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Soprano Daune Mahy Performs Songs From the Heart with Pianist Stephen Swedish on Tuesday, April 4, 8 P.M., in Finney Chapel

Story by Linda Shockley

THE PROGRAM

Lieder Abend

Schubert
Frühlingsglaube (Uhland)
Der Musensohn (Goethe)
Erlafee (Myrhofer)
Delphine (Schuetz)

Schumann
Mignon Kieder (Goethe)
• Kennst du das Land
• Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
• Heiss mich nicht reden
• So lasst mich scheinen

Intermission

Brahms
Das Mädchen spricht (Gruppe)
Mädchenlied (Heyse)
Wir wandelten (Daumer)
Dein Blaues augen (Groth)
Wenn du ner (Daumer)
Unbewegte Laue Luft (Daumer)

R. Strauss
All mein Gedanke (Dahn)
Morgen (Mackay)
Schlagende Herzen (Bierbaum)
Der Stern (Arnim)
Ständchen (Schack)

 

"The repertoire for my recital is all songs I have taught or sung and which I love," says soprano Daune Mahy, professor of singing. "There is a wonderful intimacy, and unity of text and music in them! Although I didn't pick the repertoire with a theme in mind, there is the element of nature, longing and love in many of them. That is really what German 19th century art song is about. I have always loved the Mignon Lieder. When I lived in Hamburg, Germany, I read the Goethe "Wilhelm Meister" and became fascinated with the character of Mignon. I have taught or sung various musical settings of these and the Schumann is my favorite."

Mahy will be accompanied by Stephen Swedish, visiting assistant professor of accompanying, for the recital slated for Tuesday, April 4, 8 P.M. in Finney Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public.

About the program, Swedish says, "My partner, Daune Mahy, happens to have chosen some of the most beautiful songs penned by any composer in the 19th century. The German Lied reached its ultimate perfection in the songs of Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and Richard Strauss. The special combination of songs in this program highlights some magnificent and inspiring works in this medium. There are a multitude of ways in which man can communicate to his fellow man among these are through the use of words and through the interpretation of music. We are fortunate as musicians, in that we have both music and words at our disposal when we communicate to our audiences."

Mahy adds, "Steve Swedish has been a wonderful collaborator. He is interested in the meaning and musical nuance of the text and is sensitive to tempi and climaxes in the songs. Preparing this program has been a labor of love and personal growth!"

Swedish speaks to the process of collaboration, "When a pianist has the privilege of performing in recital with any singer, it is unlike any other experience. The bond between singer and pianist must be as close a musical one as exists on the stage. Learning the piano part for each song only opens the door and allows the pianist to enter the unique world of music and poetry that exists in each song. In any partnership (whether instrumental or vocal), a pianist is only a part of the total musical interpretation. Regarding his work with a singer, a pianist must be able to breathe in the same way as the singer...he must know the poetry, and understand the relationship between the words and the notes... and he must interpret the text in the same manner as his partner. Only then can a real musical interpretation emerge."

Swedish concludes, "I have always felt that if I could move one person in the audience, I would have given a successful performance. There are many opportunities for Ms. Mahy and me to move our audience on Tuesday night and I sincerely hope that our performance will accomplish that."

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Daune Mahy

Daune Mahy is co-director of the Oberlin-in-Italy program and co-director of the Oberlin Vocal Academy. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and Actors Equity.

She received her bachelors and masters degree from the Westminister Choir College and her doctorate from Indiana University. Primary teachers included Roza, Berbie, Giardina, Harshaw, D'Angelo, Milanov, Bricht, Miller, Hodam and Davis. Additinonally, Mahy studied at the Hamburg Hochschule fur Musik and Academic d'Ete (Nice, France), Musik Seminar (Weimar) and Centro Studi (Italy).

Mahy has performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Omaha Symphony, Nebraska Sinfonia, Akron Symphony, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Toledo Choral Arts Society, Kentucky Opera, Opera Omaha, St. Louis Municipal Opera, John Kenly Players and Rome Festival Orchestra, in the U.S., Germany, Spain and Italy.

 

Stephen Swedish

Stephen Swedish received his doctorate in music from Indiana University where his teachers included renowned artist teachers Menahem Pressler and Abbey Simon. He has served on the artist faculties of Texas Christian university (at the request of the legendary pianist Lili Kraus), the University of Maryland, and as artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Swedish is the pianist of the Kapell Trio, an ensemble which was formed to promote American chamber music and commission new American compositions. He has performed in recital throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan and South America, and has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Milwaukee Symphony, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Haydn Festival Orchestra of Austria, among many others.

His recent tour as Artistic Ambassador for the United States included 28 performances in 33 days as well as master classes in Cyprus, Malta, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazahkstan, and is the subject of a just-completed book by Swedish.

While at Indiana University, he was invited by celebrated cellist Janos Starker to be his regular recital partner; together. Swedish and Starker have recorded for Mercury records and performed throughout the United States. Among the many artists with whom he has collaborated are violinists Josef Gingold, Eugene Fodor, the first American top prize winner in the International Tschaikovsky Competition in Russia, violist William Primrose and cellists Ronald Thomas, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, and Andre Emelianoff. He has appeared on numerous television programs including the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Merv Griffin Show, and others.

Swedish has recorded on the RCA Red Seal, Mercury and Gasparo labels.

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