THE CHARM OF TRAVEL – EXHIBITION-RECITAL 

What connection could there be between the Romanian countryside and Schubert’s Romantic lieder? Could a lost traveler, in search of himself, find himself in both?

This is likely what happened to Gaëtan Rousselet (1976), a French-speaking Belgian who has fled the jovial narrow-mindedness of his country countless times. Just like the narrator of Schubert’s great song cycles—which are, in essence, Der Schöne Müllerin (“The Beautiful Miller’s Daughter,” 1823) and Winterreise (“Winter Journey,” 1827), this scholar, originally trained in Romance languages and literatures, has confronted the majestic and merciless beauty of nature (the Carpathians, in this case), whether in the form of gentle sheep or vicious dogs, as well as the ambivalent nature of the human being—sometimes darkened by despair, at other times radiant, like that of the saints.

Continuing his research through photography as part of a master’s degree in Anthropology (2014), he organized an ethnographic exhibition titled “The Shepherds of Northwestern Romania” on several occasions in Braine-le-Comte (the town where he grew up, twinned with Vadu Izei), in Brussels (the “Arthis” Belgian-Romanian Cultural Center), and then in Paris (the Romanian Cultural Institute).

He, however, came to classical singing quite late in life, through his marriage to mezzo-soprano Maria Pop and his discovery of Orthodox hymns. Essentially, he saw in the lieder (especially those by Schubert) a unique opportunity to explore the depths of existence further.

In this recital, consisting of approximately ten pieces selected both for their melodic lines and for the themes they address, he will be accompanied on the piano by the talented Bianca Murariu.

Trained in music from childhood and specializing in accompaniment for this lyrical genre, Bianca Murariu is currently an Assistant Professor at the “Gheorghe Dima” National Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca within the Department of Voice and Musical Performing Arts, where she carries out a rewarding teaching career as an accompanist. In 2024, she released the CD “Window to Schumann,” featuring Robert Schumann’s song cycles Liederkreis, Op. 39, and Dichterliebe, Op. 48, alongside tenor Marius Vlad Budoiu.

With solid experience in the field of vocal music, Bianca Murariu stands out for her remarkably diverse artistic career, which brings together masterpieces from the universal repertoire.

Bianca Murariu is also actively involved in promoting Romanian piano concerts.

The event “The Charm of the Journey”—an exhibition-recital—will take place on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at the Transylvanian Ethnographic Museum, located at 21 Memorandumului Street.