Ian Bostridge and Graham Johnson, Wigmore Hall

For many British concert-goers, the names of tenor Ian Bostridge and Franz Schubert are forged together. Over the past few years, Bostridge has not only mastered the composer’s vocal repertoire – see the sell-out Winterreise concerts at the Barbican last season – but also written a well-received book on the subject, Schubert’s Winter Journey. Who better, then, to lead a recital of some of the composer’s most profound songs?

As part of the Wigmore Hall 2015/16 season, Bostridge will be joined by pianist Graham Johnson, a Schubert specialist who has produced some of the definite recordings of the lieder tradition. His scholarship, as demonstrated in the liner notes of his records, is the perfect match for Bostridge’s intelligent delivery.

Lost in the listings? Read our essential guide to Wigmore Hall Winter 2016.

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When he died at the age of thirty-one, Schubert left over six hundred lieder, many of which remained unpublished until after his death. Although others, including Mozart and Beethoven, had begun to develop the form in line with the classical tradition, Schubert took it to new heights of musicality and expressivity. Generally based on the works of German poets, including Goethe and Schiller, they fuse exquisitely minimal music with intensely literary lyrics. Bostridge and Johnson will perform a selection of twenty-three songs, drawn from throughout the composer’s career. In such experienced hands, it is unlikely the concert will be anything over than magnificent.