Dyvekes Sange – LiedGut25

The last music the danish composer Peter Heise wrote was Dyveke’s songs, Dyvekes sange.
Six of the seven songs were published shortly after his death, 1879. The seventh and last song was not published until 1896.

The poems were written for Peter Heise by Holger Drachmann. A collection of 10 poems divided in two parts “I Bergen” and “Paa Saelland”, published in “Ranker og Roser”, of which Peter Heise chose seven.

The poems describes Dyveke Sigbritsdatter‘s life as a young girl in the Norwegian town Bergen, her longing for another life, her meeting with the danish chancellor (most likely Erik Valkendorf about 1507), her love for and love affair with the danish prince Christian, later Christian II of Denmark and her life with him at the danish court, after his marriage to Isabella of Austria, until her sudden death, possible murder, 1517 when she is believed to have been about 27 years old.
Dyveke’s mother, Sigbrit Willoms, was dutch and that Dyveke means little dove is referred to in the poems.

The music is dramatic and romantic, were influences of folkmusic meet a bombastic pianopart – painting the nature, Dyveke’s emotions and later on the imbalance in power between the young woman and the king.

Solgerd Isalv is performing these colourful pieces together with the pianist Ulrike Deluggi in the Glucksaal at State Opera Nuremberg, as a part of LiedGut25, at Staatstheater Nürnberg, performed by all participants in the Young Artist Programme.