There was a time when serious song recitals seemed like an endangered species. Audiences didn’t want to struggle with the usually French or German texts, and stayed away. But last week the impressive Oxford Lieder Festival, a major fixture of the autumn music season, played to sold-out halls. At least, they sold out for the opening weekend, as people flocked to hear a roster of outstanding singers and accompanists in songs by Robert Schumann.
This year’s festival was wholly given over to the Schumann songs, packaged with talks and workshops. Truly an immersion, it was introduced by probably the finest Lieder singer of his generation, Christian Gerhaher, and settled down to business with a study day devised by the most erudite of all accompanists, Graham Johnson.
