Miah Persson sings Songs by Schubert, Sibelius and Grieg
Swedish soprano Miah Persson returned to the Wigmore Hall in London last February with accompanist Roger Vignoles to perform a wonderfully emotive and dramatic program, listed below
Grieg:
- Seks Sange, Op. 48
- Hjertets Melodier af H. C.Andersen, Op. 5 No. 3 ‘Jeg elsker Dig’
- encore
Schubert:
- Suleika I, D720
- Ganymed, D544 (Goethe)
- Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt, D877/4
- Rastlose Liebe, D138
- Du bist die Ruh D776 (Rückert)
- Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D774
- Gretchen am Spinnrade, D118
- Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D965 (Von Chezy / Muller)
Sibelius:
- Våren flyktar hastigt, Op. 13 No. 4 (Text: Runeberg)
- Den första kyssen, Op. 37 No. 1 (Text: J.L. Runeberg)
- Var det en dröm? Op. 37 No. 4 (J.J. Wecksell)
- Säf, säf, susa, Op. 36 No. 4 (Text: Gustav Fröding)
- Flickan kom från sin älsklings möte, Op. 37, No. 5
Performed by Miah Persson (soprano) and Roger Vignoles, piano
Opening with some of the most celebrated Schubert Lieder, Persson reveals a sensitive interpretation of each song, searching deep within the texts to convey emotions from sadness to ecstasy. With great passion, Persson then enters the Scandinavian sound world to complete her program with Grieg’s stormy Six Songs and a beautiful collection of Sibelius’ songs.
Miah Persson and this particular program remind me of Barbara Bonney when she first came to wider attention. Now 41, Persson is starting a bit late as far as releasing recordings, but she has a vibrant, instantly appealing voice. From the first notes of Schubert’s marvelous Suleika D. 720, the listener is captivated.
The program is an appealing mixture of familiar Schubert and mostly unfamiliar Scandinavian songs by Grieg and Sibelius. These two names are the first to come to mind when non-Scandinavians think of music from Northern Europe.
Roger Vignobles is one of the best accompanists on the current scene. In one of Schubert’s valedictory masterpieces, Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, Persson and clarinetist Richard Hosford come close to rivaling the interpretation by Ms. Bonney.
Here is Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, ‘Ressurrection’. With Miah Persson – soprano: Anna Larsson – mezzo-soprano: and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. From the Royal Albert Hall, London.
And here is Ms. Persson in Mass in C-minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
http://youtu.be/IlyczmvpqQ8
Tags: Miah Persson, Schubert, Grieg, Sibelius