Various Composers - Darkness (Thilo Dahlmann; Hedayet Djeddikar)

Information

• Robert Schumann - Sechs Lieder von Lenau und Requiem, Op. 90: VII. Requiem
• Hugo Wolf - Drei Gedichte von Michelangelo
• Richard Strauss - Zwei Gesänge, Op. 51
• Frank Martin - Sechs Monologe aus Jedermann
• Johannes Brahms - Vier ernste Gesänge, Op. 121

Thilo Dahlmann, bass-baritone

Hedayet Djeddikar, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Challenge Classics

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Darkness is an evocative exploration of the bass and baritone voice as a medium for humanity’s deepest existential reflections. Featuring works by Schumann, Wolf, Strauss, Frank Martin, and Brahms, the album traverses themes of death, transience, melancholy, and spiritual transformation. Beginning with Schumann’s Requiem as a contemplative motto, it moves through Wolf’s Michelangelo Songs, Strauss’s introspective lieder, and Martin’s Six Monologues from Jedermann, culminating in Brahms’s Vier ernste Gesänge, which offer reconciliation and affirmation of love. The program transforms sorrow into acceptance and despair into insight, presenting darkness not as mere gloom but as a space for reflection, transcendence, and profound human consolation.

Thilo Dahlmann is a distinguished German bass-baritone renowned for his concert, opera, and lieder performances. Trained at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen and the Zurich Opera House’s International Opera Studio, he studied with eminent teachers including Ulf Bästlein, Roland Hermann, and Rudolf Piernay. Winner of multiple awards, including the Lied Prize of Schleswig-Holstein, Dahlmann has performed extensively in opera, concert, and recital settings across Europe, collaborating with leading conductors and pianists. His repertoire spans Baroque to contemporary music, with a focus on Bach, Handel, and Romantic oratorio and lieder. He also serves as professor of singing at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts.

Hedayet Djeddikar, born in Basel, is an acclaimed pianist and collaborative artist known for his performances at major festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival, the Yehudi Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, and styriarte Graz. Dedicated to both established repertoire and rarely performed works, he founded the Frankfurt concert series RARE WARE Lied. Trained with distinguished teachers including Rose Marie Zartner, Charles Spencer, Hartmut Höll, and through masterclasses with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Wolfram Rieger, and Helmut Deutsch, Djeddikar has recorded extensively, often premiering neglected repertoire, including works by Clara Schumann, Joachim Raff, and Martin Plüddemann. An experienced educator, he teaches at universities and masterclasses worldwide and serves as official accompanist for competitions such as the ARD and Johannes Brahms Competition.