Lyric Fest Presents 'Metamorphosis Of Plants,' A Lieder Celebration For Earth Day

Lyric Fest continues its 2022-23 season with an Earth Day celebration entitled Metamorphosis of Plants, featuring German Lieder in a concert inspired by the great German poet, statesman, and botanist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and his poem "The Metamorphosis of Plants". The first performance takes place in celebration of Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 8:00pm at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. A second iteration of the program takes place on Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 7:30pm at the Peabody Institute's Goodwin Recital Hall in Baltimore, MD, which is free and open to the public.

The program, specifically created for presentation at Longwood Gardens, features soprano Kristina Bachrach, mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis, tenor Andrew Fuchs, baritone Randall Scarlata, and pianist Laura Ward (Lyric Fest co-founder and co-artistic director) in botanical songs from Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven, Wolf, Mahler, and others. Goethe's majestic poem is interspersed throughout, read in English by Suzanne DuPlantis (Lyric Fest co-founder and co-artistic director). This intimate performance is modeled after the European salon experience, and includes accompanying botanical video animations and supertitles at the Longwood performance specifically.

DuPlantis shares, "This program has been great fun to put together. It has splendid variety and includes both chestnuts and little known gems of German Lieder from 16 composers. We're thrilled to be presenting this special offering in honor of Earth Day at Longwood Gardens at the height of Spring! The audience can expect to be enchanted by wonderful music, all experienced in the grand ballroom of Longwood Gardens with fanciful video, supertitles, and with the floral, earthy scents from Longwood's spectacular conservatory wafting in! This is quite a special program."

Lyric Fest's 22-23 season continues with the rescheduled dates of Ode to the Lost Song: Arne Dørumsgaard on Tuesday, March 28 at 7pm at the Moorestown Community House in Moorestown, New Jersey, and Wednesday, March 29 at 7pm at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Metamorphosis of Plants
Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 8:00pm
Longwood Gardens, Ballroom | 1001 Longwood Road | Kennett Square, PA 19348
Tickets: Reserved Seating: $30; Gardens Preferred, Gardens Premium Members, and Innovators: $26
Link: https://longwoodgardens.org/events-performances/events/lyric-fest-presents-metamorphoses-plants

Metamorphosis of Plants
Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 7:30pm
Peabody Institute, Goodwin Recital Hall | 1 E Mt Vernon Pl | Baltimore, MD 21202
Tickets: Free and open to the public
Link: https://lyricfest.org/concerts/metamorphoses-of-plants/

Program:
Gott im Frühling - Franz Schubert
Ich bin dein Baum, O Gärtner - Robert Schumann
Das Heldengrab am Pruth - Erich Korngold
Mit einem gemalten Band - Ludwig van Beethoven
Der Frühling - Johannes Brahms
Auf eine Christblume II - Hugo Wolf
Nachtzauber - Hugo Wolf
Der Frühling - Johannes Brahms
Die Grüne Hopfenranke - Johannes Brahms
Frühzeitiger Frühling - Karl Friedrich Zelter
Morgengruss - Fanny Mendelsohn
Waldseligkeit - Alma Mahler
O kühler Wald - Johannes Brahms
Im Garten unter der Linde - Franz Schreker
Das schöne beet betracht ich mir im harren - Arnold Schoenberg
Mohnblumen - Richard Strauss
Ganymede - Franz Schubert
Botschaft - Nelken wind ich und Jasmin - Robert Schumann
Der Nussbaum - Robert Schumann
Meine Rose - Robert Schumann
Die stille Lotusblume - Clara Schumann
Frühlingsmorgen - Gustav Mahler
Das Ährenfeld - Felix Mendelssohn
Meine Liebe ist grün - Johannes Brahms
Nocturne - Joseph Marx

Artists:
Kristina Bachrach, soprano
Kathryn Leemhuis, mezzo-soprano
Andrew Fuchs, tenor
Randall Scarlata, baritone
Laura Ward, piano
Suzanne DuPlantis, narration and video creation

Tickets to the April 22 performance at Longwood Gardens include all-day Gardens Admission.

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