Dichterliebe by Asitha Tennekoon & Eshantha Peiris

Asitha Tennekoon and Eshantha Peiris have performed together in many memorable concerts and recitals – some featuring just the two of them and others with more artists. The concert that will take place on Saturday will probably be the last that the two will hold for a while as they are both hoping to leave Colombo to continue their studies abroad. “I didn't want us to leave without having one last chance to perform together.” Asitha said.

The song recital will feature works by several different composers. The main focus of the evening however, will be the famous song cycle by Robert Schumann: 'Dichterliebe' (The Poet's Love). The work consists of sixteen poems by the great German poet Heinrich Heine, which were set to music by Robert Schumann. The work was composed in 1840 which was a very eventful year for the composer. Schumann and his beloved, Clara Wieck fought and won a lengthy legal battle in order to marry without the consent of Clara's father. In that year Schumann also composed about 140 songs, one third of the total output of vocal music during his lifetime. “The Schumann Dichterliebe is a piece I have wanted to perform for a long time. It's a perfect collaboration between voice and piano and the poems by Heinrich Heine are so full of bite and evocative imagery.” Asitha commented, continuing “Coupled with Schumann's masterful setting, the piece really goes deep into the subject of unrequited love and pain in a very transparent manner.” He muses that “Even if people haven't experienced something that specific in their lives, I think the theme of really reaching and obsessing after something, which for whatever reason we can't have, is always a relevant emotional and psychological discussion.” Up until 1840 Schumann's compositions were primarily for piano. Therefore it's natural for many to make a connection between the hard fought romantic victory and his newfound inspiration for song. Others however dismiss the legal victory as a creative catalyst by saying that it was only natural for Schumann to take the next step in his compositional evolution from instrumental music to vocal writing.

The 'Dichterliebe' cycle does not tell a narrative story. However the songs are thematically connected, focusing very much on unrequited love and the various stages of falling in love, facing rejection, being immersed in obsession, and finally finding the strength to let go.
The rest of the evening will consist of well-loved art songs by composers such as Duparc, Vaughan Williams, Richard Strauss, Ivor Gurney, and Reynaldo Hahn.

When - Saturday, August 16th 2014
Where - Goethe-Institut, No. 39 Gregory's Road Colombo 07.
Time - 7:30-8:30pm
Tickets - Rs.1,000, available at the venue

By Marissa van Eyck