Franz Schubert | Die schöne Müllerin

"Die Schöne Müllerin" op. 25, D 795 by Franz Schubert is a song cycle based on poems by Wilhelm Müller. This song cycle, together with "Winterreise" (also a lyric by Müller) and "Schwanengesang" is one of the most important song cycles in world music literature. The Dessau poet (1794-1827) wrote a series of poems in 1823 that tell of a young man's unfulfilled love for the "beautiful miller-girl", poems that may be autobiographical (for Wilhelm Müller's love for the poet Luise Hensel). In the same year, 1823, Franz Schubert set twenty of these songs to music. That was exactly two hundred years ago.

The baritone Vincent Kusters and the pianist Charlie Bo Meijering won the special prize of the Ars Augusta eV for the best interpretation of the Schubert songs after participating in the final of the first international Art song competition "Bolko von Hochberg" in 2022.

On June 17, 2023 at 5 p.m. they will now interpret this first of the three cycles in the Miejski Dom Kultury in Görlitz-Zgorzelec. The two Dutch artists will also present the cycles "Winterreise" and "Schwanengesang" later in the year.

Admission free. Donations are requested. To ensure a safe place, we ask guests to register using the form.

An interesting remark: The earliest evidence of a performance of several songs from the cycle is a program sheet in the Wroclaw University Library. On December 16, 1825, the baritone Johann Theodor Mosewius performed the contents of the first volume (Nos. 1-4) as part of a musical evening entertainment in the Breslau. (Till Gerrit Waidelich:Unknown Schubert documents from Breslau, Stuttgart 2009).

Program:

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

DIE SCHÖNE MÜLLERIN

1. Das Wandern „Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust…“

2. Wohin? „Ich hört’ ein Bächlein rauschen…“

3. Halt! „Eine Mühle seh’ ich blinken…“

4. Danksagung an den Bach „War es also gemeint, mein rauschender Freund…“

5. Am Feierabend „Hätt’ ich tausend Arme zu rühren…“

6. Der Neugierige „Ich frage keine Blume…“

7. Ungeduld„Ich schnitt’ es gern in alle Rinden ein…“

8. Morgengruß „Guten Morgen, schöne Müllerin!“

9. Des Müllers Blumen „Am Bach viel kleine Blumen steh’n…“

10. Tränenregen„Wir saßen so traulich beisammen…“

11. Mein! „Bächlein, lass dein Rauschen sein…“

12. Pause „Meine Laute hab’ ich gehängt an die Wand…“

13. Mit dem grünen Lautenbande „Schad' um das schöne grüne Band…“

14. Der Jäger „Was sucht denn der Jäger am Mühlbach hier?“

15. Eifersucht und Stolz „Wohin so schnell, so kraus und wild, mein lieber Bach?“

16. Die liebe Farbe „In Grün will ich mich kleiden…“

17. Die böse Farbe „Ich möchte zieh’n in die Welt hinaus…“

18. Trockne Blumen „Ihr Blümlein alle, die sie mir gab…“

19. Der Müller und der Bach „Wo ein treues Herze in Liebe vergeht…“

20. Des Baches Wiegenlied „Gute Ruh', gute Ruh', tu' die Augen zu…“

Artist biographies:

Vincent Kusters, baritone

During his studies at the conservatory, Vincent developed into a versatile musician who feels at home in different genres and styles. He took part in singing master classes with, among others with Elly Ameling, Robert Holl, Meinard Kraak, Maarten Koningsberger, the Masterclass in Mozart Interpretation (IVC) with Thomas Oliemans, Roberta Alexander and Vesselina Kasarova; in "Liedkunst in the castle in front of Husum" with Ulf Bästlein and Charles Spencer as well as the great singer Sergei Leiferkus.

Vincent has won several awards for his song interpretation, including the Vocallis Liedprijs (Vaals, 2017 and 2018) and is a prizewinner at the Schumann Competition (Zwickau, 2020/2021). Together with his duo partner, the pianist Charlie Bo Meijering, he won the "Friends of the IVC" prize (in 's-Hertogenbosch, 2019), the 1st prize in "Liedkunst im Schloss vor Husum" (2021) and the "Young Artist Platform" from Internationaal Lied Festival Zeist (2021) He also won 1st prize with organist Nick Goudkuil at the International Competition for Organ and Voice (in Neuss, 2020).

Vincent is a member of the Schola Maastricht, an ensemble specializing in Gregorian chant, and is also organist/conductor of the Bartholomeuskerk in Eckelrade. He is also associated with the Sint-Martinuskerk in Gronsveld as cantor/organist.

Charlie Bo Meijering, pianist

Charlie Bo Meijering (Amsterdam, 1987) has a passion for both music and the visual arts. Between 2006 and 2013 he studied classical piano and glockenspiel at the Utrecht University of the Arts. He appears regularly at the Concertgebouw, the Dutch National Opera and TivoliVredenburg. With the cartoon concert 'The Magic Piano' he went on tour throughout the Netherlands.

He is also a frequent guest on television programs such as 'Maestro'.

In 2019 he won a prize at the International Vocalists Concours together with his duo partner and baritone Vincent Kusters.

In addition to his musical activities, he devotes himself to the creation of fine arts. He made life-size projections for 'Music, Imagination and the Brain' (2015) by Erik Scherder and Katia Veekmans.