Various Composers - A Poet's Love (Helen Charlston; Sholto Kynoch)

Information

• Carl Loewe - Der Heinesche Leiderkreis, Op. 9-I: No. 1, Die Lotosblume
• Joséphine Lang - Disteln und Dornen, Op. 33 "Sechs deutsche Lieder": No. 6, Wenn zwei von einander scheiden
• Fanny Mendelssohn - Sechs Lieder Op. 1: No. 1, Schwanenlied
• Robert Schumann - Myrthen, Op. 25: No. 6, Die Lotosblume
• Fanny Mendelssohn - Fichtenbaum und Plame
• Felix Mendelssohn - 6 Gesänge Op. 34: No. 6, Reiselied
• Heloise Werner - Knight's Dream
• Robert Schumann - Dichterliebe, Op. 48

Helen Charlston, mezzo-soprano

Sholto Kynoch, piano

Date: 2026

Label: BIS

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British mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, a BBC New Generation Artist, and pianist Sholto Kynoch present a refined interpretation of Robert Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe, set to poems by Heinrich Heine. The sixteen songs trace the emotional arc of love—from its awakening and idealism to sorrow, loss, and resignation—reflecting the psychological depth shared between poet and composer. The programme expands this focus on Heine’s poetry through additional settings by Carl Loewe, Josephine Lang, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Felix Mendelssohn. A central feature is the premiere recording of Knight’s Dream by composer-performer Héloïse Werner, commissioned by Charlston as a companion to Schumann’s cycle. This imaginative new work creates a dialogue between Romantic tradition and contemporary expression, uniting past and present through Heine’s enduring poetic voice.

Helen Charlston is an English mezzo-soprano born in London whose early musical formation began as a chorister and later head chorister at St Albans Abbey Girls Choir. She studied music at Trinity College, Cambridge, where she held a choral scholarship, and further refined her Lieder interpretation through the Pembroke College Lieder Scheme under Joseph Middleton, with mentorship from singers including Roderick Williams and Sarah Connolly. Now an internationally active soloist, she performs regularly with leading ensembles such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort & Players, and West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Her repertoire spans Bach, Handel, Mozart, and contemporary works, alongside operatic roles and recital programmes including Schumann’s Frauenliebe und -leben and Britten song cycles. She is also a founding member of the vocal ensemble Amici Voices, and is known for her versatility across solo, chamber, and consort singing.

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