The Folly of Desire Ian Bostridge + Brad Mehldau

The link between jazz idiom and classical song

Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau joins tenor Ian Bostridge to present The Folly of Desire , his song cycle about the boundaries of sexual freedom in a post-MeToo era. The music switches seamlessly between a jazz idiom and the classical song.

With poetry by Blake, Yeats, Shakespeare, Brecht, Goethe, Auden and Cummings, the work explores a theme that is as timeless as it is current. Bostridge sings of romantic love in Schumann's Dichterliebe , sixteen songs in which the newly married composer expresses his happiness with Clara.

One of the greatest lieder interpreters and one of the most sought-after and best-known jazz pianists of our time share the stage here. Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist Brad Mehldau has been enchanting audiences since the early 1990s with his dynamic talent, intense performances and surprising collaborations. Tenor Ian Bostridge has a voice that is instantly recognizable. Like no other, he always delves into the context of what he sings.