Hans Zender: Schuberts »Winterreise«

When what is arguably the most famous song cycle in music history meets one of the finest lieder singers of our time, it sounds like a perfect match. Especially when Julian Prégardien brings Schubert’s *Winterreise* into the here and now.

This harrowing tale of inner despair and a journey into isolation will mark its 200th anniversary in 2027. In a “composed interpretation,” as he calls his new version of the cycle, Hans Zender bridges this historical gap and hears the Romantic songs through the ears of the late 20th century: with expressive sounds, dynamic extremes, a wind machine, and a rain sheet. Incidentally, the Ensemble Modern already performed the world premiere of this work in Frankfurt in 1993.

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