True children - Does age make us young?

The concert program alternates between Schumann's Liederkreis op. 39 and his Lieder op. 125 and Poulenc's song cycles "Fiançailles pour Rire" and "La Courte Paille". We know from both composers that their songs were inspired by their relationship with special women: Robert Schumann would probably have taken composing songs much less seriously without Clara, Francis Poulenc owes much poetic as well as musical inspiration to his friendships with Louise de Vilmorin and Denise Duval. Short texts by these women frame the evening's musical program.

The musical language of the cycles performed shows that the earlier works were more serious, sensual and perhaps darker, while the later works appear lighter, more childlike and brighter. We are accompanied by the idea of wisdom in old age, which can be expressed through something simple, childish and yet full of depth and sensuality.

The evening's performers are the young French soprano Clara Barbier Serrano, who, in addition to studying in Paris, London and Leipzig, was a "Jeune Talent" in the academy program of the internationally esteemed countertenor Philippe Jaroussky and has already given recitals in Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Leipzig and Seville. Most recently, she was awarded prizes in London in September 2024 and at the Hugo Wolf Academy in Stuttgart in October 2024. She will be accompanied by Italian pianist Lidia Fittipaldi, who has won a total of 21 first prizes at national and international piano competitions after studying in Italy and Cologne.