“Chair” (detail), 2015, oil on canvas, 12×8 inches (30×20 cm).
The lockdown compelled major Art Centers to shift to online viewing. Three days ago, I saw a live stream Lied recital at the Athens Concert Hall by baritone Dimitris Tiliakos and pianist Yannis Tsanakaliotis. The programme included songs by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe. Having personally performed this song cycle in 2018, and being familiar with the challenges of Lied interpretation, I found Tiliakos’ performance to be magnificent. Despite the technical issues with the sound and the internet connection, it matched the Dichterliebe by duo Matthias Goerne-Daniil Trifonov I saw in the 2017 Salzburg Festival.
Having said this, nothing can replace the physical presence of the audience and its interaction with the performer. It was so disheartening to see the artists bow to an empty hall at the end of the recital. I wish I could have been there to show my appreciation with vigorous applause. As a singer, I can say that the feeling of validation that the audience provides after you have given your best on stage is unsurpassable. There is a fundamental difference between artists who create in isolation (like visual artists, composers and others), and performing artists (like singers or actors). The former can rework a piece again and again until they decide it is complete enough to be shown to others. The latter, although they may practice for years, their performance can only manifest in the moment. They expose themselves entirely. And in this sense, the full Art can never really happen without the audience.
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