Hanns Eisler has left more than 500 songs, and it comes without a saying: piano songs are also among his earliest compositions. On the fourth and last episode of their selection of Eisler’s songs, Holger Falk and Steffen Schleiermacher dedicate themselves to these early works and discover that as an autodidact, the young Hanns possessed already a sensitive feeling for the singing voice. This collection of early songs includes also Eislers time as a student of Arnold Schoenberg with subtle dodecaphonic compositions as well as the phase after breaking up with Schoenbergs tradition, composing the famous „Zeitungsausschnitte“, a collection of adds he found in newspapers set into music.

For the third time in the last three years Holger Falk is nominated for the prestigious Opernwelt Critics Award „Singer of the year“. Following his nominations for „Kassandra“ in „Oresteia“ by I. Xenakis at Theater Basel and „Johannes“ in „Morgen und Abend“ by G.F.Haas at Theater Heidelberg (both 2017), this seasons nomination is for „Lord Byron“ in „Diodati.Unendlich“ by Michael Wertmüller, which was also nominated for „world premiere of the year“.

The recording „Hanns Eisler – songs in American Exile“, vol. 3 of Holger Falks and Steffen Schleiermachers Eisler edition, was already awarded with the „Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik“ and as CD of the month by OPERNWELT as well as Grammophones „Editors Choice“.
Now it is nominated twice for the OPUS KLASSIK AWARD 2019, the successor of the former ECHO KLASSIK AWARD.

As the opening concert of the Venice-Festival at Elbphilharmonie, Holger premiered his project „Gondoliere Veneziano“ together with the baroque-ensemble Nuovo Aspetto and the sound artists Merzouga.
The Hamburger Abendblatt writes:
„The density of the songs is high, Venice seems to come out here as the birthplace of the hit. Holger Falk, equally sought after as an operasinger and Lied interpreter finds exactly the right tone for this music: with a light sound that unites simplicity and sweetness in his almost tenor timbre.
Like a vocal chameleon, Falk changes color with the surroundings of the music. He sneezes venomously over crusted lacquered monkeys, nasally imitating the vulgar language of the street („Per mi aver Catina“), in which the audience shyly sings along the chorus.
Musically, the program sets its points primarily by clever arrangements. The nine-member group Nuovo Aspetto brings together a colorful mix of historical instruments, from the baroque guitar to the transverse flute and harp to the Salterio, a baroque dulcimer.
Meanwhile, the enchanting computer musician Eva Pöpplein – visible part of the duo Merzouga – on the left of the ensemble on stage on a black-coated table, weighs the head in the gentle groove of the pieces and controlled by live electronics not only the Venetian water, but also some loops of vocal lines of the singer in the hall.
This is how contemporary sound technology and old instruments, noise and music, everyday life and art come together: for an entertaining trip with the gondolier Veneziano, which makes you want more. „

>>> Complete article in Hamburger Abendblatt (or click on the main picture of the post)

Trailer for the concert programm „Il Gondoliere Veneziano“ with Holger Falk, nuovo aspetto and Merzouga Klangkunst from the live concert at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg 2019.

Nach „Weine nicht, singe“ an der Hamburgischen Staatsoper 2016 hat Holger Falk nun die zweite Oper von Michael Wertmüller nach einem Libretto von Dea Loher uraufgeführt: In der zentralen Figur des Lord Byron in „Diodati. Unendlich“ am Theater Basel überzeugte er in der komplexen und exaltierten Partie des berühmten Dichters und Revolutionärs, die ihm Michael Wertmüller auf den Leib geschrieben hat.
Die Neue Zürcher Zeitung schreibt:
„Mit dem Bariton Holger Falk steht für Lord Byron ein perfekter Interpret zur Verfügung. Mit stimmlicher und darstellerischer Exaltation realisiert er die Figur des zerrissenen, genuss- und sexsüchtigen, idealistischen und letztlich einsamen romantischen Helden.“
(NZZ, Thomas Schacher).

>>> Mehr zur Oper und den weiteren Vorstellungen am Theater Basel (or click on the main picture of the post)

Diodati Trailer 1

Diodati Trailer 2

Holger Falk, „eine der kultiviertesten deutschsprachigen Baritonstimmen unserer Zeit“ (FONO FORUM) wird Hochschullehrer. Er folgt dem Ruf an die Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, wo er ab dem Sommersemester 2019 die Professur für Liedinterpretation, Oratorium und Aufführungspraxis für zeitgenössische Musik übernimmt. Neben dem bereits bestehenden Studiengang für Lied und Oratorium wird der neue Master-Studiengang „Performance Practice for Contemporary Music“ für Sänger eingeführt.