Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Dichterliebe, op. 48 (Les Amours du poète)

Henri Duparc (1848-1933)
Mélodies et chansons

Frank Martin (1890-1974)
Six monologues de Jedermann

Franz Schubert (1897-1828)
Litanie

Martin Hempel, baryton
Katharina Kegler, piano

The three composers' works featured here span about a century, several wars and several developmental phases in art music. Emotional problems curtailed the creativity of two of the three composers. Two of them led important composers' associations in their respective countries, while one established a society of aesthetes. The German set to music texts by a German who fled to France. The Frenchman set only texts from his own cultural sphere, but repeatedly went to Germany to see performances of Wagner operas. The French-speaking composer from western Switzerland set texts by an Austrian. It seems difficult to find any natural connections between their works, yet they are all art songs in their most beautiful manifestation with temporal, cultural and national facets which are broadened by their creators' universal awareness of art.