Follow the Lieder

On a chilly February night in 1913, the Viennese audience arrived expecting to despise Arnold Schönberg's Gurre-Lieder , but left on their feet in thunderous applause. Yet the composer snubbed them all, refusing to acknowledge their praise. Find out why in today’s episode covering Arnold Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder. Featuring tenor James McCracken and the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji...

Journey with Schubert and Mayrhofer to the gloomy shore of Hades and meditate on the simple things that make our pale blue dot such a beautiful place to call home. Special thanks to bass Daniel Noyola for his gorgeous live performance of Fahrt zum Hades with pianist Martin Dubé. Find out more about Daniel here Follow Daniel on Instagram  Sing Fahrt zum Hades with me Drawing of Mayrhofer Follow the...

Written for amateur SATB ensemble and piano four hands, the opus 52 Liebeslieder Waltzer were the original Hausmusik and so popular with the people that sales of the waltzes were the source of much of Brahms' wealth.  Live performance by soprano Murrella Parton, mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis, tenor Dominic Armstrong, baritone Jorell Williams, and pianists Marie-France Lefebvre and Allen Perriello...

In this episode we discuss the character of Mignon (from Goethe’s Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship), the mysterious child performer whose longing, music, and devotion make her a most unforgettable figure. Featuring Hugo Wolf's Kennst du das Land? performed by soprano Siân Dicker and pianist Krystal Tunnicliffe. Watch the performance on YouTube More about Siân Dicker More about Krystal Tunnicliffe...

We're wrapping up 2025 by bringing Cincinnati Song Initiative's podcast hosts together for our annual Holiday Party! Join us in looking back on a wonderful year with peaks and pits from all of our hosts, then test your knowledge with games like "Guess that Song" and "Two Truths and a Lie: Composer Edition." Which composer walked the streets of Paris with a hammer in his suit pocket? Which composer...

Rebecca Clarke was many things (violist, composer, chamber musician, lecturer, prankster(!), fashionista) and it's not hard to see why she has earned her place as one of the most important composers of the 20th century. In this episode we discuss Clarke's life from birth up though 1913 and we are joined by her great-nephew Christopher Johnson to discuss Clarke's legacy and her song The Seal Man wi...

Part 2 of our exploration of Gustav Mahler's transcendental work Kindertotenlieder. With baritone Samuel Kidd and Christina Lalog Seal . Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts . ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What happens when poetry born of unbearable grief meets a composer haunted by death? In this episode, we cover the first two songs of Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder , uncovering how Rückert’s words and Mahler’s music fuse into an unflinching meditation on loss, memory, grief, and love. With baritone Samuel Kidd and pianist Christina Lalog Seal . Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Ini...

From her electrifying performances on the world’s great stages to her influential years as a teacher in the United States, Lotte Lehmann’s legacy shines through in equal parts passion, vulnerability, and uncompromising musical truth. Featuring archival recordings of Schubert's Erlkönig and An die Musik with Lehmann's long-time pianist Paul Ulanowsky. Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati...

Today we cover Five Songs of Laurence Hope by H.T. Burleigh with tenor Matthew Corcoran. Recorded live at the Fellowship of the Song 2025 Fellows Closing Concert with pianist Barbie Noyes. Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts . ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Today we cover not one, not two, but THREE Swedish songs with special guest co-host Michael Sikich . Guest vocalists include soprano Sofie Asplund , mezzo-soprano Ann-Kristin Jones , and baritone Luthando Qave . Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts. ★ Support this podcast on Patr...

What makes a home? Is it a person, a feeling, a place? The lonely voice of Schubert’s wanderer, wondering at the moon where his place in the world might be, resonates with the voices of today as we hear from friends of the podcast. Ways to help the refugee crisis: https://www.unrefugees.org/ https://humanrightsfirst.org/ https://www.globalrefuge.org/news/5-ways-to-help-refugees-immigrants-in-2025/...

Before there was Felix, there was Fanny! Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was a supremely talented and intelligent pianist and composer, but societal norms of the time kept her locked in a patriarchal prison. Join us as we hear three of her songs: Nach süden, Vorwurf, and Nachtwanderer. With soprano Isabelle Peters and mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska. Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Init...

The worlds of Hollywood and Lieder collide in this episode about Erich Wolfgang Korngold and his Sechs einfache Lieder. Including a very special live performance of the cycle by guest vocalist Claire McCahan and guest pianist Tzu Kuang Tan recorded during the Opening Fellows Concert at CSI's Fellowship of the Song program in May of 2024. Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiat...

Follow the Lieder is doing its best Voldemort impression.... WE'RE BACK BABY! Join us as we do a long-awaited deep dive into the life of Johannes Brahms, followed by a performance of Botschaft by tenor Logan Wagner and pianist Kirill Kuzmin . With co-host Brian Sikich. Raisin Brahms Commercial Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative . You can learn more about its network of...

In our final episode of our compare and contrast season we discuss Liebst du um Schönheit by Gustav Mahler and Clara Wieck Schumann. With guest performers mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker and pianist Samuel Martin. Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative . You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts . ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Today we have not one, not two, but THREE settings of the text Waldseligkeit by Richard Dehmel. See if you can guess the mystery composers before their names are reveled after receiving the clues and live performances of their settings by Erin Keesey and Samuel Martin! Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatso...

A lively discussion with guest co-host Ben Offringa covering Heine's text Allnächtlich im Traume in settings by Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. With guest performers Tristan Tournaud, Parker Konkle, Ethan Neal, and Sihan Zhang. Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts . ★ Supp...

The ASMR Lieder podcast you didn't know you needed! If you can make it past Brian's dubious soundscaping in today's episode then you're in for a treat as we discuss Goethe and his(?) text Rastlose Liebe in settings by Zelter and Schubert. Special thanks to guest performers Erin Keesy, Olivia Knutsen, and Samuel Martin ! Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn...

Join Mandee and Janie as they discuss the legend of the Lorelei and compare settings by Robert Schumann and Alexander Zemlinsky. With guest performances by Erik Nordstrom , Parker Konkle , Erin Keesy , and Samuel Martin . Picture of Zemlinsky Concert program Flight documents Lorelei Rock Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podc...

This month's episode of Follow the Lieder is slightlyyyyy delayed, so enjoy this bonus episode from Song Cycle hosted by CSI founder Samuel Martin! The great Scottish pianist Iain Burnside joins Sam for a fun and informative conversation.  Come for the sage advice on how to stay active in this ever-changing classical music landscape, stay for the greatest page-turning fail you never knew you neede...

Murder ballades, Raisin Brahms, and the 'Schubert of the North' are just a few of the things you're not gonna want to miss in this month's episode of Follow the Lieder with guest co-host Brian Sikich. With guest performances by Erik Nordstrom, Parker Konkle, Lucy Evans, and Logan Wagner. https://www.eriknordstrom.com/ https://parkerkonkle.com/ https://lucyevansmezzo.com/ https://www.loganwagnerten...

The advent of Season 4 of Follow the Lieder is upon us! All season long we will be comparing various settings of the same text within each episode, beginning today with Heinrich Heine's text “Ich stand in dunklen Träumen” as set by Franz Schubert and Clara Wieck Schumann. With guest vocalist Naomi Merer Witzen Sing Schubert's setting with me! Sing Clara's setting with me! Follow the Lieder is a pr...

In this episode of Follow the Lieder we discuss Schubert's song Kriegers Ahnung and music's role in highlighting our shared humanity in the face of war. With special guest cellist Da Yoon Kang. Sources:   https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bulge-dispatches/ Forgotten Voices of the Second World War by Max Arthur https://www.msf.org/data-and-patient-accounts-reveal-indiscriminate-a...

The self-proclaimed first-class second-rate composer Richard Strauss is the topic of today's episode. Join us as we discuss a brief history of his life and cover his song Allerseellen with guest host Janie Roy and guest vocalist Liisa Dàvila. Sing Allerseelen with me Find Liisa here Find Janie here Sources: The Lieder of Richard Strauss by Alan Jefferson; The life of Richard Strauss by Bryan Gilli...