Robert Schumann's Liederkreis, Op. 24, from 1840, integrates lyrical fragments into a coherent poetic, psychological, and musical whole, making it inseparable from the Heinrich Heine poems it sets.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Robert Franz, a composer on this album, explored emotional ambiguity in his art, stating his joy was always tinged with melancholy and his suffering accompanied by an exquisite sensation of losing oneself.
Composition History
The three composers on this album—Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Robert Franz—all belonged to the same generation, were in direct contact, and shared a taste for Heinrich Heine's poetry.
Compositional Technique
Franz Liszt's approach to Lied often involved piano transcriptions and later developed a dramatic sense, with works like 'Die Loreley' featuring a prelude, recitative, and multi-sectional aria, resembling opera.
Composer Biography
Franz Liszt championed Robert Franz, a contemporary composer, by recommending his manuscripts, writing complimentary articles, and incorporating Franz's songs into his own concerts as piano solo transcriptions.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in September 2014 at the Musik-Akademie Basel, Switzerland, using Neumann and Schoeps microphones and a Steinway D Grand Piano.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Robert Franz, a composer featured on this album, stated, 'I compose feelings, not words,' indicating his focus on overall mood rather than inner contrast in his songs.
