Robert Schumann:
Ballad of a Moorland Boy, Op. 122/1
The Fugitives, Op. 122/2
Richard Strauss:
Enoch Arden, Narrative Poem, Op. 38
Isabelle and Lars Vogt in conversation with Friederike Westerhaus
What gave you the idea to record these works together?
Isabelle: It was originally Papa’s idea. Ever since the age of four, I have been involved in acting and reciting. Until now we had only worked on recitation combined with music – but then he stumbled upon the musical melodramas of Robert Schumann. I didn’t even know what a melodrama was!
What is a musical melodrama?
Lars: In Schumann’s case, the subtitle on the frontispiece says “Declamation with pianoforte accompaniment”: we thus have a theatrical element. And whenever the piano joins in, we not only have the spoken word but also a musical background, at times directly placed under the text – and the music has an influence on the declamation.
The choice of musical melodramas is rather large: what were your reasons for selecting these?
Lars: By chance, I knew of these two Schumann melodramas: the Ballad of the Heathland Lad and The Refugees, and I was also aware that they had a menacing, spooky atmosphere. That was around the time when Isabelle was 15-16 years old. She loved the Harry Potter saga, for instance, and I said to myself: these are stories and moods in which Isabelle can really get cracking: the content is slightly gory and scary. I was certain she would have fun with them.
Isabelle, did you find that this was the kind of setting where you could feel that you were “in your element”?
Isabelle: Absolutely! For instance, I always found Schubert and Goethe’s Erlkönig fascinating, and these ballads are quite similar in terms of mood. I remember getting goosebumps the first time I heard Schumann’s Heideknaben. At first, I found it strange to get used to such an interplay between music and the spoken word. I had never heard anything like it before.
(Excerpt from interview in the Booklet)
Live recording: June 27, 2020, Spannungen Ghost Festival, Berlin/Germany, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin-Dahlem.