SH: I find it extremely difficult to come up with a specific question. What fascinates me so much about Schubert is the way his “cheerful and positive” compositions always carry a touch of melancholy, and his “sad and melancholic” pieces always contain a glimmer of hope. I don’t know how he does that either. It’s hard to ask someone that—so I’d much rather ask him about his general outlook on life. “Is the glass half empty or half full?” maybe—and that would probably lead to a long conversation.

AB: What was your relationship with your father like?

SH: Probably "Erlkönig" — there’s rarely that much drama in the piano and the voice in a lied. After all, it’s a story that people might already know or have heard of, and it’s just very easy to follow. From there, one can hope that the “Erl-King” theme—which appears in many more songs—will captivate the listener so much that it sparks a chain reaction, and we’ll have one more song lover.

AB: “Im Frühling.” First of all, it’s brilliantly composed, with varied verse forms. Second, it has a great “walking bass” line and even evokes jazz; third, it’s both cheerful and deeply sad at the same time—typical Schubert.

SH: Since I think we’re currently experiencing a real golden age of great lieder singers, I would definitely take full advantage of that. The approach to Schubert can vary so much, and we currently have high-caliber artists who can bring that to life. We absolutely have to make the most of that. I would also—since, as we all know, people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter—create a format with just short sets of songs. In between, you could offer a glass of wine, and after the songs are sung, you could even chat with the artists on stage to discuss what you’ve heard. Then another singing duo could take the stage, and so on. I think this would shift the focus away from the “traditional concert experience” toward something relatively everyday and normal. But that is precisely what a song must be, and that is what a song is in my view—despite all the peculiarities of the genre.

AB: Good food, white wine (Schubert loved Grüner Veltliner and Tokaj), a mix of lieder, solo piano, and chamber music—but with a focus on lieder, which would have particularly pleased Schubert. Along with poetry readings and discussions about art and politics. It doesn’t have to be a concert hall; ideally, a large salon.

SH: What I appreciate most about Ammiel—and this probably sounds very cliché—is his ability to listen. Listening closely and being attuned to others are qualities we’re generally losing more and more, even in everyday life. In music, however, they’re perhaps the most important skills. And in a song, it’s simply wonderful when your musical partner masters these skills like no one else.

AB: There are many things, but two stand out above all: every concert is different, new, and fresh; we can repeat a program many times, and it always remains exciting and moving. Second, I love going for a short walk with Samuel or having a beer after a concert or rehearsal and talking about life. That, too, always feels new and fresh!

SH: After my first performance of "Winterreise" with Ammiel Bushakevitz—which was actually our first concert together—we played and sang Schubert’s “Im Abendrot.” Ammiel stepped in at the last minute and didn’t arrive at the concert venue until late the night before, so we barely had time to rehearse. The "Winterreise" was already a very intense and risky undertaking. Since it was a house concert during the pandemic and the hostess requested “Im Abendrot” as an encore, we ended up performing it without any rehearsal at all—I’ll never forget that moment, because I don’t think I’ve ever sung more honestly than I did then.

AB: It was my very first concert with Samuel. A house concert right in the middle of the COVID pandemic, without any rehearsals. "Winterreise" was just so real, so moving. Samuel sang it straight from the heart; it was simply unforgettable.

SH: Probably "Erlkönig" — there’s rarely that much drama in the piano and the voice in a lied. After all, it’s a story that people might already know or have heard of, and it’s just very easy to follow. From there, one can hope that the “Erl-King” theme—which appears in many more songs—will captivate the listener so much that it sparks a chain reaction, and we’ll have one more song lover.

AB: “Im Frühling.” First of all, it’s brilliantly composed, with varied verse forms. Second, it has a great “walking bass” line and even evokes jazz; third, it’s both cheerful and deeply sad at the same time—typical Schubert.

SH: Since I think we’re currently experiencing a real golden age of great lieder singers, I would definitely take full advantage of that. The approach to Schubert can vary so much, and we currently have high-caliber artists who can bring that to life. We absolutely have to make the most of that. I would also—since, as we all know, people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter—create a format with just short sets of songs. In between, you could offer a glass of wine, and after the songs are sung, you could even chat with the artists on stage to discuss what you’ve heard. Then another singing duo could take the stage, and so on. I think this would shift the focus away from the “traditional concert experience” toward something relatively everyday and normal. But that is precisely what a song must be, and that is what a song is in my view—despite all the peculiarities of the genre.

AB: Good food, white wine (Schubert loved Grüner Veltliner and Tokaj), a mix of lieder, solo piano, and chamber music—but with a focus on lieder, which would have particularly pleased Schubert. Along with poetry readings and discussions about art and politics. It doesn’t have to be a concert hall; ideally, a large salon.