If Music Be The Food of Love

songs by Dowland, Purcell, Strozzi, Schumann, Brahms, Schubert, Mahler, Mitchell

If music be the food of love, play on, give me excess of it… these are the opening words of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

The lyrics in Purcell's song quote the beginning (If music be the food of love) and afterwards goes their own way: sing on till I am fill'd with joy.

These opening words act as the motto and theme of our evening, as the music travels through four centuries: from the English and Italian Renaissance and Baroque through German Romanticism to the contemporary American lyric poetry of Joni Mitchell. The modern sound of the instrumentation, which includes the use of electronics and allows space for free improvisation, unifies all the different styles musically. Most of the songs circle around the central and timeless theme of longing for love, security and happiness that so often remained unsatisfied. But such beautiful songs, the "food of love", will leave no listener unfulfilled!

Bettina Bruns

received her classical training in singing and free arts in Hamburg.

She works as a concert and oratorio singer and also as a performance artist at the borderlines of performing arts and music.

Daniel Göritz

studied classical guitar in Berlin, Manchester (U.K.) and New York. He received numerous prices and stipends in several international competitions. As a performing artist his activities are wide-spread between and including contemporary and classical music. He is a regular guest of many renowned ensembles and orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and also works as a composer, arranger, editor and improvisor.  Daniel is professor of classical guitar at the Hanns Eisler Music Academy in Berlin.

Matthias Bauer

studied double bass in Berlin. In the eighties he lived in Lyon, France where he developed many projects of experimental music theatre together with the actress and director Nina Goede. His musical focus lies in the field of free improvised music where he plays in numerous combinations with other musicians as well as with his solo program for double bass and voice. He is a member and regular guest of many renowned contemporary music ensembles such as Ensemble Mosaik Berlin.