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Csaba Szegedi - Hungary

Accompanist: L谩szl贸 Szekeres

Toborz贸 - H谩ry J谩nos (Op 15 No 22) - Kod谩ly

This recruiting song is from Kod谩ly's folk opera, H谩ry J谩nos. The veteran hussar likes to tell tall stories to the villagers. Here, he sings of the carefree life in the army, defeating the enemy on the battlefield and winning the hearts of the ladies in the town.

In der Fremde - Liederkreis (Op 39 No 1) - Schumann

Schumann wrote his Liederkreis cycle, settings of poetry by Joseph von Eichendorff, in 1840, the year when his marriage to Clara Wieck seemed to inspire him. 'In a Foreign Land' describes the poet's homeland, but his parents are dead and no one there remembers him. He longs for death and oblivion.

She never told her love - Haydn

The text comes from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Act II Scene IV. Viola is in love with Duke Orsino, but cannot show it as she is disguised as a man. Here, she describes this plight to the Duke - claiming it to be that of her imaginary sister.

F谩j a sz铆vem - Kod谩ly

The poet's heart is aching, as he and his beloved can never be together. She is from a rich family and he is poor - although the world envies his luck, her family will not allow the match. He is so lonely, no-one can bring him comfort.

Zueignung (Op 10 No 1) - Richard Strauss

Zueignung (Dedication) is a love song, written by Strauss when he was in his late teens, to a text by Hermann von Gilm. In this passionate song, the lover is in anguish, separated from his beloved. His heart is aching, as he remembers when he was first in love. He gives thanks.

Helen Kearns - Ireland

Accompanist: Ll欧r Williams

Du meines Herzens Kr枚nelein (Op 21 No 2) - Richard Strauss

'You are the crown of my heart', says the poet. While others are clever and artful, the beloved is gentle and unassuming, showing an innocence which delights all. The poem is by Felix Dahn.

Ich schwebe (Op 48 No 2) - Richard Strauss

"I float, as if on angel's wings", says the poet. He imagines he hears a soft lament, like a lover's farewell, lulling him into a state of dreaming. The echo of the song brings the form of his beloved to his mind's eye. This is a setting of a poem by Karl Henckell.

Nacht und Tr盲ume (Op 43 No 2) - Schubert

In this gentle nocturne, heavenly night and its peaceful dreams are welcomed by the poet. When day returns, he looks forward to the night. The poem is by Matth盲us von Collin.

A Blackbird Singing (Over the Rim of the Moon) - Michael Head

Michael Head wrote this song cycle at the age of 19 just after World War One. The poem is by Francis Ledwidge, who was killed in action in 1917. It tells of the blackbird singing in the forest, with bluebells swaying in the wind. But parting brings sorrow, and there is silence in the wood.

L脿-bas, vers l'茅glise (Cinq m茅lodies populaires grecques No 2) - Ravel

Ravel's Five Greek Folk Songs are set to translations, from the original Greek into French, by Michel Dimitri Calvocoressi. In this song, the singer tells the Virgin Mary that all the best people in the world are gathered around the church of Ayio Sidero and Ayio Costandino.

Quel galant m'est comparable (Cinq m茅lodies populaires grecques No 3) - Ravel

The singer boasts of his manliness and his skills with his sword and pistols to his beloved lady, Vassiliki. What man can compare to him? he asks in this boisterous song. And how lucky is Vassiliki, he implies, to have his love!

Tout gai! (Cinq m茅lodies populaires grecques No 5) - Ravel

The poet sings that everyone is happy, everyone is dancing on their beautiful legs - even the dishes! The song ends with a round of merry tra-la-las.

Tomislav Lu膷i膰 - Croatia

Accompanist: Phillip Thomas

Wohl denk' ich oft an mein vergangnes Leben (Michelangelo Lieder No 1) - Wolf

Wolf set texts by Robert-Tornow based on poetry by the Renaissance artist Michelangelo. In the first, the poet is thinking of his life before he was in love. Then, he was insignificant, and now he is known by all.

Alles endet, was entstehet (Michelangelo Lieder No 2) - Wolf

Whatever has been, whatever experiences people have had, everything ends as time moves on. The sun goes down, people experience sorrow and joy, and all ends up lifeless in the earth.

F眉hlt meine Seele das ersehnte Licht (Michelangelo Lieder No 3) - Wolf

The poet feels confusion in his soul - visions and sounds are evoking strong feelings. He has been captive to these violent emotions, bitter and sweet, since he first saw his beloved's eyes.

Vozrozhdenije (Four Romances Op 46 No 1) - Shostakovich

Shostakovich set four Pushkin poems in 1936-7 and two are performed here. The first tells of the rebirth of a masterpiece which has been painted over, with the new paint disappearing with the passage of time. He compares this to the shedding of illusions from his own innocent soul.

Junoshu, gor'ko rydaja (Four Romances Op 46 No 2) - Shostakovich

A girl is weeping jealous tears - until her lover suddenly falls asleep against her shoulder. She cannot help but smile at him.

Yuriy Mynenko - Ukraine

Accompanist: Tamara Panska

Music for a while - Purcell

This comes from Purcell's incidental music for John Dryden and Nathaniel Lee's play Oedipus. 'Music for a while will all your cares beguile' is sung by a priest, trying to conjure up the ghost of King Laius to find out who murdered him.

No, no, non si speri! - Carissimi

In this lament, the poet is in despair - all hope has perished. The joys and pleasures of loving do not last long and all that is left is a memory - together with thoughts of betrayed hope and grief.

Vaga luna, che inargenti - Bellini

The poet sings to the silvery moon, the only witness to his longing for his beloved. He urges the moon to recount his feelings of sorrow to his loved one; to tell her that he still longs for her although they have parted; and that he still holds out hope for their love.

La lontananza - Donizetti

In 'Separation', a girl writes to her lover. She laments the pain of being forced to part from him and expresses her deep suffering, which is intensified by her solitude. She tells him that her love is so strong that she would not exchange her pain for anyone else's happiness. The poem is by Felice Romani.

Singing heals the aching spirit (Silent Songs) - Silvestrov

In the 1970s, Valentin Silvestrov was unpopular with the Soviet authorities and and he chose to keep a low profile. He wrote this cycle of 'Silent Songs', intended to be performed in private. This is the first of a group of five, to a text by Baratynsky. As well as the healing power of singing, he says, harmony can calm confusion and tame rebellious passions. When the singer pours out his heart - and all sorrow is released - the sacred poetry brings purity and peace to those who hear it.

Farewell world, farewell earth (Silent Songs) - Silvestrov

The fifth of this group of five songs from the cycle is set to a text in Ukrainian by Shevchenko. The poet says goodbye to the unfriendly world which has tormented him and made him angry for so long. But when he is in heaven, he will always remember the beloved Ukraine, which he has left behind.

Izabela Matu艂a - Poland

Accompanist: Phillip Thomas

Ya li v pole da ne travushka byla? (Op 47 No 7) - Tchaikovsky

"Was I not a little blade of grass in the field?" asks the young girl. Her destiny - to be mown down and dried in the sunshine. "Was I not a little wild rosebush?" she asks. Her destiny - to be uprooted and tied in a bundle. "Was I not my father's daughter?" she continues. Her destiny - to be forced to marry an old man she does not love. The text is by Ivan Zakharovich Surikov.

Var det en dr枚m? (Op 37 No 4) - Sibelius

In 'Was it a dream?' the lover is remembering the beloved in the days when they were together. There are reminiscences of gifts and sweet glances - and tears when they parted. But was it all a dream? If so, it was the best dream of all. This Swedish poem is by JJ Wecksell.

September (Vier letzte Lieder No 2) - Richard Strauss

In this poem, by Hermann Hesse, the garden is in mourning as the golden leaves fall in the autumn rain. The garden longs for peace and closes its weary eyes. The valedictory Four Last Songs were originally written for soprano and orchestra.

Gretchen am Spinnrade (Op 2) - Schubert

Gretchen sits at her spinning wheel, sad because she has been abandoned by Faust. She has no peace, and her heart is heavy. She searches for Faust all the time, looking out for his walk, his smile, and thinking of his kisses. This is one of several settings Schubert made of scenes from Goethe's Faust.

Javier Arrey - Chile

Accompanist: Simon Lepper

Oblak a Mar谩kota - P铆sn茅 Biblick茅 (Op 99 No 1) - Dvo艡谩k

Dvo艡谩k used verses from the Psalms, taken from the Bible of Kralice, as the basis of the Biblical Songs, and the songs often have the feel of church music. The first speaks of darkness and thunderclouds surrounding the Lord. He destroys his enemies with fire and mountains melt before him. He is the Lord God of earth and heaven.

Skyse m谩 a pav茅za m谩 - P铆sn茅 Biblick茅 (Op 99 No 2) - Dvo艡谩k

The Lord is my shield, my refuge and hope. I trust in Thy word. Lord, give me strength and keep me from evil. I stand in Thy sight in fear and trembling of Thy judgment.

Sl媒s 贸 B贸啪e modlitbu mow - P铆sn茅 Biblick茅 (Op 99 No 3) - Dvo艡谩k

Hear my prayer, Lord my God, hide not from my entreaty. My heart is sore, the fear of death lies heavy on me. If I had the wings of a dove, I would fly away to be at rest in the wilderness. I would escape the tempest and the fear of death.

B贸啪e! B贸啪e! p铆se艌 novou - P铆sn茅 Biblick茅 (Op 99 No 5) - Dvo艡谩k

I will sing Thee songs of gladness and give praises on the psaltery. Let my song find favour in Thine eyes. Every day I will bless Thy name - Thou art all my delight. Men will tell of Thy great mercy, love and wondrous insight and I shall sing of Thy glory and power.

Im wundersch枚nen Monat Mai - Dichterliebe (Op 48 No 1) - Schumann

Schumann's best-known song cycle, 'The Poet's Love', was written in 1840 to texts by Heinrich Heine, of which the first four are performed here. In the first, the poet sings of the wonderful month of May, when the birds sing, the buds come to life and so does his love. He tells his beloved of his longing.

Aus meinen tr盲nen spriessen - Dichterliebe (Op 48 No 2) - Schumann

The poet sings of his tears, watering the flowers which spring up, and of his sighs, which become a choir of nightingales. For his love, he will pick the flowers, and the nightingales will serenade her. This delicate song's pauses echo the poet's sighs.

Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube - Dichterliebe (Op 48 No 3) - Schumann

This little song has the poet singing - almost breathlessly and with complete happiness - of his love for his dearest, which has replaced the feelings he once had for roses, lilies, doves and the sunshine.

Wenn ich in deine Augen seh' - Dichterliebe (Op 48 No 4) - Schumann

A vein of melancholy runs through this song. Although the poet sings of how his lover's glance takes his pain away, her kisses make him well and he feels so happy in her arms - he weeps when she says she loves him.

Vidala del secadal (Doze canciones populares) - Guastavino

The writer is going away to the desert, alone with his soul. His feelings are known by the springs, by the flowers, by the wind. He will no longer be a burden to the one he loves so much. A vidala is a sad love song, often sung with guitar, and very popular in Chile and Argentina. It was written by Argentine composer Carlos Guastavino, to a text by Le贸n Benar贸s.