FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT Sundays Announced At 4 Performance At The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine

Baritone David John Pike and celebrated organist David Briggs present music that looks back on our experience over the last twenty months and forward to Advent, on Sunday, December 12 at 4 pm at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue (at 112th Street).

Selections will include the New York and United States debut of composer James K. Wright's Briefe an die unsterbliche Geliebte, haunting settings of Ludwig van Beethoven's famous love letters for piano and baritone, expressing Beethoven's longing for, isolation from, and adoration of the mysterious object of his affections. From their recent release on the Analekta label, the Davids will also perform selections from Gustav Mahler's Rückert-Lieder, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Kindertotenlieder and Lieder des Knaben Wunderhorn, with Briggs's virtuosic transcriptions for organ. The short recital will be rounded off with an uplifting interpretation of The Trumpet Shall Sound from Handel's Messiah.

A ticket to this performance is included with $5 admission to the Cathedral. All visitors to the Cathedral are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry. For more information, visit the Cathedral's website.

PROGRAM

Briefe an die unsterbliche Geliebte (Letters to the immortal beloved)

I. "Wo ich bin, bist du mit mir" (Where I am, you are with me)

II. "Mein Engel" (My angel)

III. "Unsterbliche Geliebte" (Immortal beloved)

Text by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), music by James K. Wright

New York and USA début

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of the wayfarer)

II. "Ging heut' Morgen über's Feld"

Text and music by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Rückert-Lieder

I. Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder (Glance not into my songs)

III. Ich bin der Weld abhanden gekommen (I am lost to the world)

Kindertotenlieder (Songs of the death of children)

I. Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n (Now the sun will rise so brightly)

Text by Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866), music by Gustav Mahler

Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The boy's magic horn)

14. (Primeval light)

Text anonymous, music by Gustav Mahler

Messiah

"Behold, I tell you a mystery! The trumpet shall sound"

Text 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, music by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)