Season of the Song: Cyrill Ibrahim - Harmonie du Soir

CONCEPT OVERVIEW

Harmonie du Soir takes its name and spirit from the celebrated poem by Charles Baudelaire, published in his 1857 collection Les Fleurs du mal. Written in alexandrine verse, the poem meditates on the dreamlike beauty of dusk, the intertwining of sensuality and transcendence, and the fleeting nature of love and memory.

This program draws its emotional arc directly from the poem: from serenity and longing, through passion, contemplation, and inner turbulence, to ecstatic release. A journey from dusk into night — and beyond into dream.Liszt’s Harmonies du Soir crowns the evening as a musical mirror of Baudelaire’s poetic vision. Alongside masterpieces by Chopin, Debussy, Glass, and Beethoven, and with contemporary voice through John Frederick Hudson’s Penumbra, the concert brings together eras and moods into a single twilight reverie.

POETIC FRAMEWORK

Harmonie du Soir – Charles Baudelaire (excerpt, English translation)

“Now comes the time when trembling on its stem / Each flower fades like an incense urn; / Sounds and scents turn in the evening air; / A melancholy waltz, a languid vertigo!”

Throughout the concert, key lines and stanzas from the poem will be subtly interwoven between the musical selections, narrated live and in printed form. These poetic fragments mirror the progression of the program — framing each shift in atmosphere with words that echo the music’s emotional landscape.

PERFORMERS

Cyrill Ibrahim – Piano

Cyrill Ibrahim is an acclaimed concert pianist and Royal College of Music graduate, known for his poetic interpretations and distinctive programming. Described by The Daily Telegraph as “one of the most exciting pianists of his generation,” Cyrill has appeared on BBC One’s The One Show, BBC Radio 3, and international concert stages including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Philharmonie Berlin. He will also be featured in the upcoming Sky TV documentary on Mozart, airing this winter.

Simona Mihai – Soprano

Romanian-born British soprano, Simona Mihai, has performed leading roles at The Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, and Frankfurt Opera. Her operatic roles include Mimì, Gilda, and Tatyana. She has collaborated with conductors such as Sir Antonio Pappano and Edward Gardner. Mihai is equally admired for her Lieder and art song interpretations.

PROGRAM & RUNNING ORDER

Part One

1. Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1 (7 mins) Introductory reflection on twilight’s stillness and inner solitude

2. Franz Liszt – Sonetto del Petrarca No. 1 (6 mins) intertwining love and longing with radiant memory performed with soprano Simona Mihai

3. Philip Glass – Étude No. 2 (6 mins) Repetitive beauty, evoking the calm descent of evening

4. Franz Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3 (5 mins) Love’s enduring power in memory and dream

5. John Frederick Hudson – Penumbra (London Premiere) (4–5 mins) A musical meditation on the boundary between waking and sleep

6. Claude Debussy – Clair de Lune (5 mins) A moonlit reverie echoing the poem’s shimmering serenity

— Interval (20 minutes) —

Part Two

7. Franz Liszt – Sonetto del Petrarca No. 3 (6 mins)Spiritual passion and transcendence performed with soprano Simona Mihai

8. Philip Glass – Étude No. 6 (7 mins) Fluid minimalism mirroring the still pulse of nightfall

9. Franz Schubert – Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90 No. 3 (6 mins) Introspective lyricism and graceful flow

10. Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2“Moonlight” (15 mins)

• I. Adagio sostenuto

• II. Allegretto

• III. Presto agitato

The inner storm of night, from hushed mystery to passionate climax

11. Franz Liszt – Harmonies du Soir (Transcendental Étude No. 11) (10 mins)

Final culmination – twilight’s rich harmony and transcendence

Encore (optional)

• Franz Schubert – Die Sterne, D.510 (with Simona Mihai)

Optional encore reflecting the celestial serenity that closes the evening.

Estimated Total Duration: ~85–90 minutes (including interval)