Learnings of history

Personal matters arose, so these CIMF reports are late and probably short.  Next concert was loud and able to fill the Opera House with soprano voice and rippling arpeggiated piano accompaniment of Wagner, lieder operatic period pieces.  I read of Wagner of the completeness of his Gesamptkunstwerk (=total work of art) to the extent of creating his own opera house to contain his works of leitmotifs, chromaticism, moving tonal centres and more.  We may not recognise these inventions from the past but he's significant as a precursor to modern music.  Difficult for some ears, though.  These were capable soprano and piano and a valuable awareness raiser to one's own lack of awareness of musical history.  But from our world, I squirm at the lyrics of the era: "Oh! How I give thanks to nature / for giving me such pain"; "It is only I that see this way / so wondrous and gentle".  Maybe it works in context.  Just not my scene, I guess.

Anna-Loise Cole (soprano) was accompanied by Kristian Chong (piano) singing Wagner lieder at Wesley for CIMF2026.