Ah, art song recital. Poetry set to music. One of the most beautiful, intimate forms of music, but, let’s be honest, one that can be a bit hard for the average Joe to enjoy. Art song recital is pretty much the kale of the classical musical world – everyone knows how great it is for you, but it takes a special presentation for everyone to truly enjoy it.
Enter Bury My Heart. At its core, Bury My Heart is a new and engaging way to experience both art song and poetry. Bury My Heart re-imagines the art song recital as a story, weaving some of the finest poetry and art song into a narrative that tells the story of the life and death of a soldier and his love for family and country.
Accompanied by Saffron Chung, soprano Teresa Eickel sings works by composers such as Brahms, Faure, Copland, while actor Ryan Stadler reads poetry by Rilke, Dickinson, and Whitman. Supertitles help the audience follow the story and by the end of the debut performance, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. People who had never been to an art song recital sat in their seats and wept, moved by the powerful journey told through music and poetry.
And that, my friends, is the point.