Much melancholy, much euphoria

"It is a tremendous honour for me to be at Rachel Harnisch's side for her very last performance," says South African pianist Charl du Plessis. He will ensure that the sentimentality of the moment does not take over. ‘The Musikdorf audience should remember this historic moment for years to come. By ‘historic moment’, he means that the soprano Rachel Harnisch, one of Switzerland's most exciting opera singers, announced in 2023 that she was ending her stage career and refocusing her life.

"It's a huge loss for the entire music world," says du Plessis. "Working with Rachel was a great gift for which I am eternally grateful." The Valais-born soprano will be singing once again in Ernen, where Rachel Harnisch, Charl du Plessis and his trio have already received standing ovations on several occasions. This time it's for good: it's her farewell concert.

Focus on Schubert
‘The programme we have put together will be completely different to anything we have presented here before,’ says Charl du Plessis. A glance at the programme reveals a number of gems of German Lied, including ‘Mondnacht’ and ‘Frühlingsnacht’ by Robert Schumann. Or ‘An Sylvia’, ‘Gretchen am Spinnrade’ and the ode ‘An die Musik’ by Franz Schubert, in which one finds these lines: Beloved art, in how many a bleak hour / when I am enmeshed in life’s tumultuous round / have you kindled my heart to the warmth of love / and borne me away to a better world!

From the mouth of singer Rachel Harnisch, the words take on a very personal meaning. Exploring the world of German Lied is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Rachel Harnisch's extraordinary vocal versatility, says Charl du Plessis. In addition to the Schubert focus, hits and songs by Leonard Bernstein (‘Somewhere’), George Gershwin (‘Summertime’) and the rousing ‘Seguidillla’ from George Bizet's opera ‘Carmen’ will be performed. In short: the evening promises to be a first-class concert.

Longing for more
Du Plessis is not afraid of the emotions to be expected. If an audience is so enthusiastic that they don't want to leave the concert hall, he says, he uses a tried and tested strategy. "It's good to create a contrast, for example with a slow, reflective encore. That way you bring the audience's energy to a calmer level." He doesn't believe in the common ritual of lavishing the audience with encores. "A good concert evening should always leave you longing for more. This keeps the anticipation of returning." After all, Charl and his two trio colleagues will definitely be performing in Ernen again, even if this is the last concert with Rachel Harnisch.

Expanding stylistic boundaries
Charl du Plessis, who is not only a pianist and arranger, but also a composer, has been travelling to Ernen for more than two decades. Together with Werner Spies (double bass) and Peter Auret (drums), he has succeeded in enriching the classical music festival with surprising crossover programmes. In the second jazz concert, the trio will span the musical spectrum from Bach to Dave Brubeck and the Beatles. He will open the Piano Week with a solo programme, and in "Chamber Music Plus" he will share the stage with clarinettist Matthew Hunt for the first time. Any bets that his fan base will grow once again after these concerts?

Details and tickets

Written in December 2024, by Marianne Mühlemann (translated by Jonathan Inniger)