The Wagner Effect - TALK ONE

Two study-days exploring Wagner and his influence on song in the late 19th Century.

Talk one given by Roderick Swanston

Renowned speaker Roderick Swanston begins our two-day study event with a talk putting the Wagner-Liszt-Wolf circle in context:

LISZT, WAGNER, WOLF AND THE 'MUSIC OF THE FUTURE'

Lizst, Wagner, their pupils and followers put the cat amongst the pigeons in the 1850s with articles setting out their plans for the ‘Music of the Future’, thus offending some of their contemporaries who thought them provocatively arrogant . But they were right not only in recognizing the beginnings of a noisy revolution in music but that they were its leading lights. Principally their aims were both the revolution of large-scale instrumental forms and a different concept of the linking of words, music and images. In Wagner’s case this found its way into a new fusion of words and music in his operas. In Liszt’s case this led him to synthesize music and external ideas in his symphonic poems. Some such as Brahms opted not to follow either path but others such as Wolf embraced the ideas of the older master, particularly  Wagner, and in the process transformed the writing of Lieder. This lecture will explore the innovations and connections between the ideas and music of all three composers.

TIMETABLE FOR THE TWO DAYS:

Tuesday 18th October

11am - TALK ONE, given by Roderick Swanston

12.30pm - A light lunch will be available in the foyer of the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

1.10pm - LUNCHTIME RECITAL; pianist Martin Sturfält plays piano works by Liszt and Wolf, including transcriptions of Wagner

3.30pm - TALK TWO, given by Gulliver Ralston

7pm - Pre-concert talk given by Amanda Glauert

8pm - Mary Bevan, Quirijn de Lang and Sholto Kynoch perform Wolf

Wednesday 19th October

11am - TALK THREE, given by Amanda Glauert

12.30pm - A light lunch will be available in the foyer of the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building

1.10pm - LUNCHTIME RECITAL; soprano Louise Alder and pianist Elizabeth Burgess perform Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder, and songs by Wolf and Strauss

3.30pm - TALK FOUR, given by Natasha Loges

7pm - Pre-concert talk given by Natasha Loges

8pm - Dorrotya Lang and Julius Drake perform Liszt, Duparc and Strauss