Variety of subject and era give German-Chilean soprano Josefine Göhmann a stylistic range stretching from the late Renaissance through Mozart, Strauss and Messiaen to contemporary music, forming the core of her artistic endeavor. In duo with pianist Mario Häring, Josefine Göhmann presents her debut album in co-production with Deutschlandfunk under the title "réBelles! portraits lyriques" on the topic of female empowerment and 100 years of the movement for women’s rights.
In planning this program, the artist took her cue from postcards of museum visits: The paintings say a lot about how women were seen in the 20th century and how women saw themselves in self-portraits (e.g. by Frida Kahlo, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Anita Rée). She has developed the idea that if song and painting are set in analogue, the album could correspond to a visit to a museum.
There are four different rooms. The first is Vierge with representations of virginity in the context of the biblical testament. Then there is the second room on the Sirène type of woman, which is more about ethereal femininity. In Héroïne, the woman is primarily portrayed as a heroine. And finally, Ophélie is dedicated to the literary Shakespearean figure, which stands on its own but also combines the aspects of Vierge, Sirène and Héroïne.
This album is an aesthetic offering for the discourse on femininity, on being a woman today and for a hundred years. In addition, the artist's very personal feelings play a role in which pieces are combined in which way. Josefine Göhmann wanted to look not only at texts, works and interpretations by women, but at our cultural heritage. © solo musica