Joseph von Eichendorff is a prominent figure in German romantic literature and his works have been set to music by numerous composers. This concert embarks on a scholarly approach in featuring the different musical settings of his poems used in Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39.
In the first half of the concert, Schumann’s Op. 39, also known as the Eichendorff Liederkreis (Eichendorff cycle), will be presented as a whole. The second half opens with Eisler’s Erinnerung an Eichendorff und Schumann (In memory of Eichendorff and Schumann). This is followed by settings of the same poems employed by Schumann, but by other composers. These songs span over almost two centuries ranging from works of significant German romantic composers to songs by contemporary composers, and include two songs specially composed by NAFA alumnus and Adjunct Lecturer Americ Goh. The concert closes with a solo piano performance of Liszt's transcription of Schumann’s Frühlingsnacht.