German baritone brings his film-star looks and informal lieder style to his Hong Kong debut
Benjamin Appl loves song recitals from the 19th century Romantic period, and has made it his mission to bring them to a wider audience. He has been experimenting with a less staid style and his debut should reflect this
Can a swoon-worthy baritone who croons lieder with the suave suggestiveness of Michael Buble make traditional German art songs fashionable again?
Benjamin Appl, who makes his Hong Kong debut on April 23, has made it his mission to revive a type of music rather less than soul-stirring. Indeed, the less generous might think of it with as much excitement as hearing endless tales of someone else’s holiday.
“Even in Germany, lieder recitals are struggling. I have always wondered why people who go and listen to string quartets and chamber orchestras turn away from song recitals,” he says.
Appl, who was on his way to perform in Ho Chi Minh City before flying to Hong Kong, was touring extensively in India in February, holding workshops and recitals that included an open air concert in Chennai with a South Indian classical musician singing in the Carnatic tradition.
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“My experience in India and my preparation for Vietnam have really opened my eyes to how we can communicate with an audience in places with no tradition of classical recitals,” he says. The programme can be more spontaneous; people may be free to walk in and out; or the performer may talk to the audience about the music in between pieces.