Alice Coote
Julius Drake
Performers
Alice Coote, Mezzo-Soprano
Julius Drake, Piano
Program
SCHUBERT Winterreise
Event Duration
The printed program will last approximately 75 minutes with no intermission. Please note that there will be no late seating.This concert and the Pure Voice Series are sponsored by the Jean & Jula Goldwurm Memorial Foundation in memory of Jula Goldwurm.
At a Glance
Along the way, he ponders the nature of his journey-a symbol of life itself from Homer on-and heroically but unsuccessfully attempts to put aside his grief in order to continue living. He is tempted by inner voices proffering death in the fifth song ("The Linden Tree") but never attempts suicide, although he longs for death with increasing fervor as the journey continues. Throughout, he probes his inner self for answers to his questions about existence, and the questions finally lead to a grim epiphany in the 20th song ("The Signpost"), in which he recognizes a stark and awful fate. At the end, he sees himself in the hallucinatory image of a hurdy-gurdy player, grinding away at his instrument despite the fact that no one can hear him.
In early 19th-century Europe, songs were generally considered to be trifles intended for amateur music making at home. Schubert, his ambitions monumental from the start, would not have it that way and composed two song cycles on poetry by Müller (Die schöne Müllerin, or The Beautiful Miller Maid of 1823 is the other), whose depth and breadth are audible to all with ears, eyes, and hearts. Never again would anyone be able to say that "song" was not the equal of symphonies, operas, or string quartets in profundity.
Bios
Alice Coote
Renowned on the recital, concert, and opera stages of the world, Alice Coote is regarded
as one of the great artists of today. The recital platform is central to her musical life,
and she performs throughout the UK, Europe, and the US at venues that include the BBC
Proms, Vienna's Konzerthaus, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, and the White Nights Festival in
St. Petersburg.
Ms. Coote is also in demand worldwide on the operatic stage in both male and female roles.
She performs in the UK at the Glyndebourne Festival and the Royal Opera House, as well as
at the Salzburg Festival, Bavarian State Opera, Opéra national de Paris, Vienna State
Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, and Metropolitan Opera.
Ms. Coote's many recordings and DVDs include Schumann's Dichterliebe and
Frauenliebe und -leben on Wigmore Hall Live and Elgar's Sea
Pictures with the Hallé Orchestra.
Julius Drake
Pianist Julius Drake lives in London and enjoys an international reputation as one of the
finest instrumentalists in his field, collaborating with many of the world's leading
artists both in recital and on recordings. Mr. Drake appears regularly at all the major
music festivals and venues, including the Aldeburgh Festival, Edinburgh International
Festival, Munich Opera Festival, Schubertiade Festival, and Salzburg Festival, as well as
at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, and the BBC
Proms.
Mr. Drake's many recordings include a widely acclaimed series with Ian Bostridge for EMI
and an award-winning recording with Gerald Finley for Hyperion. Among many awards, Mr.
Drake was the recipient of Gramophone awards in 2003, 2007, 2009, and
2011.
Upcoming performances include a tour of the US for recitals with Alice Coote; recitals
with Mr. Bostridge, Christoph Prégardien, and Danielle de Niese; and concerts in his series
Julius Drake and Friends at London's historic Middle Temple Hall with artists who include
Anne Sofie von Otter and Simon Keenlyside.