Kitty Whately, the mezzo-soprano on this recording, co-founded the charity SWAP'ra (Supporting Women and Parents in Opera) to champion women composers of the past.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded using 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.
Composer Biography
Johanna Müller-Hermann (1878-1941) was the daughter of an ennobled civil servant and studied composition with prominent Viennese teachers like Alexander Zemlinsky and Franz Schmidt.
Interpretation
The performers, Kitty Whately and Joseph Middleton, were inspired by Mahler's Kindertotenlieder to explore themes of grief, mortality, and bereavement for this album.
Composer Biography
Margarete Schweikert (1887-1957) composed over 160 songs, chamber music, piano and organ pieces, and a children's opera, though little was published during her lifetime.
Historical Context
The era in which Johanna Müller-Hermann and Margarete Schweikert were writing, between the two world wars, was a transformative period with changing traditions, new musical styles, and more liberated gender relations.
Performer Biography
Joseph Middleton, the pianist, is described as 'one of the brightest stars in the world of song and Lieder' by BBC Music and is the Director of Leeds Lieder.
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