Firesong Ensemble
Poems & Preludes
Vanessa Langer, soprano; Vera Breheda, piano; JoAnne DeMars, cello
Gabriel Fauré Après un rêve and Sonata No. 2 for cello and piano, Op. 117
Claude Debussy Preludes; De fleurs; Il pleure dans mon coeur; Spleen; Nuit d’etoiles
Sergei Rachmaninoff Preludes; How Fair the Spot, Op. 21, No. 7; Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5; Daisies, Op. 38, No. 3; Spring Waters, Op. 14, No. 11
Arnold Schoenberg selections from Brettle-Lieder: Galathea, Gigerlette, Mahnung, Arie aus dem Spiegel von Arcadien, Der genugsame Liebhaber, Jedem das Seine
Soaring Romantic and Impressionist masterpieces by Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Schoenberg are showcased by soprano Vanessa Langer and pianist Vera Breheda. Praised for her “flexible and multi-hued voice” (San Francisco Classical Voice) and “enormous stage presence (New Classical LA), soprano Vanessa Langer joins Vera Breheda, a “pianist [who] reaches for the stars with her talent…” (Saarbruecker Zeitung), in a program that surveys the great song heritage from turn of the century Paris, Moscow, and Vienna.
Firesong Ensemble promotes creative spaces for composers and performers to advance the vocal chamber repertoire. A flexible roster arts ensemble of dynamic Bay Area based musicians, Firesong engages new audiences with innovative programming. The ensemble enjoys a growing reputation for pairing emerging composers with rarely performed chamber music masterpieces.