Follow the Lieder: Recent Episodes
Cincinnati Song Initiative
Pianist and wacky art-song enthusiast Mandee Madrid-Sikich talks all things Lieder related (and not related!). Composers, poets, cultural contexts, piano settings, German romanticism - if it has to do with art song, you better believe it's included in this podcast! Each episode covers a different art song and is complete with special guest appearances and performances of the chosen songs. Composers discussed include Mendelssohn, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Strauss and others. You can find Mandee on Instagram @liedernerd and on You Tube as Mandee Madrid-Sikich .
In today's installment of Follow the Lieder: Schubert's Winterreise, we discuss the iconic song Der Lindenbaum. A tree has a message, but is it what our traveller wants to hear? And will he go back for his hat? Find out all this and more by tuning in and turning up!
Emoji stories for each episode by @teodoro.piano
Der Lindenbaum: 🌳⛲🏡💨🎩
Sing Der Lindenbaum with me!
You can support the podcast by going to https://www.patreon.com/liedernerd and becoming a patron!
You can find me on Instagram @liedernerd and on YouTube as Mandee Madrid-Sikich.
Sources for this episode include:
The Schubert Song Companion by John Reed; Schubert's Winter Journey by Ian Bostridge; Retracing a Winter's Journey: Schubert's Winterreise by Susan Youens; Franz Schubert: The Complete Songs by Graham Johnson; Franz Schubert: A Biography by Elizabeth Norman McKay, Schubert and His Poets by Susan Youens, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia, http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-linden-trees/, https://www.gerlindinstitute.org/linden.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_tree_in_culture
In Episode 3 of our Winterreise series, we cover Erstarrung and a surprise second song often said to be its predecessor. You'll have to tune in to find out all about the predecessor's crazy (literally) backstory! With guest co-host Brian Sikich and guest vocalist Dr. Tyler Reece.
Emoji stories for each episode by @teodoro.piano
Erstarrung: 🔎🏔️👣💔
Sing Erstarrung with me!
You can support the podcast by going to https://www.patreon.com/liedernerd and becoming a patron!
You can find me on Instagram @liedernerd and on YouTube as Mandee Madrid-Sikich.
Sources for this episode include:
The Schubert Song Companion by John Reed; Schubert's Winter Journey by Ian Bostridge; Retracing a Winter's Journey: Schubert's Winterreise by Susan Youens; Franz Schubert: The Complete Songs by Graham Johnson; Franz Schubert: A Biography by Elizabeth Norman McKay, Schubert and His Poets by Susan Youens.
In the second episode of our trek through Schubert's Winterreise, we cover Die Wetterfahne and Gefrorne Tränen. The nobility of the journeyman dwindles as he feels himself overcome by feelings of victimization and horror at his own grief. It's a party you're not gonna want to miss! With guest co-host Brian Sikich and guest vocalist Dr. Tyler Reece.
Emoji stories for each episode by @teodoro.piano
Die Wetterfahne: 🌬️🎏🏚️💰
Gefrorne Tränen: 😢💧❄️🌨️
Sing Die Wetterfahne with me!
Sing Gefrorne Tränen with me!
Hermann Prey on YouTube
Han's Zender's orchestration of Winterreise
You can support the podcast by going to https://www.patreon.com/liedernerd and becoming a patron!
You can find me on Instagram @liedernerd and on YouTube as Mandee Madrid-Sikich.
Sources for this episode include:
The Schubert Song Companion by John Reed; Schubert's Winter Journey by Ian Bostridge; Retracing a Winter's Journey: Schubert's Winterreise by Susan Youens; Franz Schubert: The Complete Songs by Graham Johnson; Franz Schubert: A Biography by Elizabeth Norman McKay.
Behold! The second season of Follow the Lieder is upon us! Season 2 will be all about Schubert's Winterreise, beginning today with an overview of Wilhelm Müller and the genesis of his poems, as well as a hefty discussion about Gute Nacht, the first song of this epic cycle. With guest host Brian Sikich. My supreme gratitude goes out to Dr. Tyler Reece as I would not be able to produce this podcast without his incredible vocal collaborations.
Gute Nacht: 🌃🥀🌘🚶🏽
Emoji stories for each episode by @teodoro.piano
Sing Gute Nacht with me --> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIcW-nltlNHH1J7uSNuLoe7AcUy3CksRM
You can support the podcast by going to https://www.patreon.com/liedernerd and becoming a patron!
You can find me on Instagram @liedernerd and on YouTube as Mandee Madrid-Sikich.
Sources for this episode include:
The Schubert Song Companion by John Reed; Schubert's Winter Journey by Ian Bostridge; Retracing a Winter's Journey: Schubert's Winterreise by Susan Youens; Franz Schubert: The Complete Songs by Graham Johnson; Franz Schubert: A Biography by Elizabeth Norman McKay.
Witches, Witchcraft, Paganism! What does any of that have to do with Lieder and why should we talk about it? Find out all that and more in today's looooooooong awaited episode. Special guest host (and witch!) Chelsea Willett discusses the history of this long misunderstood practice as well as its place in the modern world. Chelsea is a graphic designer and you can follow her on Instagram @chelseawillett_designs and her shop @luna.mons. Her website is https://www.chelseawillettdesigns.com/links/
Discussion is followed up with a performance of Mendelssohn's Hexenlied sung by guest vocalist Siân Dicker, Instagram--> @siandicker
Sing Hexenlied with me!!!!!--> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtAsajgyeWM&list=PLIcW-nltlNHFyhSWSHES-F2E7HL8UPSjr&index=19
Support me and the podcast on Patreon ! --> https://www.patreon.com/liedernerd
You can find me on Instagram @liedernerd and on YouTube as Mandee Madrid-Sikich.
Sources:
https://bostonreview.net/gender-sexuality/jessie-kindig-all-witches-they-could-not-burn
https://lithub.com/a-literary-history-of-witches/
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/journey-into-witchcraft-beliefs/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials
https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-witches
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140925-where-do-witches-come-from
https://www.history.com/news/why-witches-fly-on-brooms
https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/witchcraft-too-mainstream
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Walpurgis-Night
In 1845 Mendelssohn made a copy of his song Schilflied with a tiny, unexpected masterpiece in the top left hand corner of the manuscript. Find out all about it in this episode with Mandee's surprise guest host! Featuring soprano Harriet Burns (website--> https://www.harrietburns.com/)
Treble Clef Manuscript (scroll down on the same page for Bach and Mozart manuscripts) --> https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/composer-manuscript-handwriting/signatures/
Link to purchase Schilflied print--> https://museoteca.com/r/en/work/5838/felix_mendelssohn/schilflied_reed_song_/!/
Today's episode features a truly THRILLING neo-gothic horror story complete with misty mountains, a glassy sea, a double crossing queen and her murderous companion. Mandee covers Schubert's Der Zwerg (text by Mattäus von Collin). Guest vocalist is the inimitable mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska.
Sources:
"Of Dwarves, Perversion, and Patriotism: Schubert's Der Zwerg" https://www.jstor.org/stable/746897?seq=1
Johnson, G., & Wigmore, R. (2014). Franz Schubert: the complete songs. New Haven ; London: Yale University Press.
Mandee combines her love of space and her love for lieder in this episode featuring Lied eines Schiffer an die Dioskuren. Covered topics include but are not limited to: binary stars, the value of sacrificing love in pursuit of cosmic knowledge, and a pitch for a new Quentin Tarantino film. Featuring co-host Deborah Wood and baritone Tyler Reece.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mandee-madrid-sikich/message
In this episode we dive deep into Schubert’s setting of the poem Aufenthalt by Ludwig Rellstab. Bonus topics include blanket burritos and how Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata got its name. Mandee’s dog Czar even makes a vocal appearance at the end, so stay tuned to the very last minute to hear the singing pup!
Featuring guest vocalist Tyler Reece
What do a 19th century german almanac, Lord Byron, the Oxford Circus John Lewis, and Wilhelm Müller's omen of death have in common?... They all feature in this fabulous episode where we discuss the song Auf dem Flusse from Schubert's Winterreise! Tune in and turn up!
Co-hosted by Deborah Wood
Featuring guest vocalist Tyler Reece
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mandee-madrid-sikich/message
Special Episode Alert! The song that started it all!!! Today we are discussing Felix Mendelssohn’s song Auf Flügeln des Gesanges with text by Heinrich Heine. One day while camping in Arizona, Mandee and Deborah listened to this sublime tune while contemplating the depths of meaning in the words, and voila! the idea for the Follow the Lieder podcast was born!
Within this gorgeous gem of a song we encounter palm trees, gazelles, lotus flowers, giggling violets, twinkling stars, and fragrant, fairytale-telling roses. What’s not to love? Tune in and turn up!!!
with guest vocalist Naomi Merer
Follow Mandee on instagram @liedernerd
Attention! Attention! In today’s episode we cover a composer other than Schubert… This is not a drill! I repeat: this is NOT a drill!!!
In a special episode of the gender-bending variety, Mandee and special guest Dr. Tyler Reece discuss Tyler’s DMA dissertation “Liebe und Leben: Exploring Gender Roles and Sexuality in Nineteenth Century Lieder.” Complete with a live performance from Tyler’s final DMA recital, we discuss issues including gender roles in early 19th century Germanic society, Berlin and the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement, the moral purity movement, gendered performance practices, and Tyler’s dramatic integration of the gay male perspective into this beloved cycle. Chances are, you’ve never heard it performed quite like this!
Recorded at UCSB Karl Geiringer Hall, 4 May 2019
Dr. Tyler Reece, baritone
Mandee Madrid-Sikich, piano
Link to Tyler's dissertation here... "Liebe und Leben: Exploring Gender Roles and Sexuality in Nineteenth Century Lieder"
This episode goes out to all those Lieder nerds who haven't yet had their fill of Schubert and Goethe! Mandee is joined by special guest host Ben Offringa to discuss Schubert’s first published song, the infamous Erlkönig. Creepy/fascinating/thrilling/exhausting stuff to be found within!
Guest vocalist: Dr.(!) Tyler Reece
Links:
C. Gibbs article- https://www.jstor.org/stable/746658?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Anne Sophie- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdhRYMY6IEc&feature=related
Now this episode really has it all... a wager with God, boxes of jewels, a poisoned mother, a murdered brother, the teenage mutant ninja turtles (maybe), and the ORIGINAL Faustian pact. Mandee and co-host Deborah discuss the Schubert song Gretchen am Spinnrade with text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Complete with guest appearance by Deborah's bird, Sir Phillip Birb.
Guess vocalist: mezzo-soprano Kelly Guerra