Program Notes

Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) wrote and illustrated a volume of poems Klänge (Sounds) in 1912. The three poems chosen show Kandinsky’s wonderfully quirky and slightly surreal observations of human behavior. His original woodcuts for the poems have been reimagined by artist Renée Reynolds. Commissioned by LIEDER ALIVE! as part of the Neue Lieder Commissioning Program for baritone Kirk Eichelberger and pianist Simona Snitkovskaya for the San Francisco Lieder Alive Series.

Lied is dedicated to Brian Goggin and Dorka Keehn, Vorfrülig is dedicated to Kirk Eichelberger and Simona Snitkovskaya, and Hoboe to Kurt Erickson.