Roger Quilter was born in 1877, the third son of Lord and Lady Quilter. His father was not only the holder of a considerable estate, but also possessed a personal fortune of equal size, so young Roger grew up in a privileged environment. He studied at Eton, where he must have been something of a rara avis: unfortunately, his health never accompanied him, even as a child [..]

Which poets were most set to music by Franz Schubert? That Johann Wolfgang Goethe occupies the first place in this ranking will surprise few Lied lovers; many of the most famous songs are set to his poems. That Friedrich Schiller, another great figure of German literature, occupies the third place is also understandable, although if we were asked to name well-known [...]

There are concerts you remember for a long time. Unforgettable performances. Songs that remain forever tied to a duo. Normally you never really know if these sensations are shared; at most you exchange a comment with someone you know who was also at the concert. But sometimes the audience reacts in such an unusual and unanimous way that you know for certain [...]

At a dinner where we were talking about music the name Barber came up. My friend I. said, “Barber? Les Mélodies passagères are his, right?” Since I didn’t know the Mélodies passagères, I made a mental note.To trace the origin of this cycle we have to go back to May 1946, to the first edition of the Prague Spring Music Festival, because that was where Francis Poulenc and [...]

So far on Liederabend we have heard three songs that set the William Shakespeare's poem that begins with the line “Come away, come away, death,” a poem found in Twelfth Night. In the context of the play it is a song sung by the clown Feste at the request of his master, Duke Orsino, who is lovesick (here you can find a synopsis).