This first volume of Brahms’s complete songs spans a period of nearly 25 years. A prolific composer of Lieder, Brahms’s adherence to traditional form was accompanied by a modern approach to compositional style. Thematically, most songs explore ideas of love, loneliness and solitude, perfectly exemplified by the Vier Gesänge, op.43. In a similar way the Sechs Lieder, op.86, share a common theme of a farewell to life. This volume contains some of his greatest songs, including Die Mainacht, as well as little-known jewels such as Versunken.

This new release is Christoph Prégardien’s first disc of Brahms’s songs for 20 years. He is widely regarded as being among the world’s leading lyric tenors and The New York Times has written of him: ‘His lyric tenor voice had a youthful glow, yet he sang with plaintive beauty and piercing insight.’

Ulrich Eisenlohr has appeared as a soloist and accompanist on over 50 recordings, and received awarded major prizes. As a Lieder specialist, the conception, artistic direction and recording of Schubert’s complete songs has been one of his major projects.

The Brahms Complete Songs series follows the Lieder editions of Schubert and Schumann, which also featured pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr. Of the Schubert box (38 discs on 8503801), American Record Guide stated ‘Eisenlohr has established himself as a major talent’. Fanfare also wrote of Vol.10 in the Schumann edition (8574119): ‘Ulrich Eisenlohr, an artist of depth and integrity, supports the singers with solid, evocative accompaniments, raising the artistic level of this entire enterprise.’