Lise Davidsen Performs Schubert at Carnegie Hall
- Details
- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 14:07
- Written by Jack Angstreich
Photo by Stephanie Berger
At the wonderful Stern Auditorium, on the night of Friday, June 6th, I had the exceptional privilege to attend a superb recital—presented by Carnegie Hall—of extraordinary lieder by Franz Schubert, sung by the magnificent soprano Lise Davidsen, splendidly accompanied by pianist James Baillieu.
The event started very auspiciously with "Am Bach im Frühlinge," D. 361, set to a text by Franz von Schober, one of the composer’s closest friends. Next was "Ganymed," D. 544, the first of numerous settings of poems by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, a towering figure in world literature—this lyric was notable for its surprising homoeroticism. The following "Der Zwerg," D. 771, with a text by Matthias von Collin, was remarkable for its suggestion of a perverse sexuality. The succeeding "Gretchen am Spinnrade," D. 118, from Goethe’s masterwork, Faust, is one of the composer’s most celebrated works and was a highlight of the evening.
This preceded a series of settings of poems from the same author’s immense Bildungsroman, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, which served as the basis for the great Wim Wenders film from 1975, Wrong Move, which lamentably was recently withdrawn from circulation. The earliest of the series and the first to be performed this evening was "Kennst du das Land," D. 321. The next three selections were from a single work of 1826, Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister, D. 877, beginning with the second version of “Heiss mich nicht reden,” followed by the fourth and final version of “So last mich scheinen,” and concluding with the last of six settings of “Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt.” The first half of the program closed with another famous song, “Death and the Maiden,” D. 531, set to verse by Matthias Claudius.
The second half of the recital was maybe even stronger, opening with Goethe’s "Der Musensohn," D. 764, and "Lachen und Weinen," D. 777, set to a text from Friedrich Rückert’s Oriental Roses. (He was one of the better poets that the composer adapted and famously was the source for many amazing songs by Gustav Mahler.) Another of the finest moments from the event was the performance of another beautiful Goethe setting, "Suleika I," D. 720. The next selection,
"Auf dem See," D. 543, was from a text by the same writer, and this was followed by "Der blinde Knabe," D. 833, set to a poem by Jakob Nikolaus Craigher de Jachelutta, itself a translation of 18th-century English verse by Colley Cibber.
The pinnacle of the event was probably the next song, another Rückert setting, "Du bist die Ruh," D. 776, one of the composer’s most glorious creations—it was very memorably recorded in recent years by the amazing countertenor, Andreas Scholl. The recital continued with "Die Allmacht," D. 852, from a text by Johann Ladislaus Pyrker, and
"Die junge Nonne," D. 828, from another Craigher poem. The next selection, "Erlkönig," D. 328, another Goethe setting, is one of Schubert’s most famous and celebrated songs. The program proper ended with one of its most exquisite works, "Litanei auf das Fest aller Seelen," D. 343, from a text by Johann Georg Jacobi. Enthusiastic applause elicited two marvelous encores written by the same composer: another Schober setting, “A die Musik,” D. 547, and “An die Natur,” D. 372.