On the chairs was a promising programme: four contributions before the break and four after, just enough, not too long. It was an afternoon of ‘our own talent’, as Liesbeth Reijerkerk noted in her welcome address.
Lots of fish
Again, no traditional Christmas liederen, but varied liederen by various composers. Without exception, everyone gave a good explanation of the music, the composer or why it was really appropriate for Christmas. Paul showed with four liederen from Dichterliebe hear that you can also be in love ‘im wunderschönen Monat Dezember’ and Marianne sought out the captivating repertoire of Hahn and Poulenc. Arjan sang three liederen by Quilter. Louise, on the other hand, sang liederen by Fauré, Grieg, Barber and Rodrigo, did so in four languages and still managed to bring it as a unity. Liesbeth sang three very different Marialiederen, with Piazzolla's as a flashy highlight, in her flaming red dressing gown. Ed was very convincing in Brahms and Richard Strauss. And Marijke closed sparklingly by singing from memory three times about fish, with liederen by three different composers. A Christmas dinner with lots of fish, to make the link anyway.
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Critical audience
What a high level, well understood, beautiful long legato lines and above all a lived recital, not surprising in singers with life experience. No one really made a mistake by choosing something that was actually too difficult. Everyone went for it, no one flew off the handle. Just imagine standing there, in front of such a critical audience used to hearing top-level musicians in the living rooms of the Vrienden.
Breathtakingly beautiful
Now I haven't mentioned the pianists yet, no, you won't hear me say ‘accompanist’, because that would really sell these ‘lied accompanists’ short! These were all musicians with solid input into the whole thing. They were dialogues like listening to and talking to a good friend. What a beautiful epilogue by Jelle at Die alten, bösen Lieder by Schumann. What a performance by Winfried, what flexibility to accompany three singers in succession before the break with very diverse repertoire. Class. Kudos also to Henk and Jacob. And Corien even replaced an entire orchestra at Richard Strauss' liederen. She contributed to the long lines of Tomorrow, exciting and breathtakingly beautiful, what a strong combination.
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Half the Netherlands sings here
Afterwards over drinks with mulled wine, someone concluded that this singing is not age-related. Another said he also came up with the idea of singing liederen by Brecht, following my performance of the Wiegenlieder, grimly topical in the current time of war threat. Yet another person jokingly remarked that he saw half the Netherlands in Salon 1919: from Utrecht and Woerden to Veldhoven, from Dordrecht and Den Bosch to Delft. That does show what Salon 1919 has built up in its short existence with regional concerts, member-for-member performances, master classes, the formula In the supporting act of..., with this Christmas performance as the peak on the tree.
Marianne van den Heuvel
contact person Rotterdam region
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