The current program presents three, unjustly neglected late choral works by Robert Schumann. Indeed, much of Schumann's late music has suffered from harsh criticism; even Schumann's biographer Robert Schauffler simply says “… these (the late choral) works need not detain us.” Such judgments resulted more from a misunderstanding of the composer's intentions, rather than the quality of the works themselves. Schumann's Requiem Op. 148 was written as a 'companion' piece to his Mass Op. 147 and is an elegant and gentle acceptance of death. The work is beautifully scored and inhabits a world between Fauré's otherworldly peace and Berlioz's thunderous Last Judgment.

Der Königssohn op. 116 was one of three works for voices and orchestra composed by Schumann from 1851-53 to poems by the German revolutionary poet Ludwig Uhland. The composer envisioned the work being performed my mass choruses, deliberately writing simple, folk-inspired melodies, rather than focus upon the musical drama expressed in the poem. Schumann reserved his finest music for the character of the 'Bard' - with whom he undoubtedly identified. The program concludes with an unquestioned masterpiece - the all-to-rarely performed Nachtlied op. 108. Here is Schumann

at his finest - as well as anticipating Brahms' 'Deutsches Requiem' more than once.