REPERTOIRE

“All this could seem silly and self-conscious if executed by ordinary performers . There is nothing ordinary however about the virtuosos at work here. Tireless and astonishingly lithe Fredrika Brillembourg sings the impossible sprechgesang solos with sensuality… and with abiding beauty”.

The Financial Times, Martin Bernheimer

"One Touch of Genius"

“ONE TOUCH OF GENIUS”

SONGS FOR BROADWAY BY LEONARD BERNSTEIN AND KURT WEILL

Fredrika Brillembourg Mezzo Soprano, Paul Bogaev Piano

"I think Leonard Bernstein knew every note of Kurt Weill ... and he's the one who carried the mantel after Weill's death ..." said none other than Kurt Weill's widow, singer-actress Lotte Lenya. In fact, Bernstein's compositions for the stage are in many ways influenced by Weill's oeuvre - both by the works that were produced in Germany with Bertolt Brecht, and even more by Weill's Broadway musicals written during his time in American exile. Bernstein and Weill’s musicals set the tone and the standard for the Broadway stage with their sophisticated lyrics and their equally exuberant and heartbreaking music.

New York-born and Berlin-based mezzo-soprano Fredrika Brillembourg explores in “One Touch of Genius” the similarities between Leonard Bernstein's and Kurt Weill's music and takes the listener on a biographical journey through time. In homage to the beauty and humor of the songs of these two great composers, the program ties musical threads between Bernstein's On the Town and Weill's One Touch of Venus, between Weill's Knickerbocker Holiday and Bernstein's Wonderful Town, between Lady in the Dark and Candide, between Street Scene and West Side Story.

Fredrika Brillembourg has appeared at major opera houses including the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, De Nederlandse Opera, the Washington National Opera, the Seattle Opera, the Teatro la Fenice, Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Frankfurt Opera; as well as at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and at the Bregenz Festival. Her repertoire includes the main roles of her fach such as Carmen, Charlotte, Octavian, Brangaene, Marguerite, and Orfeo, and Fredrika Brillembourg is also highly acclaimed for modern works by Toshio Hosokawa (Hanjo, The Raven), Gyorgy Ligeti (Le Grand Macabre) Tan Dun (Marco Polo) and Gottfried von Einem (Jesu Hochzeit).

Growing up in New York City she attended Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts and grew up as schoolmates with the composer’s children. “One touch of Genius” was developed as part of the Komische Oper Berlin’s Bernstein 100 Festival where she also the Old Lady in Barrie Kosky’s production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide.

Paul Bogaev is a multi award winning music director, conductor, pianist, arranger and composer with an extensive career in theater, film and music. Known for his versatility and expertise, Bogaev has been involved in many major Broadway productions and Hollywood films where he has earned accolades for his musical direction and arrangements.

He has worked on numerous celebrated projects as music director on Broadway, including Aida, The Lion King, Tarzan and Les Misérables. Bogaev is also renowned for his contributions to film soundtracks, including Chicago and Dreamgirls, both of which earned him Grammy Awards for the original cast recordings and film soundtracks. His work on Chicago also earned him and Academy Award nomination.

Bogaev is a recognized concert pianist and coach. has collaborated with a plethora of stars, including Sting, Phil Collins, Elton John, U2, and Barbara Streisand.

Opera

Adams

Berg, Alban

Berlioz

Bernstein

Cilea

Enescu

Giordano

Gounod

Henze

Hindemith

Hosokawa

Händel

Ligeti

Poulenc

Puccini

Saariaho

Schoeck

Schreker

Strasnoy

Strauss

Stravinsky

Tan Dun

Verdi

Von Einem

Wagner

Zemlinsky

Zimmermann

Concert

Berio

Berlioz

Bernstein

Britten

DeFalla

Dvorak

Elgar

Liszt

Mahler

Mahler-Werfel, Alma

Ortiz, Gabriela

Ravel

Respighi

Schmidt

Schoenberg

Stravinsky

Tippet

Wagner

Zemlinsky

Solo Programs

"One Touch of Genius"