A Vagabond’s daydream

In turn a symbol of freedom, imagination, escape and independence, the vagabond has haunted the imagination of artists and poets as well as philosophers. In the work of Robert Schumann, he takes the form of a lonely minstrel who asks his king for a simple cup of wine; in that of Gustav Mahler, that of a saint who speaks to animals. And while Richard Strauss takes you on nocturnal wanderings, Francis Poulenc gives you a taste of a painter’s Parisian ‘vie de bohème’. Each of their songs is an invitation to wander and dream. Who knows where the journey will take us, but in the company of Sir Simon Keenlyside and pianist Malcolm Martineau, we can trust that the music will naturally show us the way. With a Songs season ticket, invite someone for free to your three favourite Song evenings at La Monnaie this season.