Italienisches Liederbuch

Friday 15 May / 20.15 - 22.00 hours
Katharina Ruckgaber
© nickywebbphotography
Henk Neven
©Marco Borggreve
Hans Eijsackers
©Marco Borggreve
Ticket(s)

Katharina Ruckgaber, soprano / Henk Neven, bass-baritone / Hans Eijsackers, piano

Italienisches Liederbuch: Human nature in humorous art songs by Hugo Wolf

Hugo Wolf wrote more humorous liederen than any other leading composer of the 19e and 20e century. At a time when interest in ‘the psychology of men and women’ was on the rise, he understood that humour was the way to channel emotions. His Italienisches Liederbuch is a perfect portrait of human nature and a confrontational reflection of our shortcomings. With a wink, we see ourselves reflected in the colourful backdrop of Italian cities and regions.

Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)

Italienisches Liederbuch (Heyse)

    1. Auch kleine Dinge
    2. Gesegnet sei, durch den die Welt entstund
    3. Gesegnet sei das Grün
    4. Ihr seid die Allerschönste
    5. Man sagt mir, deine Mutter woll’ es nicht
    6. Heut Nacht erhob ich mich
    7. O wär’ dein Haus durchsichtig
    8. Schon streckt’ ich aus im Bett
    9. Heb auf dein blondes Haupt
    10. Mein Liebster singt am Haus
    11. Ein Ständchen Euch zu bringen
    12. Nicht länger kann ich singen
    13. Schweig‘ einmal still
    14. O wüsstest Du, wie viel ich deinetwegen
    15. Wer rief dich denn?
    16. Wie soll ich fröhlich sein
    17. Du denkst mit einem Fädchen mich zu fangen
    18. Geselle, woll’n wir uns in Kutten hüllen
    19. Verschling’ der Abgrund meines Liebsten Hütte
    20. Nun lass uns Frieden schliessen
    21. Wohl kenn’ ich Euren Stand
    22. Wenn du mich mit den Augen streifst
    23. Wenn du, mein Liebster, steigst zum Himmel…

break

    1. Was für ein Lied soll dir gesungen werden
    2. Wir haben beide lange Zeit geschwiegen
    3. Und steht ihr früh am Morgen auf vom Bette
    4. Ihr jungen Leute
    5. Dass doch gemalt all‘ deine Reize wären
    6. Mir ward gesagt, du reisest in die Ferne.
    7. Und willst du deinen Liebsten sterben sehen
    8. Sterb’ ich, so hüllt in Blumen meine Glieder
    9. Mein Liebster ist so klein
    10. Benedeit die sel’ ge Mutter
    11. Ich esse nun mein Brot nicht trocken mehr
    12. Der Mond hat eine schwere Klag‘ erhoben
    13. Mein Liebster hat zu Tische mich geladen
    14. Ich liess mir sagen
    15. Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen
    16. Wie viele Zeit verlor ich
    17. Was soll der Zorn, mein Schatz
    18. Selig ihr Blinden
    19. Nein, junger Herr
    20. Hoffärtig seid Ihr, schönes Kind
    21. Du sagst mir, dass ich keine Fürstin sei
    22. Lass sie nur geh’n
    23. Ich hab’ in Penna

Great Hall
Evangelical Brotherhood
Zusterplein 12, 3703 CB Zeist

Katharina Ruckgaber / soprano

Katharina Ruckgaber is a passionate interpreter of the lied repertoire in its broadest sense. The CD Love and let die, which she recorded with pianist Jan Philip Schulze, on which she shows her mastery of the entire genre: from Viennese classics and romantic liederen to avant-garde and contemporary works. With Schulze, as well as pianists such as Helmut German, Sholto Kynoch and Daniel Heide, she gave recitals in major concert halls and at various festivals including Oxford International Song Festival.
Ruckgaber is also a celebrated opera singer. Immediately after graduating, she was hired by the Frankfurt Opera and performed several leading roles with great success.

Henk Neven / bass-baritone

Henk Neven is one of the most inspired song interpreters of his generation. He received the Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship, participated in the prestigious BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists Scheme and was awarded the Dutch Music Prize, the highest award given to a musician working in classical music by the Ministry of OCW.
Neven works with renowned orchestras and ensembles, has performed several major opera roles and performs song recitals with leading pianists such as James Baillieu, Malcolm Martineau and his regular pianist Hans Eijsackers. Neven and Eijsackers have since released four CDs that received rave reviews. Besides his busy schedule of performances and master classes at home and abroad, Neven also regularly sits on the jury of international vocal competitions and is principal study teacher at Codarts Conservatoire Rotterdam. Since 2022, he and pianist Hans Eijsackers have formed the artistic director of the festival.

Hans Eijsackers / piano

Hans Eijsackers studied at the conservatories of Amsterdam and The Hague, and at the European Mozart Academy in Kraków. His teachers were Gérard van Blerk, Jan Wijn and György Sebök. He won prizes at the European Piano Competition and received the Silver Vriendenkrans of the Concertgebouw. He is currently a professor at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf, where in recent years he developed the curriculum for the new master's specialisation Lied.
Eijsackers performs frequently as a soloist, chamber musician and song pianist, and forms an inspired song duo with Henk Neven. In addition, he is a regular guest at home and abroad as a jury member and master class teacher and regularly visits Lithuania as ‘ambassador for the art song’. In addition, Eijsackers is artistic director of the International Student Song Duo Competition in Groningen, which took place for the seventh time in November 2024. Since 2022, he has been the artistic director of the festival together with Henk Neven.

Katharina Ruckgaber particularly impressed with her disarming naturalness and compelling stage presence.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Henk Neven is a song interpreter who masters the metier down to the smallest detail. With his velvety, highly agile voice, he can concentrate optimally on the text, opening up fascinating vistas.

Opus Classical

Hans Eijsackers - who is allowed to 'go wild' as a soloist - delivers his masterstroke of colouring and timing. His rubati and accelerandi are fabulously embedded in a deeply fragrant richness of sound.

Opus Classical