Short & classical: Berlioz: Les nuits d’été

Short & classical: Joyce DiDonato for the first time with the Oslo-filharmonien Joyce DiDonato is one of the most sought-after mezzo-soprano stars of our time, and now she is finally making her debut with the Oslo-filharmonien. She sings Berlioz' Les nuits d'été, an intimate and vulnerable portrayal of love and loss that stands in sharp contrast to the composer's better-known grandiose orchestral works. Berlioz: Les nuits d’été Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) often wrote about his own music in diaries and letters. About the song cycle Les nuits d’été, however, there is little. It was composed around 1840, and the original version for light voice and piano was performed in the summer of 1841. This was a turbulent period in Berlioz' life: his first marriage was coming to an end, at the same time as he met the woman who later became his second wife. At the same time he was also criticised for only writing grandiose works for symphony orchestra. The six songs in Les nuits d’été show another side of him. They are more intimate and look at love from different perspectives. The loss of love is a recurring theme in the song cycle. Perhaps Berlioz therefore felt that the message of the work was clear enough in itself, without need for further explanation. Performers: Eivind Aadland, conductor Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano

• Joyce DiDonato
• Eivind Aadland

RECORDINGS OF THE WORKS

Hector Berlioz: Les nuits d'été, op. 7

Watch on NRK TV (1987)More recordings on Kulturbase

Videos from Kulturbase