Musical settings of Else Lasker-Schüler’s poetry, songs, and arias from the national “Jugend musiziert” competition
MY HEART RESTS WEARY – A Concert Exchange Between the Sister Cities of Schwerin and Wuppertal
Poems by Else Lasker-Schüler (1869–1945) set to music by Paul Hindemith, Evelyn Faltis, Toshio Hosokawa, and Dieter Schnebel, along with songs and arias from the national “Jugend musiziert” competition
on September 12, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the concert hall of the Bergische Musikschule Wuppertal, Hofaue 51, 42103 Wuppertal, and on October 31, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Perzinasaal in Schwerin, Wismarsche Straße 144, 10953 Schwerin
The city of Wuppertal has maintained a friendly relationship with Schwerin since 1987. Two years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, delegations were already traveling regularly back and forth between Wuppertal and Schwerin. Thanks to the city partnership, strangers became friends. To this day, the connection endures, having given rise to numerous artistic and social exchange projects—and even marriages. Inspired by the poetry of the Expressionist poet Else Lasker-Schüler, the concert project “Mein Herz ruht müde” was created, in which musicians from both cities present a varied program.
The focus is on musical settings of the poems by the Jewish-German poet, who was born in Elberfeld, now a district of Wuppertal. The poet’s expressive, idiosyncratic, and haunting language was unrivaled in its modernity. She succeeded, almost single-handedly, in replacing the dominant Symbolism in German poetry with Expressionism. Her highly personal poetry is reflected in musical works that are starkly contrasting.
Two young singers from the Bergische Musikschule Wuppertal will perform alongside musicians from Schwerin; both won prizes with the highest scores at the 2026 “Jugend musiziert” national competition. The program will feature songs and arias from their repertoires.
The musical works will be complemented by a presentation offering insights into the poet and her poetry. For this event, the program has secured the participation of Hajo Jahn, chairman of the Else Lasker-Schüler Society, in Wuppertal, and director Stefan Haufe in Schwerin.
Performers:
Alexandra Petkou – soprano, Wuppertal
Salome Karina Wendeberg – soprano, Wuppertal
Tanja Tismar-Gehlmann – piano, Wuppertal
Martina Scharstein – soprano, Schwerin
Reinhard Lippert – piano, Schwerin
Kathrin Montero-Küpper – harp, Wuppertal
Host:
Hajo Jahn, Chair of the Else Lasker-Schüler Society, Wuppertal
Stefan Haufe, Schwerin
