In the summer of 2024, Sir András Schiff and tenor Julian Prégardien gave a deeply moving interpretation of Franz Schubert’s song cycle “Die schöne Müllerin” (“The Fair Maid of the Mill”) in the church of St. Jacob In Schiff’s song recital with the Macedonian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska, the “Liederkreis” op. 39, the highlight of Robert Schumann’s song oeuvre, takes centre stage. “The Eichendorff cycle is probably the most romantic of all my songs”, Schumann wrote to Clara Wieck. With the exception of the dramatic “Waldesgespräch” (Talk in the woods) and the final song “Frühlingsnacht” (Spring night) the twelve-part cycle is marked by a restrained, introspective tone. Instead of creating a tangible plot, Schumann masterfully condenses images of nature and moods into music. Pure romanticism, which is also reflected in songs by Franz Schubert and Antonín Dvořák.

This concert is supported by an anonymous donation.