United Kingdom Preview: Bringing Schubert’s Vienna to Oxford (10th October – 1st November 2014)
How many songs did Schubert set to music? If you come to Oxford this October you’ll be able to listen to them all and count them!
Franz Schubert has been at the core of the Oxford Lieder Festival since its all-Schubert inception in 2002. This October the Festival will see the world’s first complete performance of his songs in a single, intense Festival.
In his all-too-short life (just 31 years) Schubert wrote some 650 songs; many are perfect masterpieces, most are exquisite, and not one is without merit and interest. These songs will form the heart of the Schubert Project. Many of his substantial body of part songs will also be performed, as well as selected chamber works, four-hand piano music, orchestral works, and perhaps even opera. In addition to the music, expect exhibitions, theatre, food & drink, talks, workshops, masterclasses and more.
The director and founder of the Festival is Sholto Kynoch, a sought-after pianist who specialises in chamber music and song accompaniment. He will be playing a major role in the recitals as usual, including the opening concert on 10th.
Singers performing in the The Schubert Project will include: Sir Thomas Allen, Sarah Connolly, William Dazeley, James Gilchrist, Robert Holl, Wolfgang Holzmair, Sophie Karthäuser, Angelika Kirchschlager, Stephan Loges, Christopher Maltman, Christoph Prégardien, Birgid Steinberger, Roderick Williams and many more in over 50 recitals. They will be joined by the world’s leading pianists, including Eugene Asti, Julius Drake, Graham Johnson, Malcolm Martineau and Roger Vignoles. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Doric String Quartet, and the Schubert Ensemble will be amongst the partners for chamber music.
A glimpse at the opening concert in the Sheldonian Theatre indicates some of delights in store. An all-star cast of singers come together for a celebratory start to The Schubert Project. Four tenors and four baritones sing well-known Schubert songs, as well as introducing some less familiar masterpieces. They are John Mark Ainsley tenor, Joshua Ellicott tenor, Daniel Norman tenor, James Gilchrist tenor, Neal Davies baritone, William Dazeley baritone, Stephan Loges baritone and Christopher Maltman baritone. For the finale of the concert, they come together as a chorus, joined by inimitable mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly for a performance of the glorious serenade ‘Zögernd leise’.
More details about the Festival can be found on www.oxfordlieder.co.uk