Songs of the Earth

About

Songs of the Earth is a curated recital by tenor Mark Padmore and pianist Ethan Iverson that interleaves classical art songs with spoken poetry to form a thematic journey about nature, existence, and humanity’s bond with the earth. Spanning Schubert and Schumann to Ives, Britten, and contemporary voices like Tansy Davies and Sally Beamish, the program favors intimacy and clear communication of words and music. Padmore emphasizes inhabiting the music and conveying poetry directly, while Iverson brings an austere, elegant pianism informed by both classical and jazz traditions. Unique to the San Francisco performance, local actors Keiko Carreiro and Velina Brown read selected poems, integrating spoken word fluently into the musical arc. Presented by San Francisco Performances within its Art of Song series at the Herbst Theatre, the recital was structured with an intermission, shaping two complementary halves of reflection and discovery.