Schubert’s most romantic songs
Saturday 27 September, 2:30 p.m., Amsterdam
Schubert.nl continues to present unique concerts and publish exceptional, highly detailed books on Schubert’s works. Following the Die schöne Müllerin concert, which was organized in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Amsterdam, and the publication of a book about this cycle in three languages (see Books), a great deal of hard work has gone into preparing the next project, particularly in the vocal department. There are even more concerts and other activities in the pipeline.
On 27 September 2025, a unique performance of Schubert’s third and final cycle, Schwanengesang, will take place in the Posthoornkerk in Amsterdam. (Strictly speaking, it is not a cycle — more on that soon.) This concert will also present a new book. The preparations for the concert therefore greatly helped with writing the book. As with the book about Die schöne Müllerin, this book offers more information about the work than any other.
The Posthoornkerk is located a stone’s throw from Central Station.
This concert is unique not only because of the order and choice of songs, but also because of its interpretation, which follows the lines set out in the accompanying book. In the case of ‘Die Taubenpost’, a correction has even been made to the score, which has never been performed by anyone else apart from these performers. While not entirely unique, it is certainly unusual and very much in the spirit of Schubert for the cycle to be performed by a tenor with a sufficiently low range rather than a baritone.
The neo-Gothic building can only be seen in its entirety from the air. The neo-Romanesque interior has the allure of a cathedral, but it is quite narrow and can normally accommodate 200 concertgoers. This is one of the reasons why it is advisable to buy tickets early; however, the price (€14.95 including refreshments) is very reasonable. Young people under 21 and those on low incomes are admitted free of charge, and the first 50 tickets include two drinks. Tickets can be purchased here (from 4 June at 6 p.m.). If you would prefer not to pay online, tickets can also be reserved and paid for at the venue. You can also buy a ticket in combination with other items, such as a book about Schwanengesang. More information can be found by clicking on ‘Tickets‘. Schwanengesang will also be recorded, with previews to be published on YouTube and elsewhere before the concert.
Programme:
Franz Schubert
From Schwanengesang, D 957, to a text by Rellstab
1. Abschied
2 Kriegers Ahnung
3. Frühlingssehnsucht
4. Ständchen
5. Aufenthalt
6 Liebesbotschaft
From Schwanengesang, D 957, with lyrics by Seidl:
7. Die Taubenpost, D 965a
From Schwanengesang, D. 957, with lyrics by Heine:
8 Das Fischermädchen
9 Die Stadt
10 Am Meer
11 Der Doppelgänger
12. Ihr Bild
13 Der Atlas
Doors open at 14:30.
15:00: Concert
16:00: Drinks and books
Performers:
Irina Sisoyeva
Irina Sisoyeva is a pianist, accompanist, répétiteur and vocal coach. Born in Samara, Russia, she won prizes in the Kabalevsky Children’s Competition and the Volga Piano Competition, before graduating with distinction from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory with a Master’s degree in 1994. She completed her postgraduate degree in 1996 (Aspirantura).
While in Russia, she performed as a soloist with state orchestras in Samara, Volgograd, Vladivostok and St Petersburg, gave solo recitals, and worked as a pianist and accompanist with the Vladivostok Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vladivostok Opera. Between 2001 and 2011, she worked as an accompanist, rehearsal pianist and vocal coach at Opera Studio Nederland. She has also worked for Opera Trionfo, Opera Zuid, Opera Minora, Opera aan Zee, Superz Arts Management, Tact Arts Management, the James McCray Voice Studio, and the Vienna State Opera.
From 2010 until 2017, she worked as a choir rehearsal pianist for the Dutch National Opera. Since 2010, she has also regularly performed as a production rehearsal pianist for opera productions, including for other organisations. Irina has also performed with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam, the Grachten Festival in Amsterdam, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Capella Amsterdam and the Rotterdam Concert Choir.
She has also worked as a pianist and coach for Russian opera at the International Vocal Competition summer school, and has been invited to deliver Russian opera masterclasses at the Opera Studio Toulouse. She regularly works as a language coach with many professional choirs in the Netherlands and visiting international opera singers.
From September 2025, she will be permanently affiliated with the Dutch National Opera.
Dré de Man
Dré de Man is a lyric tenor. He started singing Gregorian chants in his local church choir in Chevremont when he was ten years old. During his Dutch studies, lectures by Willem Wilmink introduced him to the poems of Heine, sparking his enduring love for lieder. He wrote a thesis on the transition from classicism to romanticism in Schubert’s music and studied music history during his studies. This knowledge proved useful when he became a radio editor for the KRO-Studio magazine in 1986. There, he occasionally wrote explanations of classical works.
In 1995, he took his first singing lessons, also beginning to sing with the Kammerchor Bad Bentheim that same year. After returning to the Netherlands, he joined the Opera Prullaria group. He has given regular concerts since 1998, initially exclusively for friends and acquaintances. However, in recent years he has made remarkable vocal progress, mainly due to the beneficial effects of sports activities, enabling him to perform at the required aesthetic and interpretative level. Born close to the German border and having lived in Germany for several years, he has an almost native-level knowledge of and pronunciation in the German language.
From 2010 to 2013, he wrote reviews of song recitals for his website, ‘Du holde Kunst’. During this period, he also interviewed several singers and pianists, including Peter Schreier, Robert Holl, Christoph Prégardien, Maarten Koningsberger and Julius Drake. From 1998 onwards, he worked with Irina, who was more of a teacher than a coach and a great inspiration to him.