Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_01_10/GA_1001_E1_048.pdf 

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www.galwayadvertiser.ie

January 10 2008

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Music For Galway's Feast of Schubert
Lenneke Ruiten Contempo

Schubert

Michael Dooley Finghin Colllins

BY CHARLIE MCBRIDE

"AS A bird lives in the air, so he lived in music, and in doing so sang melodies fit for angels." So wrote Franz Liszt of Franz Schubert and the great Austrian composer's wonderful songs and music will be celebrated during Music For Galway's three-day Schubert Festival in the Town Hall Theatre from January 18 to 20.

Schubert
A selection of Schubert's output, prolific and varied notwithstanding his death aged only 31, will be presented over four concerts; three concerts featuring a mixture of songs and chamber music, while on Saturday distinguished British pianist James Lisney presents a matinee of Impromptus, which will be followed by a reception courtesy of the Austrian Embassy. Schubert's genius is today so widely acknowledged it is remarkable to recall that his work was neglected for much of the 19th century. None of his symphonies was performed during his lifetime and it was not until 50 years after his death that any were published. His fame was initially confined to that of a songwriter though works

like his Fifth Symphony, `Great' C Major Symphony and the `Trout' Quintet, are now recognised as instrumental masterpieces. Schubert also effectively established the German lied or art song as a new art form and he was a songwriter of astonishing ability. He composed more than 600 songs and reasons for their enduring popularity rest not only in the tunefulness of Schubert's melody but also in his unfailing ability to capture musically both the spirit of a poem and much of its external detail. Lenneke Ruiten Music For Galway has assembled a roster of 11 internationally renowned artists for the Schubert Festival. One is the outstanding, award-winning, Dutch soprano Lenneke Ruiten, who will feature in three of the four weekend concerts, interpreting such well-loved songs as the famous `Die Forelle' (the Trout). Luiten is ideally suited to perform Schubert as, amid an extensive personal repertoire, she admits to a particular passion for lieder. Speaking from her home in Holland in advance of her trip to Galway, she explained why the form means so much to her. "I've done a lot of opera and there's a big difference between

opera and song," she tells me. "The songs are more delicate and that appeals to me. Another thing that attracted me to lieder is that I've always loved literature and poetry, and most lieder of course are musical settings of poems. "I studied a lot to specialise in lieder in Austria and Germany and I learned that for my voice it's very good to do songs; whereas in opera you often need to be loud and strong, it's good for me to also do something that's more soft." Schubert's songs can be broadly divided between those who let the music carry the meaning and others who dramatise the words. Where would Luiten place herself in that regard? "I'm probably in-between," she declares. "I can express the text well but I think the text and the music have to come together, I don't like singers who overdo the dramatisation and it shouldn't be too stiff either." While she has been a frequent visitor to Ireland in recent years, this will be Luiten's first time performing in Galway and she's looking forward to it. "I'm looking forward to hearing the other artists at the festival and hopefully I'll have time to do some sight-seeing as well," she says. "I'm

also looking forward to hearing the audience response, I did some Schubert in Cork and the audience responded very well to it, even more warmly than I've encountered on the continent. "I'd like to pay tribute as well to Music For Galway as well because the whole event has been extremely well organised; they think of everything and see that it's done properly." Luiten will be accompanied by one of Ireland's most successful pianists Finghin Collins - with whom she has frequently performed - for `Die Forelle'(Sunday 20 at 3pm) and joined by the brilliant Lesley Bishop on horn for `Auf Dem Strom' (Saturday 19 at 8pm) and by versatile clarinettist Paul Roe for `Shepherd on the Rock' and her performances promise to be a highlight of the weekend.

regarded as one of the major instrumental masterpieces of all times. Duos and trios are also part of the programme and Galway's own Michael Dooley on bassoon is completing the ensemble to perform the lyrically expansive Octet for wind and strings. The Schubert Festival concludes, on Sunday at 8pm, with a special screening of the film Winterreise in association with the Galway Film Society. Inspired by German Romantic painting and Schubert's masterful `Winterreise' song cycle [see feature on the Galway Film Society's new season]. At the 2007 German Film Awards, Winterreise was named best film and Josef Bierbichle was named best actor for his portrayal of the main character Brenninger. For full programme details contact Music for Galway through www.musicforgalway.ie or 091 705962. Tickets are 18/14/5. The Saturday impromptus are 10/6/5. A three day ticket is 50/40. Booking is from Town Hall Theatre on 091 569777.

Other acts
Also featured in the festival are ConTempo Quartet, who are presenting Schubert's most famous string quartets, the Rosamunde (Friday 18 at 8pm) and Death and the Maiden (Sunday 20 at 3pm), and will be joined by Malachy Robinson on double bass and James Lisney for the performance of the Trout Quintet (Sunday 20 at 3pm), a work which is

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Arts Editor Kernan

Andrews

Tel: 091 530913
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