Hugo was one of our Rising Stars of the Enlightenment from 2019 to 2021. He has developed a reputation with his “radiant” voice in Baroque repertoire, including our recent performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. Today he and recital partner Ashok Gupta perform one of the most innovative works of the 19th Century.
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828) composed Die schöne Müllerin (The Beautiful Maid of the Mill) during 1823. Its 20 songs, setting poems by Schubert’s contemporary Wilhelm Müller (the self-reference is entirely deliberate!), relate the story of a young miller’s love for a young maid (unrequited, of course). The concept of telling a dramatic narrative through song on this scale was entirely new and cemented Schubert’s growing reputation as a leading composer of his generation.
