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L’amour, toujours l’amour München
Nationaltheater
07/14/2025 -
Robert Schumann: Lieder und Gesänge aus “Wilhelm Meister”, op. 98: 7. “Singet nicht in Trauertönen” – Myrthen, op. 25: 1. “Widmung”
Clara Schumann: Loreley – 6 Lieder, op. 13: 2. “Sie liebten sich beide” – Lieder, op. 12: 1. “Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen” & 2. “Liebst du um Schönheit”
Stefano Donaudy: O del mio amato ben
Giacomo Puccini: Sole e amore
Ottorino Respighi: Luce, P. 63 – Stornellatrice, P. 69
Giuseppe Verdi: Stornello
Ruggero Leoncavallo: Mattinata
Gioachino Rossini: L’invito
Francesco Paolo Tosti: Non t’amo più
Claude Debussy: Mandoline, L 53 – Apparition, L 57
Henri Duparc: L’Invitation au voyage – Extase – Phidylé
Joaquín Rodrigo: Cuatro madrigales amatorios
Enrique Granados: Canciones amatorias, III: 5. “No lloréis, ojuelos”
Joaquín Turina: Très Poemas, op. 81: 2. “Tu pupila es azul”
Fernando Obradors: Four Songs from Canciones clásicas espanolas
Diana Damrau (soprano), Helmut Deutsch (piano)
D. Damrau (© Jiyang Chen)
On the occasion of its 150th anniversary, the Münchner Opernfestspiele offered a generous season of opera, ballet and Lieder. One of the most awaited Liederabend was Diana Damrau’s, with her frequent accompanist, pianist Helmut Deutsch. The offering was unusually generous, almost two hours of song in four languages, German, Italian, French and Spanish. Thematically, the works were woven together by one prevailing theme: L‑O‑V‑E.
Truly impressive was Damrau’s versatility, as the program varied enormously. Her diction varied from good to excellent in each language. Naturally, she had the most affinity with German songs, but those in Spanish were also delivered with winning verve and humour.
The German songs were by Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck-Schumann, with the most moving being “Widmung,” from a song cycle Schumann dedicated to his bride Clara as a wedding gift. The most familiar of Clara’s songs was Loreley, after a poem by Heinrich Heine (1797‑1856). Notably, none of the repertoire specifically called for a coloratura. Some can even be performed by men. The purpose was not to exhibit technical prowess, but rather to interpret, and in that, Damrau was glorious. In addition, she offered the adoring crowd three additional German songs as an encore, including Schubert’s An die Musik, an audience favourite.
The Italian songs were the least interesting part of an otherwise excellent recital. The most popular of these was Leoncavallo’s Mattinata, possibly the best‑known Italian art song. One by Puccini, Sole e amore, sounded familiar, as it was a rearrangement of Mimi’s aria “Quando me’ n vo” from La bohème. It was also the best-interpreted of the lot, thanks to the song’s high tessitura. Another was Rossini’s L’invito, a spirited Spanish-influenced song that suited Damrau’s style.
The French songs by Debussy and Duparc were reassuringly familiar, as they were set to the verses of France’s greatest poets, Paul Verlaine, Stéphane Mallarmé and Charles Baudelaire. Familiar to nearly all was L’Invitation au voyage, which Damrau interpreted with great gusto. Her emphasis on such pivotal words as “aimer et mourir”, “luxe, calme et volupté” and “ chaude lumière” was spot on.
Surprisingly, the most enjoyable part of the recital was the last, songs by four of Spain’s most prominent late nineteenth and early twentieth century composers: Granados, Turina, Rodrigo and Obradors. Damrau seemed to have a prodigious affinity for these small gems, and for the Spanish language in particular. As with the previous selections, Damrau’s intention was never to simply produce a beautiful sound, but first and foremost to communicate, and that she surely did. Emotion was paramount. Nonetheless, her beautifully luminous timbre and secure high register are integral to her artistry. Her deep understanding of the repertoire, together with the effortlessly natural camaraderie shared with accompanist Helmut Deutsch made for a wonderful evening of superb music. I suspect the latter’s taste leaned more to the German and French songs, but I could be wrong.
That the recital addressed the perennially perplexing topic of love was fascinating, as we were privy to explorations on the subject via four distinct cultures. I’ll leave it to the reader to discover how each culture’s sensibilities differ on this complex topic.
Ossama el Naggar
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