Sarah Tysman / Rezensionen

After the federal state of Hesse relaxed its corona regulations and the Wiesbaden State Theater reluctantly opened its doors, the Frankfurt Opera followed with an "Evening of Songs and Arias" with exclusively Richard Strauss settings . After a successful and much acclaimed recital in January (Merker 02/2020), the Swedish soprano Maria Bengtsson was once again able to delight an elite small group of 100 people. Seven selected songs opened the moving performance, Maria Bengtsson gave each treasure the imaginative flair of the special. Her brilliant, youthful soprano mischievously grounded Mr. Lenz in a light-filled tonal language, while the charming singer gave wonderful structural details to the melody of Allerseelen . In the intoxication of the sound, of the melody, the golden tone of the noble timbre seemed to bathe in Die Nacht . Nothing – Cäcilie – sounded emphatically ecstatic, with vocal sophistication, intelligent word formation, dreamlike phrasing . Maria Bengtsson gave resignedly pensive, emotionally creative, tastefully differentiated, wonderfully sung on breath, breathed in pianistI carry my minne and calm, my soul the breath of unearthly floating elegy.