also in the opposite direction, therefore the illustration is both
accurate and subtle at the same time. Usually, while watching a river or lake we do not see one wave rising and falling, but
in fact we observe several ones, overlapping each other.
Krzysztof Komarnicki
Translated by Dorota Burke
Urszula KRYGER The graduate of two faculties of the Łódź Music Academy: instrumental (piano) and vocal and acting
under Jadwiga Pietraszkiewicz. She continued vocal studies under André Orlowitz in Copenhagen, which led to many
successes in various international vocal competitions. Between years 1992-1994 she was awarded the 1st prize in the
Moniuszko Competition in Warsaw, the Brahms Competition in Hamburg, and the ARD Music Competition in Munich.
Urszula Kryger’s repertory extends from baroque oratories through German and Italian opera to romantic and modern
songs. She has performed concerts and song recitals in the biggest music venues of Europe such as Munich, Paris,
Frankfurt (Alte Oper), Berlin (Schauspielhaus), Milano (La Scala), Stuttgart, Madrid. She has co-operated with famous
conductors: Jerzy Semkow, Jan Krenz, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, Sir Colin Davis.
She performs regularly at well known music festivals such as the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, the Berliner Festwochen, the
Kissinger Sommer, the Warsaw Autumn.
Urszula Kryger is particularly keen on chamber music and has been accompanied by such great musicians as Hartmut Höll,
Charles Spencer, Melvyn Tan, Pascal Rogé, the clarinetist Paul Meyer as well as string quartets: the Tokyo String Quartet,
the Petersen Quartet and the Sine Nomine Quartet.
Her international opera debut took place in 1996 in the SemperOper in Dresden as Angelina in Rossini’s Cinderella.
She has recorded for radio stations in Poland, France, Germany and Switzerland. Her CD recordings include Poulenc’s
Polish Songs with Pascal Rogé (Decca 1999), Chopin Songs with Charles Spencer (Hyperion 1999), Russian Duets with
Jadwiga Rappé and Tomasz Herbut (Dux 2001), Moniuszko Songs (Dux 2002), Szymanowski Songs (Dux 2002).
In 2003 a recording of Beethoven’s arias was released (BNL) followed in 2004 by a complete recording of Szymanowski’s
songs for Channel Classics. The latter won the Fryderyk Prize for the Most Outstanding Polish Music Recording in the same
year. In January 2006 Urszula Kryger received The Szymanowski Foundation Prize for her masterly interpretations of
Szymanowki’s songs.
Hartmut HÖLL has attracted attention as a collaborator with his own ideas about singer/accompanist partnerships. With
his wife, mezzo-soprano Mitsuko Shirai, and with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau during the final years of the baritone’s long
career, Höll has demonstrated an often grittier approach, although some critics have felt him less polished than his
predecessors. Höll, nonetheless, has shown a readiness to explore the outer edges of the song literature, frequently
bringing into new focus lyric works by lesser, or less well-known, composers.
At the Stuttgart Conservatory, where Höll was pursuing his studies in the 1970s, he met his future wife. Shirai, though
born in Japan, had acquired great facility in German and her interest in literature attracted the activist temperament of the
young pianist. As a student of composer/accompanist Hermann Reutter, Höll was afforded the opportunity of serving as
accompanist for master classes being given by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. The great singer was impressed by both Höll’s
work for her classes and by his performances with Shirai.
In the early ‘80s, Höll came to the attention of another great lieder artist and became Fischer-Dieskau’s regular
accompanist. He remained with the baritone for 14 years, providing probing and conscientious support amidst FischerDieskau’s occasional projects with concert pianists less adept at collaboration. In recordings and one extant video, Höll
demonstrates great spontaneity, confirming the conclusions of a writer in “The Christian Science Monitor” that he is
a pianist “of spiky originality and great emotional depth.”
Through a substantial series of recordings for the Capriccio label, Höll has been able to explore with Shirai both standard
and not-so-standard repertory. Mozart and Brahms were each treated to close re-examination in discs produced in the
1990s. An example of fresh exploration was heard in the 1991 release 2x Winterreise, in which the singer and accompanist
performed the cycle on one disc, while on the other Höll performed the accompaniment to the violin playing of Tabea
Zimmermann and readings of the texts by Peter Härtling. Other composers whose songs have been recorded by Höll and
Shirai include Robert Franz, Viktor Ullman, Hugo Wolf, Alban Berg, Reutter, Hanns Eisler, and Karl Michael Komma.
Jadwiga RAPPÉ
one of the most outstanding Polish singers. Her first singing tutor was Zofia Brégy, then later Jerzy Artysz. During her
studies at Wroclaw Music Academy her competence was brought up to the level of the best performers of compositions for
alto voice. She won 1st Prize at the International Bach Competition in Leipzig, followed the next year by the Gold Medal at
the International Festival of Young Soloists in Bordeaux. For the recording of the Three fragments from the Jan Kasprowicz
poetry Op.5 by Karol Szymanowski played with Maja Nosowska, she was awarded 1982 with the Polish Radio Prize,
granted the initiative of Jan Weber.
Jadwiga Rappé has appeared on stage in numerous European countries, USA, Canada, Japan, performing at the most
prestigious concert halls including Musikverein and Konzerthaus (Vienna), La Salle Pleyel and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées
(Paris), Gewandhaus (Leipzig), Philharmonie im Gasteig and Herkulessaal (Munich), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Royal
Albert Hall (London), Carnegie Hall (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington), The State Hall Jerusalem. She has
participated in renowned festivals including the Handel Festspiele in Karlsruhe, MDR-Musiksommer, Ludwigsburger
Schlossfestspiele, Salzburger Festspiele, Brucknerfest Linz, Styriarte Graz, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Proms in London,
‘Wratislavia Cantans’, ‘Warsaw Autumn’, Cassals Festival in Puerto Rico.
She works with numerous reremarkable conductors as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Marek Janowski, Bernard Haitink, Sir Colin
Davies, Seiji Ozawa, Leopold Hager, Helmut Rilling, Riccardo Chailly, Jesús López-Cobos, Charles Dutoit, Aleksandr
Lazarev, Armin Jordan, Krzysztof Penderecki, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Lorin Maazel, Kent Nagano, Sir Simon Rattle, Klaus
Tennstedt. Her repertoire is wide and comprises songs alongside opera and oratorio-cantata parts from Baroque through
Romanticism to contemporary music (including i.e. Polish Requiem and Te Deum by Krzysztof Penderecki) The artist
willingly participates in premiere performances of Polish contemporary music as she sang in Seven Gates of Jerusalem by
Penderecki – a work written especially to commemorate the third millenium of this city. Her original voice inspired
Wojciech Kilar when composing the alto part of the Missa Pro Pace, Paweł Mykietyn (III Symphonie). She took also part in
the successful world premiere of the Gong by Ladislav Kubik – a Czech composer living in USA.
Furthemore, Jadwiga Rappé has recorded 49 LPs and CDs for such record labels like Philips, Eterna, EMI, Erato, Teldec,
Orfeo, BMG, Decca, Naxos and Polskie Nagrania. Recordings of the artist include the alto parts from Bach’s St Matthew
Passion, Cantatas and Mass in B minor, Handel’s Sosarme, Mozart’s Coronation Mass K.317, Ceremonial Vespers K.339,
Weissenhausmesse K.139, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony, Mahler’s 2nd and 3rd Symphonies, Das
klagende Lied, Wagner’s Rheingold und Siegfried (Erda), Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater, King Roger and Demeter,
Honneger’s King David, Penderecki’s Polish Requiem are found on. Many of her recordings was awarded in Poland (7
gained the Fryderyk Awards, 5 were nominated to this prize) and abroad (Polish Requiem by Penderecki recorded for
Naxos was nominated to the Grammy 2005 Award). Her CD “Stanisław Moniuszko – Songs”, recorded with Maja Nosowska
gained Orphée d’Or 2011 Award, given by Academie du Disque Lyrique for the best recording of the songs and received
excellent reviews all other the world. Similar award gained 2012 her live recording of Das Lied von der Erde by Mahler
(with Piotr Kusiewicz and Grand Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio and Television in Katowice. Her CD “Chagall”
recorded with the Opium Quartet enclosing song cycle Le lien entre les jours by Peter Moss gained the “Fryderyk 2014”
prize.
Jadwiga Rappé’s repertoire includes parts in operas by Handel, Tchaikovsky, Gluck, Verdi, Ponchielli, Strauss (i.e. Gaea in
his Daphne and Klitamnestra in Electra, staged in Deutsche Oper in Berlin and Opera du Rhin in Strasburg). She received
great acclaim for her Erda in Wagner’s Ring at performances in the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Covent Garden, Théâtre Royal
de la Monnaie, Festival d`Orange, Wiener Staatsoper, Oper Frankfurt, Grand Théâtre de Genève.
She is a frequent jury member of vocal competitions. Over the last few years she has been running a solo singing class at
the F. Chopin Music University in Warsaw. Since 2013 she is engaged as a professor at the Music Academy in Gdańsk.
Since march 2006 till march 2009 she was president of Witold Lutoslawski Assotiation in Warsaw.
Krzysztof Komarnicki