Salon Klang & Kontur: Mar 2026 Impressionism/Expressionism: Between Dream and Reality

Join Jennifer Arnold and her guest performers for an evening of song and word exploring impressionism through expressionism.

At (http://now.At)the turn of the 20th century, Europe stood on a fault line. Old certainties—social, political, artistic—were beginning to fracture, and composers responded not with grand declarations, but with intimate, searching songs.
In this Klang & Kontur Salon, we invite you into the sound world of Claude Debussy, Manuel de Falla, Charles Tomlinson Griffes, and Alban Berg, (among others)—composers who stood at the threshold between worlds.
These songs shimmer with ambiguity, longing, and unease. Tonality loosens, time seems to slow or dissolve, and the human voice becomes a vehicle for inner states rather than outward display. Written in an era shaped by rapid industrialization, shifting identities, and the looming shadow of global conflict, this music asks questions that still resonate today:
• How do artists respond when established systems no longer feel stable?
• What happens to beauty when certainty disappears?
• Can art offer clarity—or only deeper awareness?
Following the performance, the salon opens into conversation. Together, we can explore the ideas behind this repertoire and reflect on their relevance to our present cultural situation—a time marked by political uncertainty, technological acceleration, and changing notions of truth, identity, and expression.

(This is not a lecture, but an invitation:to listen closely, to think freely, and to speak across disciplines—music, literature, history, and the present day.)