Announcement

Poetry & Performance of the German Lied
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The FRANZ-SCHUBERT-INSTITUT is a private, non-profit organization chartered under the laws of Austria for the purpose of "furthering and cultivating the art of the German Lied".

For the benefit of singers, pianists, and teachers who have a professional interest in the German Lied, the FRANZ-SCHUBERT-INSTITUT sponsors a five-week summer course of intensive study with leading interpreters of the classical Lied repertoire. The high artistic standards and unique structure of the course "Poetry and Performance of the German Lied", together with its peerless guest faculty, explain why this master course has, since its inception in 1978, been widely regarded as the finest of its kind.

Ehrenschutz

Dipl.-Ing. Stefan Szirucsek
Bürgermeister der Stadtgemeinde Baden bei Wien

Ehrenmitglieder

Elly Ameling
Hans Hotter

“At the milestone of 40 Years Franz-Schubert-Institut in Baden near Vienna it is my pleasure to tell you about my happy experiences during that period. I was among the musicians whom Deen Larsen, our deeply regretted Director, invited to teach during the first course in the summer of 1978.”
Elly Ameling

 

 

Poetry & Performance
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The intimate relationship between music and poetry in the German Lied requires the artist to refine his or her sensibilities in both modes of expression. The work of the FRANZ-SCHUBERT-INSTITUT is founded on the premise that insight into the poetry of the Age of Goethe and the ability to recite that poetry effectively are prerequisites for the musical interpretation and performance of the Lied.

The five-week course, conducted primarily in English, consists of a co-ordinated program of four essential disciplines:

  1. a series of master classes unrivaled in scope (120 hours of instruction by foremost artists),
  2. intensive coaching in German diction and recitation with Austrian actors and actresses,
  3. individual coaching in voice and piano with our artists-in- residence,
  4. interpretative seminars in the poetry of the Lied.

Please note that the course is a integrated whole and that students are not permitted to enroll for the individual master classes separately.

Accompanists and singers work and learn together at the FRANZ-SCHUBERT-INSTITUT. Far from being the servant of the vocalist, the professional accompanist shares equally in creating the total musical meaning of the Lied and should, therefore, for pedagogical as well as artistic reasons, master the poetry and its elocution.

The Series of Master Classes
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Each of our guest artists will concentrate their work on songs by selected poets and composers chosen from the participant repertoire lists. The collation and distribution of submitted repertoire among the master teachers serves to enhance the artistic focus of each session, while ensuring full scope and variety throughout the course as a whole ...

Artists in Residence
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Participants receive frequent coaching sessions in voice and piano as preparation for master-class performance.

In addition, intensive training in German elocution is provided in two stages ...

Poetry of the Lied
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Held concurrently with the master classes in performance and the coaching in voice, piano, and recitation, the seminars in literary interpretation offer insight into the cultural background of the Age of Goethe and the German Romantics. The study of the poetry of the Lied and the novels in which many of the poems originally appeared is designed to fulfill the specific needs of the performer ...

"Schubertiaden" and the
Landscape of the Lied
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Baden bei Wien, formerly a favorite summer retreat of Mozart, Beethoven, Grillparzer, Eichendorff, and Hugo Wolf, is beautifully situated among the vineyards and wooded hills south of Vienna.

As the romantic landscape surrounding the spa has not lost its intimate relationship to the songs it once helped to inspire, walking tours are planned to sites in and near the Vienna Woods, including Beethoven’s pastoral haunts and visits to many rustic inns. Excursions through the Wachau Valley of the Danube and to the ancient monastery of Heiligenkreuz, where several of the Schubertiaden will take place, add further dimensions to the natural setting of the Lied.

Repertoire Requirements
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Preparation for the whole series of master classes consists of 24 songs by Berg, Brahms, Liszt, Mahler, Marx, Schubert, Schumann, Schoenberg, Strauss, Webern and Wolf. Precise guidelines for the choice of songs for each master teacher will be provided to successful applicants.

All singers will then be asked to submit complete lists of the songs they intend to perform, in order to facilitate the preparation of both participating pianists and the master course faculty.

All songs must be memorized for master class presentation.

Accommodation and Facilities
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If participants wish Franz-Schubert-Institut can help to find housing arrangements prior to arrival in Baden. The host families usually request a financial contribution of about 400 Euros for the five weeks to help defray expenses. Practise rooms and pianos are provided without charge in the Musikschule Baden. Master classes are held in the historic Haus der Kunst, located near Baden’s extensive parks, whose terraced gardens merge into the Vienna Woods.


Admission
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Young professionals and advanced students are invited to apply for admission as performing participants. While auditor status is available to anyone 18 years old or older, performing participants should be younger than 35. Candidates for performing status are requested to accompany their applications with a recent photograph (full face portrait with at least 1.000x1.000 pixel, if you send a full body photo consider that the required resolution must be much higher!) and with documents demonstrating the advanced level of their accomplishments, such as degrees earned, awards and prizes, newspaper criticism, letters of recommendation by established teachers, and, in every case, an audio or video recording of three Schubert Lieder plus three Lieder by any other composers.

Please use the online application form:
>> applications are considered as they are received

Expenses
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The fee for performers is 2.600 Euros.

The fee for auditors is 1.000 Euros.

Auditors may be admitted for less than the full period for 50 Euros per day; performers, however, will only be admitted for the entire course.

The fee includes tuition, all excursions, and the use of practise rooms and pianos.  It does not include transportation to Austria, living quarters, meals, and incidentals.  A small number of scholarships can be granted on the basis of need and merit. Requests for scholarships should be made in the form of a personal statement by email in which the minimum amount of financial aid is specified. The awards are made on a competitive basis.

Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee in the amount of 70 Euro (costs of bankfees excluded). Successful applicants must submit a non-refundable deposit of 500 Euros (costs of bankfees excluded) within 14 days of notification of admission. The balance due must be remitted at the registration in Baden on June 30 or before.

Please do not send checks or money orders for any payments. Direct bank transfers must be made payable to:

Franz-Schubert-Institut
Volksbank Baden, Hauptplatz 9–13, 2500 Baden bei Wien, Austria
BIC/SWIFT: VBOEATWWBAD, IBAN: AT37 4275 0356 4242 0000