From the early 19th century onwards, composers such as Schubert, Schumann or Brahms established the German art song, which was performed in intimate, often domestic circumstances by amateurs and professionals alike. Strongly influenced by German culture at that time, Russians began setting to music Romantic poetry from their own literature, or translations from its models, such as Goethe or Heine.
In Asmik Grigorian’s work, the Russian repertoire and particularly Tchaikowsky plays a major part. Indeed, the rare mix of her Lithuanian-Armenian background, as much as the warm perfection of her singing, reflect that music’s combination of radiant aloofness and blazing passion ideally.
Currently touring through Europe with a liederabend, Asmik presents famous songs by Tchaikowsky and Rachmaninoff, where the keyboard part is typically equal to the singer’s, or even takes precedence. Accordingly, she partners here with pianist Lukas Geniušas, himself born into a great Moscow pianistic dynasty and a laureate of the Tchaikowsky Competition. Lukas shows us both: in the songs the densely colourful tapestry weaving around the vocal line, and in a selection of solo piano pieces the lyrical quality which generally characterises these composers’ oeuvre.