Franz Schubert's "Schwanengesang" (Swan Song) is not a traditional song cycle but a posthumous compilation of songs composed in the last months of his life.
Composition History
Maurice Ravel's "Don Quichotte à Dulcinée" was originally composed for a film featuring the legendary bass Feodor Chaliapin.
Composition History
Hugo Wolf's "Michelangelo-Lieder" are his final song compositions, created during a period of mental and physical upheaval when advanced syphilis had already left its mark.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The composers on this album created their final works during times of personal crisis, physical ailments, and impending mortality, addressing universal themes of farewell, transience, and the search for meaning.
Composition History
Johannes Brahms's "Vier ernste Gesänge" (Four Serious Songs) is his final major vocal work, composed while he grieved the loss of his long-time companion Clara Schumann and contemplated his own mortality.
Performer Biography
Sebastian Naglatzki, the bass-baritone on this album, made his opera debut while still a student and has since built an impressive repertoire of over 60 roles.
Album & Artwork
The album title, "Letzte Lieder" (Last Songs), refers to the final song compositions by four masters: Franz Schubert, Hugo Wolf, Johannes Brahms, and Maurice Ravel.
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