Schubert's "Schwanengesang" is not a true song cycle, but a collection of fourteen songs compiled by his publisher, Tobias Haslinger, and his brother Ferdinand after Schubert's death in 1828.
Compositional Technique
The Heine songs in Schubert's "Schwanengesang" are considered a 'quantum leap into the future of music' due to their boldness and eternally radical nature in tonal music.
Composer Biography
Heinrich Heine, a poet whose works are featured on this album, was born in the same year as Schubert (1797) and lived until 1856, spending his last eight years paralyzed in Paris.
Performer Biography
Kenneth Slowik, the fortepianist, is the Artistic Director of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society and has an impressive discography of nearly sixty recordings.
Composition History
Schumann's "Dichterliebe" was composed in 1840, setting sixteen poems from Heinrich Heine's "Buch der Lieder" (Book of Songs), which was published in 1827.
Performer Biography
Max van Egmond, the baritone on this recording, is a Dutch artist who has received numerous awards, including a special decoration from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands for his service to Dutch musical life.
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