Graham Johnson: Wigmore Hall’s Lieder
The man who masterminded the Songmaker’s Almanac for Hyperion Records is one of the world’s most distinguished and sought-after accompanists. He has been part of the fabric of Wigmore Hall for many years; here, he writes passionately about the Hall’s vital role in preserving the perpetuating the Lied.
Thanks to the generosity of the Kohn Foundation, Wigmore Hall is host to an international event which honours every facet of the song repertoire with piano; indeed in concentrating on this intimate and demanding aspect of the art of singer and pianist it excludes the operatic repertoire which is the focal point of so many other competitions.
The Beginnings of Song
The lied form as pioneered by Schubert is a highly sophisticated blend of music and poetry which achieves an expressivity and depth of utterance which are unique in music: here was something to change the musical world. These heart-stopping qualities, which inspired later composers to establish vital song traditions of their own, reappear gloriously in the work of Schubert’s successors from many countries.
This Competition recognises the song tradition as a whole and requires contestant’s to sing (and play!) in at least three languages; at the same time it honours the lied’s place at the heart of the song repertoire and it celebrates the Shakespearean stature of Schubert in the genre.
London’s Variety
Wigmore Hall audiences are renowned for their knowledge and discernment, and it is a special characteristic of this city that the London public is more open than anywhere else in the world to a wide variety of recital repertoire.
It has long been said that French mélodies are more appreciated here than in Paris; there have been a number of spectacular Scandinavian series at the Wigmore; within a few days of each other in the enchanting song temple of Wigmore Street one can hear the music of Granados and Janácek, American art song and Russian romance.
Of course, as is only appropriate, there is a devoted following for our own British music, and we should not forget North America where the art of song composition with piano thrives at this time like nowhere else.
The repertoire requirements of this Competition may seem demandingly wide, but if contestants are made to explore repertory outside their own languages for the first time, this will accomplish one of own aims.
The Wigmore Hall International Song Competition reflects our capital’s special status as a meeting-point and melting pot of many musical cultures.
An International Competition
The Competition is thus international in every respect, not only in terms of its contestants. This is the difference between WHISC and our distinguished predecessor the Walther Gruner International Lieder Competition, which was based in the City of London and concentrated purely on German Lieder.
Under the inspired guidance of Benjamin Luxon this event made an important contribution to London’s musical life, not to mention the careers of such prizewinners as Olaf Bär and Simon Keenlyside. We can only hope to be similarly successful, but the auguries are good.
Dr Ralph Kohn
Like Walther Gruner, Dr Ralph Kohn came to England from Europe as a refugee; his success in the medical world and in business has always gone hand in hand with a passion for German song both as a performer and listener, and an ability to speak many other languages.
A British subject for over fifty years and a tireless traveller throughout the world, Dr Kohn is well placed to support his beloved lied repertoire in the context of a larger musical picture where every country has its part to play.
Having a Ball
The stage seems set for a Competition that could only take place in London and which gives no nationality of singer an unfair advantage over another.
The art of the subtle, the exquisite, the deliberately small-scale, the whisper rather than the bawl, the oboe rather than the trumpet are increasingly undervalued in our vulgarian age. Nevertheless there are performers and listeners who are utterly determined that song should remain a vital part of our cultural life and it is to the Wigmore Hall that they are hereby invited.
In the shadow of her big sister Opera, song can seem to be something of a Cinderella; still, we hope to have a ball.
