Apart from his dramatic musical works, Hans Pfitzner's songs form the most homogenous and cohesive part of his oeuvre.

The 106 songs constitute a significant contribution to the history of song and particularly to the genre of the art song in the 20th century. As a song composer, Pfitzner is a worthy successor to Schumann, with regard to the interplay of word and music.

The palette of his songs ranges from 'simple' folk songs with Impressionist texts, to songs developed in a symphonic way. The poems selected by Pfitzner cover a period of more than 700 years of literary history.

This first volume (Op. 1-18) is a fascinating introduction to the idiosyncratic forms and textures in Pfitzner's music.