A selection of Lieder, however broad, focuses perforce on the German language, as dictated by the theoretical, historical, and technical definition of the word "Lied," of the genre "Lieder."What is more, this particular selection of Lieder, though broad, gravitates around a strong poetic inspiration which, entrusted here to Sara Mingardo, is oriented towards the evocation of moonlit nights, of mysterious nocturnal scents, of that contemplative solitude that quivers between the two extremes of eros and nostalgia. The Lieder of Brahms and Mahler promise cosmic dimensions in the sphere of the sublime. In these, too, the listener also moves, but in ascent or descent: (s)he "moves his (her) steps" not here and there, but into the depths which, when inverted, lead to the heights of heaven, in a sphere almost independent of time and space.At this point our reconnaissance brings us to the music presented for our enjoyment on this CD. Here again, one senses the air and the motion of the passeggiata, of an easy, informal stroll. This apparently unlikely association is prompted by the metaphorical image of music in the open air as a leisure pursuit, as entertainment. And here is the nub: this image, which implies the idea of "movement" in space and time (the brief space of a public garden, the brief space of a spring afternoon, or that between summer and autumn), takes on much broader ramifications as soon as we establish a logical connection between the democratic social and cultural function of the "Proms" and the mature self-analysis of the kind of lofty, profound music, intimately bound up with a poetic text of similar spiritual level, that was such a feature of Austro-German culture between 1860 and 1914, between the national (or even "nationalistic") undertones of the said culture and the First World War.The historical parallel is not negligible. Between the phenomenon of the provision of music in a social and urban context-typically but not exclusively British-and an inspiration that can be discerned in the work of two supreme composers who shared the same German language and culture, Brahms and Mahler, we seek to trace an element of continuity. Additionally, we might note, however, how any and every possible concert programme (including every recording and every conceivable form of electronic reproduction) is always a journey, a path; and how music, too, always and in any case, is a language that would not exist if it did not move in space and time, forwards or backwards, towards the "before" or towards the "after," up into the highest heavens or down into the unfathomable depths, emphasised on occasion by the very notion of walking, as in Musorgsky's Pictures, or driven by the desperation of a headlong flight from oneself, as in Schubert's Winterreise.And now, without further ado, let us listen!

Tracklist:

Zwei GesÃ¤nge Op. 91 for alto, viola and piano~Gestillte Sehnsucht
Zwei GesÃ¤nge Op. 91 for alto, viola and piano~Geistliches Wiegenlied
Vier ernste GesÃ¤nge Op. 121 for voice and piano~Denn es gehet dem Menschen
Vier ernste GesÃ¤nge Op. 121 for voice and piano~Ich wandte mich und sahe alle
Vier ernste GesÃ¤nge Op. 121 for voice and piano~O Tod, wie bitter bist du
Vier ernste GesÃ¤nge Op. 121 for voice and piano~Wenn ich mit Menschen- und mit Engelszungen redete
Vier GesÃ¤nge Op. 43 for voice and piano: Von ewiger Liebe Op. 43 n. 1
Vier GesÃ¤nge Op. 43 for voice and piano: Die Mainacht Op. 43 n. 2
FÃ¼nf Lieder Op. 105 for low voice and piano: Wie Melodien zieth es mir Op. 105 n. 1
FÃ¼nf Lieder Op. 105 for low voice and piano: Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer Op. 105 n. 2
RÃ¼ckert-Lieder for voice and piano~Liebst du um SchÃ¶nheit?
RÃ¼ckert-Lieder for voice and piano~Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder
RÃ¼ckert-Lieder for voice and piano~Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
RÃ¼ckert-Lieder for voice and piano~Um Mitternacht
RÃ¼ckert-Lieder for voice and piano~Ich atmet' einen linden Duft

UPC: 8011570371553
Label: Stradivarius
Release Date: 3.20.26
Format: CD

Sara Mingardo - Autumn Gold (CD)