Following the lieder lecture

Expert reveals all about “forgotten art form”
in public library series

by David Gordon Duke

UBC Prof. of collaborative piano studies Rena Sharon was more than a little surprised by the tumultuous reception given her presentation “Lieder as Theatre” at this summer's International Congress of Voice Teachers. Locals— familiar with her innovative, passionate commitment to reinvigorating performances of classical songs—weren’t surprised at all.

Song stories about maidens spinning or lovesick millers sometimes make the repertoire seem, well, a bit precious. Sharon makes it spark with excitement. “Lieder—do you love ’em, or can you just leave ’em?” was her starting point for a recent lecture in Winnipeg (irreverently billing herself as “Fraulein Professor”). She maintains that “the forgotten art form of lieder includes at least 50,000 songs languishing in unjust obscurity.”

In a series of three free lectures given under the auspices of the Vancouver Recital Society, she plans to tell all. Tonight’s lecture at the Vancouver public library will start with repertoire including settings of the great German poet Goethe, and feature a live sample of her “lieder as theatre” approach with guest performers Michelle Keobke and Michael Broder.

“Lieder” is of course German for song. But it’s so much more: an ineffable synergy between words and music, singer and pianist; with roots in the 18th century, lieder composition took off in the Romantic era and continues to fascinate composers today.

A great lied can be measured in seconds; they're rarely more than a few minutes long. Once listeners crack the code, they realize the songs are about all the big stuff in life: love and death (and sex and violence)—whole emotional worlds crystalized in short but potent repertoire.

In her work with young singers, Sharon employs a whole bag of tricks to bring out connections and complexity. Her talks at the VPL are designed for general audiences, lifting the curtain on the secret inner life of songs and what this rich repertoire has to tell us.

TRIO OF TALKS
Where: Alice MacKay Room, Vancouver public library
When: Tonight, Feb. 9 and March 30. All talks at 7:30 p.m.

 

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