Description:
The inky palette of film noir, the extreme dissonance of contemporary musical language and the fragmentary dialogue and layered staging of Robert Wilson’s theatrical productions are some of the most striking examples of the enduring legacy of German Expressionism - one of the key artistic movements of the early 20th century.
This lecture will explore the work of some of the leading figures in music, literature, theatre and film, including Arnold Schönberg, Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Georg Trakl and Georg Heym, Adolf Appia, Max Reinhardt, Georg Kaiser, Robert Wiene, Fritz Lang, W.F. Murnau and their creative legacies.

Clare Lesser studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, Birmingham University and Birmingham Conservatoire. Then, at the University of Sussex, she completed groundbreaking research on the music of B.A. Zimmermann. She specializes in the performance of 20th and 21st century music, and has collaborated with many composers on new works, giving over fifty premieres. She has recorded Lieder by Wolfgang Rihm, chamber music by Richard Emsley, the works for solo soprano and soprano with instrumental trio by Michael Finnissy, and many other contemporary classics. She has performed throughout Europe, including at the Edinburgh and Avignon International Festivals. She was nominated for the Royal Philharmonic Society Singing Award in 2003.