GenZ Voice Recitals: Whispers of Melancholy & Northern Dreams

The first stage: Whispers of Melancholy & Nordic Dreams

In Whispers of Melancholy, Portuguese soprano Madalena Massano shows how saudade, the melancholy that characterizes Portuguese fado music, is essentially a universal emotion that resonates differently all over the world. Together with pianist Jana Schell, Madalena explores all the shades of melancholy by the lenses of different composers such as Liszt, Schubert, Strauss, Donizetti. The Portuguese songs of Ernesto Halffter form a common thread in this program. And perhaps even the spirit of Amália Rodrigues, the queen of fado, will grace us with her timeless presence …

Nordic Dreams

Stark contrasts of light and dark permeate every corner of Nordic life, from the soft glow of long summer nights to the silent darkness of winter. No wonder the poetry and music of the North are so closely aligned with this annual cycle of lightening and fading . Soprano Eleriin Müüripeal and pianist Iivari Aalto present Nordic Dreams, an atmospheric, ambitious overview of Finnish and Swedish vocal music from the past 150 years. From well-known names such as Sibelius, Stenhammar and Kilpinen to names that are still relatively unknown outside their native countries. Songs by leading female composers of their generation are included, along with a recent work by emerging Finnish composer Leevi Räsänen.