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Part 2 of our exploration of Gustav Mahler's transcendental work Kindertotenlieder. With baritone Samuel Kidd and Christina Lalog Seal.

What happens when poetry born of unbearable grief meets a composer haunted by death? In this episode, we cover the first two songs of Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, uncovering how Rückert’s words and Mahler’s music fuse into an unflinching meditation on loss, memory, grief, and love. With baritone Samuel Kidd and pianist Christina Lalog Seal.

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

From her electrifying performances on the world’s great stages to her influential years as a teacher in the United States, Lotte Lehmann’s legacy shines through in equal parts passion, vulnerability, and uncompromising musical truth. Featuring archival recordings of Schubert's Erlkönig and An die Musik with Lehmann's long-time pianist Paul Ulanowsky.

Today we cover Five Songs of Laurence Hope by H.T. Burleigh with tenor Matthew Corcoran. Recorded live at the Fellowship of the Song 2025 Fellows Closing Concert with pianist Barbie Noyes. 

Today we cover not one, not two, but THREE Swedish songs with special guest co-host Michael Sikich. Guest vocalists include soprano Sofie Asplund, mezzo-soprano Ann-Kristin Jones, and baritone Luthando Qave.

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

What makes a home? Is it a person, a feeling, a place? The lonely voice of Schubert’s wanderer, wondering at the moon where his place in the world might be, resonates with the voices of today as we hear from friends of the podcast.

Ways to help the refugee crisis:

https://www.unrefugees.org/
https://humanrightsfirst.org/
https://www.globalrefuge.org/news/5-ways-to-help-refugees-immigrants-in-2025/
https://www.rescue.org
https://refugeerights.org/

Letters from refugee children
https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/letters-from-syrian-refugee-children

Letter by Andrew Lam
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/refugee-american-experience_b_2295293

Before there was Felix, there was Fanny! Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was a supremely talented and intelligent pianist and composer, but societal norms of the time kept her locked in a patriarchal prison. Join us as we hear three of her songs: Nach süden, Vorwurf, and Nachtwanderer. With soprano Isabelle Peters and mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska.

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

The worlds of Hollywood and Lieder collide in this episode about Erich Wolfgang Korngold and his Sechs einfache Lieder. Including a very special live performance of the cycle by guest vocalist Claire McCahan and guest pianist Tzu Kuang Tan recorded during the Opening Fellows Concert at CSI's Fellowship of the Song program in May of 2024.

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

Follow the Lieder is doing its best Voldemort impression.... WE'RE BACK BABY! Join us as we do a long-awaited deep dive into the life of Johannes Brahms, followed by a performance of Botschaft by tenor Logan Wagner and pianist Kirill Kuzmin. With co-host Brian Sikich.

Raisin Brahms Commercial

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

In our final episode of our compare and contrast season we discuss Liebst du um Schönheit by Gustav Mahler and Clara Wieck Schumann. With guest performers mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker and pianist Samuel Martin.
Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

Today we have not one, not two, but THREE settings of the text Waldseligkeit by Richard Dehmel. See if you can guess the mystery composers before their names are reveled after receiving the clues and live performances of their settings by Erin Keesey and Samuel Martin!

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatsonginitiative.org/podcasts

A lively discussion with guest co-host Ben Offringa covering Heine's text Allnächtlich im Traume in settings by Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. With guest performers Tristan Tournaud, Parker Konkle, Ethan Neal, and Sihan Zhang.

The ASMR Lieder podcast you didn't know you needed! If you can make it past Brian's dubious soundscaping in today's episode then you're in for a treat as we discuss Goethe and his(?) text Rastlose Liebe in settings by Zelter and Schubert. Special thanks to guest performers Erin Keesy, Olivia Knutsen, and Samuel Martin!

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatsonginitiative.org/podcasts

Join Mandee and Janie as they discuss the legend of the Lorelei and compare settings by Robert Schumann and Alexander Zemlinsky. With guest performances by Erik Nordstrom, Parker Konkle, Erin Keesy, and Samuel Martin.

Picture of Zemlinsky
Concert program
Flight documents
Lorelei Rock

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatsonginitiative.org/podcasts

This month's episode of Follow the Lieder is slightlyyyyy delayed, so enjoy this bonus episode from Song Cycle hosted by CSI founder Samuel Martin! The great Scottish pianist Iain Burnside joins Sam for a fun and informative conversation.  Come for the sage advice on how to stay active in this ever-changing classical music landscape, stay for the greatest page-turning fail you never knew you needed to hear.

Listen to more Song Cycle here!

Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

Murder ballades, Raisin Brahms, and the 'Schubert of the North' are just a few of the things you're not gonna want to miss in this month's episode of Follow the Lieder with guest co-host Brian Sikich.

With guest performances by Erik Nordstrom, Parker Konkle, Lucy Evans, and Logan Wagner.
https://www.eriknordstrom.com/
https://parkerkonkle.com/
https://lucyevansmezzo.com/
https://www.loganwagnertenor.com/

Link to article
The History of Murder Ballades and the Women Who Flipped the Script

Sing Loewe's Edward with me!

The advent of Season 4 of Follow the Lieder is upon us! All season long we will be comparing various settings of the same text within each episode, beginning today with Heinrich Heine's text “Ich stand in dunklen Träumen” as set by Franz Schubert and Clara Wieck Schumann.

With guest vocalist Naomi Merer Witzen

Sing Schubert's setting with me!
Sing Clara's setting with me!

In this episode of Follow the Lieder we discuss Schubert's song Kriegers Ahnung and music's role in highlighting our shared humanity in the face of war. With special guest cellist Da Yoon Kang.

Sources:  
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bulge-dispatches/
Forgotten Voices of the Second World War by Max Arthur
https://www.msf.org/data-and-patient-accounts-reveal-indiscriminate-attacks-against-civilians-ukraine-war
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/13/learning/teaching-about-the-israel-hamas-war.html
The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/rare-personal-accounts-of-life-in-the-trenches-in-1917
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/opinion/israel-hamas-hostage.html
https://richmond.com/news/local/hersh-goldberg-hamas-hostage/article_eeced124-93aa-11ee-a806-27270ca975f8.html

The self-proclaimed first-class second-rate composer Richard Strauss is the topic of today's episode. Join us as we discuss a brief history of his life and cover his song Allerseellen with guest host Janie Roy and guest vocalist Liisa Dàvila.

Sing Allerseelen with me
Find Liisa here
Find Janie here

Sources: The Lieder of Richard Strauss by Alan Jefferson; The life of Richard Strauss by Bryan Gilliam; Strauss by Laurenz Lütteken; "Actually, I like my songs best": Strauss's Lieder by Susan Youens; Strauss in the Third Reich by Michael Walter; The Lieder of Richard Strauss by Christine Getz; Allerseelen English translation by Richard Stokes

Hugo Wolf was known for his fiery temperament, never-ending grudges, and his wildly non-filtered opinions - he even earned the nickname 'Wild Wolf.' Join us today as we discuss this feisty little composer (really he was only 5"1'!) and his song Gebet from Mörike-Lieder with tenor Adrian Autard and guest host Brian Sikich.

Sing Gebet with me!
Raisin Brahms Commercial
Find Adrian on Instagram
Find me on Instagram

Application for the Fellowship of the Song

Sources:
Hugo Wolf: The Vocal Music by Susan Youens; Hugo Wolf and His Mörike Songs by Susan Youens; Hugo Wolf by Frank Walker; The Songs of Hugo Wolf by Eric Sams; Hugo Wolf Songs by Mosco Carner;