Inspired by Walt Whitman´s poems and her own nocturnal nightmare episodes, the Austrian singer and composer Nina Reiter,in her current program "Night, Sleep, Death and the Stars", turns to darker scenes. Reiter´s affinity for poetry becomes palpablein the setting of the Whitman poems she selected, and her self-penned texts are a playful experimentation with words andshow loving attention to detail. Reiter´s program also contains pieces by Mani Planzer, a Swiss composer and musician whopassed away in Lucerne in 1997. She discovered him in her adopted country and wrote texts to his music. The trio on Reiter´sside consisting of Stephan Plecher, Benjamin Zalud, and Peter Primus Frosch forms a long-standing and experienced teamthat doesn´t merely accompany Reiter but actually backs her instrumental role within the band structure. Nina Reiter´s "Night,Sleep, Death and the Stars" illuminates the poetic aspect of the darkness of night, and captivates through its musicalauthenticity and the band´s strong presence.