HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese musicians will perform at a concert combining traditional music and romantic poems by German poet Heinrich Heine tonight at the Goethe Institute in Ha Nội. 

Heine (1797-1856) was one of the most famous German romantic poet, famous for his love poems as well as for his subtle irony. Some of his poems are recited at schools and at public events, said institute director Wilfried Eckstein.

The Vietnamese version of Heine’s Lyric Intermezz by Chu Thu Phương was released at the end of last year in Hà Nội.

"This version cannot be performed with traditional music," said the concert music editor Vũ Nhật Tân. "It needs a second adaption by musician Đàm Quang Minh to make the German poems suitable for Vietnamese traditional music".

Inspiration: German poet Heinrich Heine. — Photo Hanoi Goethe Institute

Tân and People’s Artist Thanh Hoài edited traditional music pieces of chầu văn (ceremonial singing); Huế singing; tuồng (classical opera), chèo (popular theatre) and xẩm (blind busker’s singing). 

Performing at the concert will be popular traditional artists such as People’s Artist Minh Gái, People’s Artist Xuân Hoạch — and Meritorious Artist Thúy Ngần and Hoài.

"By offering Heine as material for contemporary appreciation and interpretation we intend to promote cultural dialogue," said Eckstein. 

"We acknowledge the great importance of Vietnamese traditional music for contemporary audiences. In Germany some poetry and texts from the Romantic period have also gained relevance and appreciation. We are looking for works from contemporary authors from Việt Nam and German to be translated and brought into a dialogue with each other."

This is the second time Goethe Institute has held a concert to combine German poetry with Vietnamese traditional music. The first adapted poems by contemporary Jan Wagner. It was held in Hà Nội and HCM City in May. 

Tonight’s concert will begin at 8pm including presentation of translator Phương. — VNS