What made Vrienden van het Lied so appealing to you that you decided to audition?
‘As a Dutch lied duo, we were of course no strangers to Vrienden van het Lied! We’d already attended several concerts, had been coming to the International Lied Festival in Zeist for a number of years, and had also won the Vrienden van het Lied Prize at the International Student Lied Duo Competition in Groningen. At the concerts we were able to give as a result of that prize, we experienced just how wonderful the atmosphere was, and how attentive the audience is. It’s an incredibly rewarding environment in which to make music, and we were keen to experience that more often!’
At what moment were you gripped by lied?
Jasperina: ‘For me it was when I had just started singing lessons and was singing a lied by Schumann in a lesson with a pianist. The feeling of being able to flow in the music, the interaction with the piano, the lyrics, all the different nuances you can create in lyrics and music. A whole new world opened up for me, in which I could also express so much of my inner world, it was addictive!’
Willem: ‘In my first year at the conservatory I was introduced to lied accompaniment, and I was immediately fascinated. It showed me how Schubert handled text in his lieds, and how he translated that into music. When I began to feel how that layering of lieds also resonates in the collaboration with a singer, I was hooked. I too felt that something of my inner world could emerge through that, that I had discovered a new form of expression.’
How do you view the balance between prima la parole and prima la musica?
‘Phew, that's a difficult question! Initially, we are usually mostly drawn to the music. That determines whether or not we really want to sing a lied. But when we create thematic programmes, for example, the starting point is often precisely the text that needs to fit into the programme.
We often start rehearsals from a musical angle, but ultimately it is truly a two-way street. The music can guide certain textual choices, and the text certain musical choices.’
Jasperina: ‘And ... a text often already has a certain musicality, so where does music begin and where does text begin?’
‘We analyse the text thoroughly and talk about what the text means to us ourselves. The composer has obviously thought about that too, so we try to understand how they translated that into the composition. In this way, we look for a version that is musically right for us, and in which the text comes into its own completely.’
Which poem would you like to see set to music again, and why?
‘There are an awful lot of beautiful Dutch poems that have never been set to music. Singing or hearing a text in your mother tongue can touch you even more deeply, I think. We are thinking of Lieke Marsman, Vasalis, Nijhoff … and what would a dadaist poem by Paul van Ostaijen sound like?’
If you could achieve anything you wished for on stage, what would you want to make a reality?
Willem: ‘The absolute best moments happen when you are able to make music completely in the moment, spontaneous things happen and you are able to respond to one another right then and there.’
Jasperina: ‘I enjoy it most when I can let go of my own expectations, and allow everything to flow completely from within and from my intuition.’
What do the last two hours look like before a recital/performance?
Jasperina: ‘I'm a bit of a nervous wreck and I'm always afraid I've forgotten the words to something. So I make sure I read everything through one more time. Of course, we also always do a soundcheck: what's the acoustics like? What's the balance? How's my voice? How's the piano? Usually, we do a few beginnings or endings of pieces. Afterwards, getting changed, making sure everything is laid out, a bit of stretching, a short pep talk and above all, being really excited!’
Willem: ‘I prefer to start getting used to the piano as soon as possible. Every instrument is different, and you want to have got to know it well before the concert. So I try to discover the colours within the piano, and of course what the room is like. After a short rehearsal together, I prefer to go through the programme in my head once more to prepare myself for the tension and release. Then I shake myself loose a bit to get into the right focus and energy, and the concert can begin!’
After a recital, the audience heads home again; what do you hope they ‘take away’ with them?
‘Oh, that could be a whole lot of things, and it will probably be very personal too! One of the wonderful things about art is that everyone experiences or interprets it differently. We hope that the people in our audience connect with their own inner world, but also feel a connection with their fellow human beings in the audience or on stage. That people are able to forget the harsh outside world around them for a moment, and have been able to nestle in the safe and welcoming world of music and poetry. But also that people are inspired, that people have heard new music, push their boundaries or have gained a new insight. We are also always looking for themes that connect people or make them think.’
What does Vrienden van het Lied have to offer young musicians like you?
‘The most important thing for developing ourselves as musicians is gaining experience, and that is precisely what we can do at Vrienden van het Lied! Not only in giving recitals, but also in creating programmes. This allows us to increasingly find our own artistic voice. In addition, it is incredibly valuable to be able to make music for an audience that loves lied so much: this appreciation and the space for us to delve deeper create a grateful environment to share music and our passion for lied.’
Jasperina and Willem perform their show What makes human beings? off on:
Saturday 7 November / 20.00 / Arnhem-Wageningen >
Sunday 15 November / 15:00 / Friesland >
Dutch Dutch 
English
