Several contacts were present among the enthusiastic audience. Besides ironclad repertoire, the programme offered plenty of adventure. For instance, liederen by no fewer than 11 female composers could be heard, how nice! Many duos managed to present the short recitals thematically.
Anyway, a brief impression of the day. As mentioned, it opened briskly, namely with Schubert's Totengräbers Heimweh. The next duo asked for love in three contrasting liederen, leading to a colourful and beautiful narrative. Next, mezzo-soprano Jasperina Verheij and pianist Willem van den Dool concentrated and beautifully highlighted the theme of loss and parting. This theme then deepened with a duo who wanted to talk about the night we wanted but could not claim. The duo closed with a composition of their own, moving and hopeful.
If baritones are on hand, hope for Ravels Don Quixote à Dulcinée and specifically on the Chanson à boire ... and yes, it was fun again in this slotlied by young talent. Soprano Lana Sophie Westendorf and pianist Federica Stevanato then presented a programme from a female perspective. Through poems about Lorelei and other impressive ladies, four female composers and George Gershwin offered the duo a platform for direct contact and virtuoso storytelling.
Poetic and topical was a small recital around the theme of children. Starting with a little cradlelied a cappella, the duo moved through Brahms and Schubert to modern compositions. These outlined how the child is oppressed by war. It finally wonders if the world cannot be shared more lovingly. Frisian composer Eduard de Boer did not compose many liederen. His lied cycle Children of Gaza for high voice and piano to poems by Michael R. Burch, however, is a gem. The epilogue of the cycle also closed this performance. The sheet music of Children of Gaza can be downloaded this way, highly recommended!
With another composition by Bart Visman and Marc Pantus in a programme, their Small worship service gradually ironclad audition repertoire. The duo who presented a lied from it also provided a strong Wolf rendition of Der Tambour.
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Once again, a short recital sounded from a female perspective. An account of spiritual and selfless love, with a special combination of composers. Schubert, Lilly Boulanger and after Henriette Bosmans’ Mon rêve familier with Verlaine's magnificent poem, Amy Beach's exalted settings of two poems by Robert Browning closed this discourse very romantically.
Mezzo-soprano Julie Phan and pianist Iuliia Mikhailova finally, had not chosen an overarching theme but rather a special combination of composers. Among them the wonderful Camille van Lunen who deserves to be better known in the Netherlands. She wrote her own version of Histoires Naturelles On poems by Jules Renard and Encore le Chat sounded beautiful. Liederen by Josephine Lang, Isabelle Aboulker, Roger Quilter and Johannes Brahms also coloured this recital into a romantic whole.
The judges regretted that they had had to disappoint excellent musicians for relevant reasons. They remained present for a long time to talk to contestants.
Afterwards, yours truly ended up in the nicest pub in Zwolle in the company of a satisfied audition working group and met the contact person Amsterdam, who informed that they were already making plans for next season.
Many thanks to the fantastic jury: Sasja Hunnego, Lenneke Ruiten, Micha van Weers, Jan Willem Baljet, Maarten Hillenius and jury chairman Joost van der Linden!
Francine van der Heijden
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