Three artists from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia performed selections from the song cycle Italienisches Liederbuch (“Italian Songbook”) by the 19th-century Austrian composer Hugo Wolf.

This song cycle is a work of great drama, as a young couple rejects, and finally accepts, the many aspects of falling in love. The artists will perform the songs in dramatic dialogue, a kind of mini-opera. There is irresistible charm in this work but no happy ending, as the woman reveals that she has dozens of lovers in many cities.

The pianist was Mikael Eliasen, Chair of Vocal Studies at Curtis and Artistic Director of the Curtis Opera Theatre. Mikael was joined by two distinguished vocal students at Curtis, Ashley Marie Robillard and Dennis Chmelensky.



Program

Composer Work Year
Hugo Wolf Italienisches Liederbuch (Italian Songbook) 1896

About the Ensemble

Curtis Opera Theatre