In November, I embarked on a national tour featuring Franz Schubert’s lieder in Romania. The tour showcased some of Schubert’s most exquisite lieder and epitomized the Romantic era. The tour’s highlight occurred at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest.
I was accompanied by the talented pianist Diana Ionescu, with whom we presented the audience with a series of special encounters characterized by emotion, refinement, and reverie, culminating in the recital in Bucharest.
For me, undertaking such a tour has been a long-standing desire. I believe that a certain level of musical maturity is required to do justice to Schubert’s work, and I feel that I have reached the point where I can confidently approach it now. Schubert is a composer who is, on the one hand, approachable, but on the other hand, complex to interpret because, paradoxically, he offers a great deal of artistic freedom. And with that freedom comes the responsibility to know how to harness it.
As far as I am concerned, Schubert has not aged a bit. He remains as youthful as when he composed these lieder in his era. His music is just as direct and beautiful; it only requires a bit of patience and a willingness to immerse oneself in his musical world.
I invite you to review some of the key moments and messages of this tour in the video material that you can find here.