{"id":121222,"date":"2026-01-27T10:27:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T15:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=121222"},"modified":"2026-01-27T16:54:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T21:54:39","slug":"preview-kurt-weills-songs-of-glass-and-iron-with-soprano-reilly-bianchi-nelson-composer-pianist-friedrich-heinrich-kern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/01\/27\/preview-kurt-weills-songs-of-glass-and-iron-with-soprano-reilly-bianchi-nelson-composer-pianist-friedrich-heinrich-kern\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Kurt Weill\u2019s Songs Of Glass And Iron With Soprano Reilly Bianchi Nelson & Composer-Pianist Friedrich Heinrich Kern"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Graphic
Graphic for Songs of Glass and Iron (David Himel, poster design)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Composer-pianist Friedrich Heinrich Kern<\/strong> and soprano Reilly Bianchi Nelson<\/strong> present Kurt Weill\u2019s Songs of Glass and Iron, an event that combines concert and musical theatre, on January 29. The performance explores themes of displacement and belonging through the artistry of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht.<\/p>\n

Kurt Weill\u2019s Songs Of Glass And Iron blends iconic songs, the textures created by glass resonance, and improvised electronic soundscapes, using a contemporary sensibility to reframe and reimagine Weill\u2019s music. You can expect a mashup of cabaret music, modern urban life, and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWeill’s outsider perspective \u2014 Jewish German composer in exile \u2014 speaks powerfully to modern wanderers and people who live between worlds,\u201d says Nelson in a statement. \u201cWe’re interested in the possibility that exists in displacement, in translation, in never quite arriving.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Performance<\/h2>\n

What is human intimacy in a world that\u2019s increasingly dictated by financial markets, migration, and forgetting the past? These are themes that speak as loudly today as they did in Weill\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

Through the performance, Nelson and Kern will guide the audience through a series of imaginary rooms that examine love, displacement, labour, and loss. Theatricality is at the forefront of Weill\u2019s work, created with a juxtaposition of art and pop culture, and drenched in irony and social satire. In Songs of Glass and Iron, it\u2019s paired with transparent, even fragile, sound worlds to evoke a unique atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Weill\u2019s iconic songs (Je ne t’aime pas, Youkali, Nanna’s Lied) are woven together with electronics, improvisation, and spoken text in both English and German. Kern plays piano, electronics, and resonant glass to create poignant soundscapes that complement the journey of the performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese songs were written by a composer in exile,\u201d Kern notes. \u201cGlass sounds bring an otherworldly quality \u2014 something suspended between presence and absence, belonging and displacement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pamenar, the venue, is an intimate setting ideal for the performance. \u201cWeill belongs in warm caf\u00e9s and underground salons, not only in the concert hall,\u201d Nelson adds. \u201cThis is where Songs of Glass and Iron comes to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Soprano
Soprano Reilly Bianchi Nelson (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Performers<\/h2>\n

Reilly Bianchi Nelson, soprano<\/h3>\n

Canadian soprano Reilly Bianchi Nelson focuses music with a historical perspective, infused with drama and feeling. She grew up in Sault Ste. Marie in Northern Ontario in an Italian-Scottish family. She connected as a child to the emotions of the Italian song tradition, and stays close to that heritage today.<\/p>\n

Reilly has also become a specialist in the works of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, and garnered second place in the Lotte Lenya Competition.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s now based in Toronto, where she performs frequently in the Italian cultural community in both prominent and intimate venues. Her background includes performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Pacific Opera Victoria, Cincinnati Opera, Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Tapestry Opera, and in the Glimmerglass Festival world premiere of Tenor Overboard. She recently performed Kaija Saariaho\u2019s From the Grammar of Dreams with The Happenstancers as part of The Royal Conservatory of Music\u2019s 21C Music Festival.<\/p>\n

\"Composer-pianist
Composer-pianist Friedrich Heinrich Kern (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Friedrich Heinrich Kern, electronics & piano<\/h3>\n

German composer, pianist, and glass harmonicist Friedrich Heinrich Kern studied at the Hochschule f\u00fcr Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim, followed by a year studying traditional Korean music at the Seoul National University. He earned a PhD from New York University.<\/p>\n

His compositions include works for acoustic instruments for soloists, chamber ensembles, and full orchestras, as well as his work in electronic music and media. He has performed and composed music throughout the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.<\/p>\n

Today he divides his time between New York and Paris, creating music that blends classical and contemporary sensibilities.<\/p>\n

The Event<\/h2>\n

Kurt Weill\u2019s Songs of Glass and Iron takes place January 29 at Pamenar in Toronto\u2019s Kensington Market.<\/p>\n

The Program<\/strong><\/p>\n

Songs by Kurt Weill:<\/p>\n