The juxtaposition of the ‘world’ and ‘dreams’ may be read as a metaphor for retreating into the realm of dreams in the face of a harsh and inescapable reality. Such themes recur throughout the intimate song repertoire of composers from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. In a traditional song recital, the soloist – embodying the protagonists' deeply felt emotions and dramas – is accompanied by the piano. This time, however, baritone Benjamin Appl will be joined by the oustanding Jerusalem Quartet.
The programme opens with the Old Testament terror of Robert Schumann’s dramatic ballad Belsatzar, based on Heinrich Heine's poem about the Babylonian ruler whose lavish, blasphemous feast is interrupted by the harbinger of his inevitable death. Gustav Mahler’s songs echo the suffering of lost love, often linked to the composer’s youthful romantic attachment. Samuel Barber’s Dover Beach, in turn, offers a masterful portrayal of existential anxiety: a beautiful nocturnal seascape reveals the fear of a world stripped of faith and certainty, where the fragile closeness of another human being remains the only refuge.
Against such a sombre vision of the world, instrumental music brings momentary refuge in the realm of dreams: Johannes Brahms's impassioned Romanza and Anton Webern's sensual Langsamer Satz, inspired by a walk with his future wife.
The final part of the programme leads into a different world: cabaret, tango and Broadway. In Kurt Weill's songs, ‘world’ and ‘dreams’ acquire an urban rhythm, theatrical flair and a bittersweet glow. Catchy, sensual and seemingly light-hearted, the music is nevertheless tinged with irony and the longing of the exile.
Bartłomiej Gembicki