• Castle Hinterglauchau - Goethe-programme
• Fugger Castle’s Cedar Hall - Operetta
• Welfenschloss in Herzberg/Harz - Goethe-programme
• Castle Hünegg – Hilterfingen at Thuner Lake - Romanticism-programme
• Castle Guttenberg - Christmas-programme

GLAUCHAU - The well-known castles of Kronburg, Rastatt and Gotha were their stops before they ended up at the Castle’s Knight’s Hall on May 20th to cast a spell on the expectant group of the museum’s friends. They, that’s Liane (soprano/moderation) and Norbert Fietzke (piano). The married couple from Weimar has been working together as the duo >con emozione< for over 15 years now and is well known for their very emotional interpretations of music. The constellation could not be better than this: the Duo with the refreshing musical, literary Goethe-programme “Sah ein Knab’ ein Röslein stehn!” in Glauchau. It was the prince of poetry Goethe who saw in the museum’s collection more than just a random storage room and saw it as a knowledge’s requirement to complete the collection. [...]
Liane and Norbert Fietzke have shown outstanding effort in finding and popularising compositions that are nearly unknown or have fallen into oblivion. Thus, they resurrected historical songs to new life with admirable empathy. Liane Fietzke was able to perform all the songs with her variable voice in all shades which made them even more delightful – always harmoniously accompanied by her husband with the piano. The programme started off with Beethoven’s “Lied des Marmottenbuben” and led through a versatile collection of songs like the seldomly performed original version of Goethe’s “Rösgen auf der Hayde”. The interspersed anecdotes about Goethe and the respective composers of his time constituted an enrichment and helped to dip into the life of the 18th and 19th century. [...]
As Goethe once said: “The best we get from history, is the enthusiasm which it arouses in us.” Liane and Norbert Fietzke beamed enthusiams in the best way possible. And, if something was sensible this afternoon, it was the enthusiams that was transferred to the audience.

Kirchheim ( sid ) Liane Fietzke enthralled the audience with her pure, goldenly soprano and with her husband Norbert – the perfect accompanist at the piano. They are the duo >con emozione< . Their variegated repertoire consists of the grand emotions of operetta, film and musical. It is Liane Fietzke who goes towards the audience with her charming, flirtatious and still pleasant way, who is not afraid of looking the men deeply into their eyes and asking: “Do you know what your wife dreams of during the spring time? During her spring-cleaning? Definitely not only of cleaning the windows, don’t you think?” She tells her small, amusing stories that lead from one musical treat to another.
Grand composers of famous melodies were brought to the audience; e.g. Ralph Benatzky’s “Es muss was wunderbares sein, von Dir geliebt zu werden” out of “Im weißen Rößl” or Franz Lehar’s “The Merry Widow” with “Ich bin eine anständ’ge Frau” – flirtatiously with her hat and fan – and many other evergreens.
Liane Fietzke knows how to portrait her women with just a few accessories. There are all different kinds of hats, a feather boa, an apron, a small basket full of flowers and even a broom. “Try dancing around the flat while brooming it when you feel like it – it’s wonderful!”

And already, she’s dancing with the musical “My Fair Lady” by Frederick Loewe and its “I could have danced all night” through the hall. To pay a little homage to Zarah Leander, she wears a feather boa as the sign for “Der Blaufuchs” (by Lothar Brühne) and sings, rather frivolously, “Kann denn Liebe Sünde sein?”. Liane Fietzke pulls out all her stops concerning her acting and singing talents.
Norbert Fietzke accompanies gently and perfectly to the songs, while smiling at the small hints on their relationship, but also shows his virtuosity with solos like “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin and “Whittling Remus” (composed by Th. E. Broady). During those moments, he is the “lonely bar piano player” who can – finally – be sure of the attention of the “bar’s guests”. They can, on the other hand, be sure of the greatful and modest smile. Norbert Fietzke was born in Döbern (Brandenburg) and got his education at the conservatoire Leipzig. He worked as a soloist, in groups, was musically in charge for different theatres and is a composer and arranger, as well as a teacher for the piano and keyboard.
Liane Fietzke was born in Lutherstadt Wittenberg (Saxonia-Anhalt). She also got her education at the conservatoire Leipzig and at the Rheinischen music school in Cologne as a soprano. She worked with choirs and orchestra and sings in churches, chamber music halls and at big events.

Herzberg.   -  While all other concerts during the weekend had to be cancelled due to constant and heavy rain, the visitors of Sunday’s concert were still able to enjoy the perfomance (originally planned in the palace’s court yard). Although not performed in the original space, the audience was still able to listen to a very fine concert in the Knight’s Hall which isn’t in any way less historic compared to the court yard. [...]
After their rose-centred programme in 2004 and their Mozart-programme in 2006, they gave a very fitting performance concerning the Goethe-year during the course of this Sunday. The audience was able to experience something very different – in form of Goethe’s texts and poems set to music by his contemporaries with little anecdotes about Goethe himself, his contemporaries and friends in between.
The charming presentation by Liane Fietzke also helped to show an intensive exuberance and closeness which also took away the tenseness that sometimes appears during this kind of concert. The music was mainly concerned with the illustration of the text’s propositions. The audience experienced a vigorous interpretation of the jovial Goethe; but also of the thoughtful one.
">con emozione<" are a beguilingly voice with a virtuoso piano and a special experience in the course of the castle’s concerts in Herzberg. The audience was very grateful for the musical and oral treat and thanked with a lot of applause.

The musical duo from Weimar, Liane (soprano) and Norbert Fietzke (piano) did as they were told by the visitors: to give another concert at Castle Hünegg in Hilterfingen. Thus, the “Association of Castle Hünegg’s friends” invited every-one to another concert. The soprano spoke very highly of the atmosphere in the great hall.
She led through the German Romanticism with amusing anecdotes in her pleasant way. Liane Fietzke sang the songs by Goethe and Schiller impressively and emotionally. Poetic works were followed by rare piano pieces (both by Goethe’s and Schiller’s contemporaries) and vice versa – all with a perfect vigour and cheerfulness.
On the occasion of the bicentenary of Anna Amalia’s death, the duo put an emphasis on the unity of the Duchess and Goethe – with the invitation to the audience:

NECKARMÜHLBACH - Christmas is a present and an event.
Liane and Norbert Fietzke from Weimar interpreted it like that. A while ago, christmas was far easier. The family gathered around the christmas tree, sang famous christmas songs, read the famous stories out of the Gospel of Luke, assembled everyone together at the table for food and gifts which was the last link in a chain of excitement. Christmas today is really rather different. The centre of attention is the distribution of christmas presents.
We can actually leave out all of the other ingredients we need for a christmas atmosphere (like cot and winter night), can’t we? That’s a classic misapprehension. Christmas is something from and for the mind, announced Liane Fietzke, who introduced herself as tonight’s soprano and moderator in the Castle Guttenberg’s music salon. She has a smooth way of singing. The vowels are pure, the consonants speak clearly. The melody rests on the lyrics, which are the main parts in the songs.
In this way, she words her “Wishes and Thoughts” brightly and clearly for the Holy Night. They do not have to be fastened within her solos. Interaction is explicitly allowed. Liane Fietzke has her 80-people-‘choir’, the audience, well under control. Premiere on Castle Guttenberg; never ever before was there so much singing along. Händel’s “Daughter Zion”, the standard repertoire of christmas songs, classics from the shepherd’s crip. The programme did not only stay extraordinary in this respect.
... It rings and sounds just like a peaceful, believing, love-oblidged, hope-connected christmas time. Peace, believe, love, and hope are the four names for the four Advent’s Sundays before christmas.
Norbert Fietzke is tremendous company on the piano – tender and faultless. He nearly plays Schumann’s “Knecht Ruprecht” too well – we meet the ‘rumble man’ quite a few times. He makes the ruffian – who is, at the same time, the ‘black man’ and the piler of bags of gifts – very clearly visible. He changes the Pifa from Händel’s “Messiah” not too little from the original notes.
Contrasting to that, he plays Reger’s “Christmas dreaming” or Beethoven’s variation of Händel’s “Daughter Zion” quite perfectly on track. It’s a definite must-do with Reger. The “Holy Night” has to stand out against all the other secondary voices – somehow, but definitely very accurately. Everything else would be catastrophic.
Now christmas can happen. The perfect model for the singing under the tree, for a fulfilled christmas is made. Liane and Norbert Fietzke have an immaculate recipe for that. The audience – which has never been that large before on Castle Guttenberg – is clearly enthralled and inundates the soloist with applause.