Claudio Monteverdi:
Lasciatemi morire (Rinuccini) from „L’Arianna“

Billie Elish/Finneas O'Connell:
listen before i go (Finneas and Billie Eilish O’Connell) from „When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go“?

Franz Schubert:
Der Tod und das Mädchen, Op. 7/3, D. 531 (Claudius)
Der Jüngling und der Tod, D. 545 (Spaun)

Nick Cave:
The curse of Millhaven (Cave) from “Murder Ballads”

George Crumb:
Dance of the moon in Santiago (García Lorca) from “Sun and Shadow”

Randy Newman:
In Germany before the war (Newman) from “Little Criminals”

Bernhard Lang:
The crow (Lang) from “The Cold Trip pt. 2”

Danger Dan:
Ode an den Mord (Pongratz) from “Das ist alles von der Kunstfreiheit gedeckt”

Charles Ives:
Charlie Rutlage, S. 226 (traditional, collected by J. A. Lomax)

Andrew Lippa:
Death is just around the corner (Lippa) from “The Adams Family”

John Cage:
The wonderful widow of eighteen springs (Joyce)

Robert Schumann:
Nachtlied, Op. 96/1 (Goethe)

Wolfgang Rihm:
Zwei Gedichte von Marina Zwetajewa

Gustav Mahler:
Urlicht (Anonymous) from “Des Knaben Wunderhorn”

Richard Strauss:
Befreit, Op. 39/4 (Dehmel)

Henri Duparc:
Extase (Lahor)

Alban Berg:
Vier Gesänge, Op. 2

Jan Vermeulen:
Als ik dood ben lig ik onder gras from 'duidelijk door het gaas spreken'

Erich Wolfgang Korngold:
Lieder des Abschieds, Op. 14 - Sterbelied, Dies eine kann mein Sehnen nimmer fassen, Mond, so gehst Du wieder auf

Dedicating a CD to the dark side of the Lied might seem inappropriate in these times of Covid, climate change and refugee crises, but as a mezzo-soprano Olivia has always been drawn to the darker roles in opera, the sad arias in oratorio and the deep laments in song. After our recent recording (‘Dirty Minds’), which focused on ‘la petite mort’, it seemed a natural progression to turn our attention to ‘la grande mort’!

Darkness in the outside world and the inner self has always been – alongside Love – one of the chief themes of vocal music, and compositions and songs about death are legion during every period of musical history. The music on this recording is extremely diverse and we relished the idea of programming songs from different centuries in different styles and genres. We begin with a collection of songs about melancholia, inner abysses, longing for death and murderous lust. But the CD is also rich in songs about comfort and hope, light instead of despair – with lashings of black humour!

Composers down the ages have used innovative approaches to render the theme of death. Chromaticism is used tellingly by Monteverdi and Schubert. Duparc’s sensuous ‘Extase’ (1878), is nothing short of a miniature Liebestod. Korngold and Wolfgang Rihm play with translucent semitone sighs, Schumann’s ‘Nachtlied’ is characterized by hovering harmonies; Strauss and Korngold use late-romantic opulence; while tonality with Charles Ives and Alban Berg begins to lose its hold, while Berg, abandons tonality entirely. John Cage goes a step further and directs the pianist to drum the notes on the lid of a completely closed piano. Randy Newman’s ‘In Germany before the war’ is wreathed in mystery.

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Recordings: Concertgebouw Amsterdam, 19-21 May 2021 (Tr. 1, 3, 5, 13, 16-22, 24-26); Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal, Köln, 5-6 June 2021 (2, 4, 6-12, 14-15); Tonstudio Tessmar, Hannover (8); Atelier Klang und Raum, Zürich (8 & 23). Piano: Steinway.