Clara's Gift

Frauenliebe und Leben

Robert Schumann – music

Adelbert von Chamisso – poetry

• Karina Lucas: mezzo soprano
• Simon Lane: piano
• Elizabeth Mansfield: deviser and actress
• Steve Trafford: presenter and translator

A fascinating evening of music, drama and song...

Glorious music, ridiculous words! Among contemporary listeners this is the near universal response to Schumann's famous song cycle. But in Clara's Gift, a very different interpretation is uncovered and celebrated, as the story of Robert Schumann and his beloved Clara unfolds. New English translations of the songs are interwoven with spoken passages from their love letters, from Janice Galloway's biographical novel Clara, and from Chamisso's poems. The evening culminates in a complete performance of this marvellous work, sung in the original German, and performed by Karina Lucas (mezzo-soprano), and Simon Lane (pianist). The spoken texts will be performed by Oliver Award nominated actress, Elizabeth Mansfield.

Clara's Gift premiered in Leeds, last November, at The Venue, City of Leeds College of Music, a co-production between Ensemble and Leeds Lieder+

A word from Jane Anthony – Festival Director of Leeds Lieder+ and audience responses from the premiere.