Die Schöne Müllerin

Description

Georg Nigl and Alexander Gergelyfi present La Belle Meunière in a version very different from what we are used to hearing. Thanks to the use of a Tafelklavier (square piano) made around 1810 by Carl Withum, the baritone claims to have "renewed his experience of singing Lieder," as the tonal palette of this piano opens up new perspectives. Since the publication of Schubert's famous cycle in 1824, the way the work is interpreted and received has changed significantly, due to the power of modern grand pianos and the exponential size of concert halls. While in Schubert's time, the intensity of expression and the strength of the words themselves took precedence, "to such an extent that one might think the instrument, that is, the accompaniment, becomes the starting point of the musical message," says Nigl, who decided to add and recite the texts of Wilhelm Müller that were not set to music, including the prologue, the epilogue, and a few other poems. Thus, in the tradition of the "Liederspiel" (song play) that was very popular in Berlin salons in the 19th century, Nigl and Gergelyfi offer a deeply renewed listening experience.