Schumann & Wolf Lieder – Per Vollestad

Madness and love

As a gift to his wife Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann wrote a collection of songs, collectively called “Myrten”, an expression of his feelings for his new bride, far more profound than any words could ever hope to communicate. Two of these songs, called “Zwei venetianische Lieder”, are performed by baritone Per Vollestad and pianist Sigmund Hjelset on this album, an album filled with the works of two composers sharing the same fate of succumbing to depression and madness ending their lives behind asylum walls. Besides “Myrten” and the tragic love songs found in Schumann´s “Liederkreis”, the duo also performs songs from Hugo Wolf´s “Italienisches Liederbuch” and “Mörike-Lieder”, sharing a common thread with Schumann´s works, being themed around the subject of love.