PENG Kang-Liang Lieder Recital

The first half of the concert features Robert Schumann's "Myrthen," a gift to his newlywed wife Clara. This year marked the pinnacle of Schumann's musical creativity, during which he completed almost all of his significant works. The song cycle "Myrthen," through romantic poetry, pours out his love for Clara: "You are my life, my heart; you are the earth on which I live; you are the heavens in which I soar..."

The second half of the concert will present a selection of Brahms' art songs and the most challenging suite in the bass repertoire, "Vier ernste Gesänge" (Four Serious Songs). Brahms once said, "My most beautiful melodies come from Clara," who was not only his mentor's wife and close friend but also the object of his lifelong affection. By the time "Vier ernste Gesänge" was completed, Clara had passed away, and Brahms scarcely composed thereafter. This work, filled with awe and transcendence in the face of death, stands as his final masterpiece and a testament to his unrequited love.