Rediscovered French Songs of Gouvy: 2019-2020, Celebrating 200th Birthday of the Composer
This is a joint recital featuring the songs of Théodore Gouvy (1819–1898). Gouvy was one of the most significant French composers of 19th Century. His music was greatly appreciated in Europe and the US. Gouvy was born in Goffontaine, France (now Saarbrücken, Germany), near the border between Germany and France. He was a man of two cultures because of the fluctuation of the border that divided these two countries (he was of a French family but born in Germany). His diverse cultural life led a rich and significant musical life, interacting with his contemporaries who admired his work, and whom Gouvy knew well, such as Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Berlioz and Gounod. The movement of rediscovering his instrumental music has been increasingly successful in Europe since the 1990s, especially following the birth of L’Institut Gouvyin France. However, his solo vocal music has been waiting to be unveiled to the public. Dr. MeeAe Nam, guest artist, has rediscovered his songs and produced a CD recording of 26 songs of Gouvy (2014) and published a new edition of 88 songs of Gouvy in 2 volumes with E. C. Schirmer in January 2018. As a significant melodist, Gouvy’s treatment of the vocal solo line development of the piano accompaniment, places him in the upper echelons as a song composer. Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the composer’s birth in 2019-2020, Dr. Nam would like to introduce the significant value, styles and history of these solo songs and Gouvy’s life through presenting a joint lecture recital with Dr. Kevin Hanrahan.

Dr. MeeAe Cecilia Nam, soprano, has received the following praise: “…whose voice is the epitome of Mozartean elegance and lyricism…” (New York Concerts Review), “…sings easy, flawlessly and effortlessly expressive” (the German Passauer Presse). She has appeared as guest artist with numerous ensemble groups and festivals, and has had a rich performance experience as a soloist in recitals, oratorios, sacred music, chamber and orchestral concerts, and stage works throughout the United States, Germany, Austria, and South Korea.

In addition to her position as professor of voice at Eastern Michigan University, she has been on the faculty of the Church Music Association of America and at the Vianden International Summer Festival and School in Luxembourg. Dr. Nam has developed a well-deserved reputation as an important scholar of the rare French song literature of Théodore Gouvy (1819-1898). She has also recorded a CD, Songs of Gouvy, for the Toccata Classics label. She published a critical edition of Gouvy’s songs in two volumes with EC Schirmer in 2018.

Free and open to the public.

This performance will also be live webcast. Visit music.unl.edu the night of the performance.

Program: https://unl.box.com/s/rkff0cz9z41m1jn6id475pd3pprrzkhq