Richard Strauss used the world of literature in his song settings, from sixteenth-century poems by Shakespeare to the poems of his contemporaries such as Richard Dehmel. His experience in writing operas also developed his song-writing abilities. His first song, “Weihnachtslied’

Musical settings of Heinrich Heine’s poetry must number in the thousands! An intricate response to the charged political environment of his day, not to mention his own turbulent life, Heine was able to create distinct emotions in his poetry. As

One of the most striking of George Crumb’s compositions is his 1970 song cycle Ancient Voices of Children. Based on fragments of poetry by Federico García Lorca, this work challenges the singer to extremes of vocalizations, set against an ensemble

On a recent trip through the Provence in France, through fields of lavender, sunflowers, vineyards and olive trees, I was reminded of the importance of landscapes, and that of the Provence in particular, as inspiration for many artists, including Frédéric

The American composer and pianist Edward MacDowell (1860-1908) was one of the best-known American composers at the turn of the 20th century. He started studying piano early and by age 16, his mother had taken him to the Paris Conservatoire.

Explore Vaughan Williams’ Song Cycles and English Song Settings The preeminent British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) set the model for composers of British songs in the 20th century: he composed several song cycles, setting lyrics by great authors and

French Chansons Composed by Ernest Chausson French composer Ernest Chausson’s early death in a bicycle accident cut short a career just as it was beginning to flourish. His position as secretary of the Société Nationale de Musique for 13 years

Many aspects about the life of John Dowland (1563-1626) remain a mystery – his biography is full of ‘it is generally thought…’. It is generally thought he was born in London but one historian also claims an Irish source for