Barbara Hannigan on Kurt Weill and William Walton (12 min.)

In June 2015, the Canadian singer Barbara Hannigan gave another concert in the popular Late Night series together with members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle. Accompanied by Rattle, who also makes an appearance as a pianist, she sang not only three songs by Kurt Weill, but shone in a full performance of William Walton’s Façade a work that is as varied as it is socio-critical, and excerpts of which, performed by the same line-up, had been a highlight of the Philharmoniker’s Late Night calendar in 2012. Both Hannigan and Rattle again appear reciting Edith Sitwell’s poems and conducting. In our interview, the charming soprano discusses what emotions she associates with Weill’s songs, the challenging wit of Walton’s rarity and how much she enjoys working with Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker.