The impression left by Mikhail Timoshenko (baritone) and Elitsa Desseva (piano) in a variety of songs was outstanding. In Hugo Wolf’s *Was für ein Lied soll dir gesungen werden* (from the *Italienisches Liederbuch*), the melodies shaped by the inflections of speech unfolded a wide harmonic range, which Mikhail Timoshenko explored superbly. Hugo Wolf’s *Auf einer Wanderung* (Mörike) was equally captivating thanks to Timoshenko’s great expressive scope, sensitively supported by Elitsa Desseva at the piano. A remarkable wealth of vocal color also characterized Hugo Wolf’s *Zur Warnung* (Mörike), in which Timoshenko once again demonstrated a daring vocal balancing act. Wagner’s leitmotif technique, adopted by Wolf, flashed forth repeatedly with luminous force. Robert Schumann’s *Des Dichters Genesung* Op. 36 (Reinick) impressed through the homogeneity and intensity of the performance. Driven by a strange restlessness was Hugo Wolf’s *In der Frühe* (Mörike), where both artists found complete unity in the turbulent chromaticism and ecstatic expressive power. This impression was greatly intensified in Hugo Wolf’s *Der Feuerreiter* (Mörike), in which Mikhail Timoshenko and Elitsa Desseva conjured glowing intervallic tensions. Robert Schumann’s *Wehmut* Op. 39 (Eichendorff) truly came across as the artist’s liberation. In finely balanced cantilenas, Timoshenko evoked this romantic emotional world, whose blurred, magical harmonies proved irresistible to the listener. The extinguishing of consciousness was celebrated here with beguiling acoustic sensuality. Another highlight was Franz Schubert’s *An die Musik* (Schober)—an overwhelming hymn whose sonic transformations left a deep impression. The program concluded with Hugo Wolf’s ironic settling of accounts with music critics: *Abschied* (Mörike). Here, an unwelcome reviewer is ultimately dispatched down the stairs by the artist in no gentle manner. Together with Elitsa Desseva, Mikhail Timoshenko compellingly emphasized the almost satirically overheated climax of this song, with the notes seeming to tumble downward in thunderous octaves. Finally, all four artists offered a wonderfully poetic interpretation of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s song *Gruß*: subtle nuances of touch and soulful singing combined to form an impressive soundscape. This moving song recital was produced in collaboration with the Kulturgemeinschaft Fellbach and SWR, with the Heidelberger Frühling Festival also involved.
In partnership with the Musée d’Orsay, Royaumont Abbey welcomes duos of young singers and pianists who have come to study art song and Lied [...]
Baritone Mikhail Timoshenko and pianist Elitsa Desseva received the Eduard Erdmann Advancement Prize 2024. In its citation, the jury commended the duo’s long-standing artistic engagement and dedication to the song repertoire of composer Eduard Erdmann (1896–1958) [...]
