The overture opens with a military theme, before flowing into Bianca’s prayer – the finale for Act II. There’s a fast galop dance, and other sections in the opera in contrasting times and rhythms.

The little waltz is pleasant without really being memorable, but the influence of the music of the Strauss family can clearly be heard, not only in the build-up of the melody but also through the use of periodic tempo changes in the music.

In this recording, Karl-Heinz Schütz arranged one of the best known and best beloved of Brahms' songs into a ‘song without words’, taking the famous lullaby as his subject.

Czerny’s Romantic Fantasy No. 3 on Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, Op. 242, mirrors the novel, which brought the idea of cathedrals, castles, and chivalry to British culture. The battles and the love scenes are all in the music and, at the core, is an original theme used for King Richard the Lionheart.

Liszt's Soirée No. 6 in A minor was based on themes from Schubert’s 12 Valses nobles, D.969, and Valses sentimentales, D.779, and was revised at least twice.

Albéniz starts with a slow introduction that sets us definitely in Spain. The following dance episodes were based on popular Spanish tunes of the 1880s. Have a listen!

This song features a strong woman (as does the fourth song in Brahms’ collection) whose lover tells her that he is willing to step aside if she is feeling disgraced by their association. She, on the other hand, stoutly declares that although ‘steel is strong, and iron very strong; Our love is even stronger.’

The overture opens with a mysterious intertwining of descending triplets before a bright dance lightens the atmosphere. The second theme changes from a serious passage in a minor key before dance ideas take it over and the brilliant figuration changes its character completely.