Neuland.Lied | Schumann was an Englishman

Schubert and Schumann in English? With tape instead of piano? Disbelief has long since given way to general enthusiasm: What baritone Bryan Benner and his superb Erlkings do with the German art song not only sounds surprisingly fresh and original, it is also superbly executed. The quartet from Vienna is considered one of the most convincing examples of how the magic of a nearly 200-year-old repertoire can be transferred to the present. This time the Erlkings have taken on two of the great Schumann cycles. Some of Heine's and Eichendorff's most tender stanzas are among them - true icons of German Romanticism. The translations by the American from Orlando, Florida, which are as lively as they are gentle, bring the solemn back down to earth. The ensemble's arrangements also sound refreshingly relaxed – while choosing their allusions very carefully. »Wenn ich in deine Augen seh« from »Dichterliebe« for example, gets a snappy tango rhythm thrown in, while »Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome« turns into an ambiguous march. The variable instrumentation makes it possible: sometimes the Erlkings remind one of a singer-songwriter band, then again gnarly alpine folklore comes through or airy jazz.

Concert with intermission

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