<<< previous interview <<<                                                              >>> next interview >>>

An interview with Andrew Mellor for Classic FM Magazine, October 2008

where Gerry talks about his new Dichterliebe CD (click on cover for CD details)

Singing, Poetry, Music and Love

The Canadian baritone explores Schumann's emotional song-cycle



Is Schumann's Dichterliebe a continuous journey or a set of individual miniature works?

That's why it's a challenge: you have to decide, Is it a story or is it a series of impressions of the many ways love can blossom then die? Then you have to decide what time lapse to allow between each song and what circumstance you're in - the whole visual, emotional world, It's definitely a characterisation, but not different characters for each song; it's simply the same person exploring a succession of experiences.

 

Do you ever look to the piano for emotional or thematic clues from Schumann?

Definitely, I think a particular strength of Schumann's is the power of his piano writing, although he actually leaves out a lot - the piano writing can be lonely and that wonderfully reflects the poetry, Then in the last song of Dichterliebe, you have these strong piano chords; for me, the hammers of the piano are unequivocally the nails going into a coffin. There are lots of clues like this that help inform the sung elements of the song. When Julius [the pianist] and I come to a piece like this, the gift is the investigation of both parts - me looking at the piano part and Julius looking at the vocal line. It's a wonderful collaboration.

 

The poet Heine inspired many composers. Is there something musical about his work?

Absolutely, he wrote Dichterliebe with a view to it being set to music, and the response from composers was incredible. I think it's because he gives enough freedom in the metre for composers to do what they like, to react in their own way to it. But the poetry itself is very beautiful and powerful - it inspires composers but it stands on its own too. Heine was incredibly gifted and we're fortunate that so many composers have responded to that gift.