Fiese Schöne Welt

Martin Plüddemann was a pivotal figure in the revival and modernisation of the art of ballad composition. He revered Carl Loewe and Richard Wagner and this confluence of influences allowed him to explore the close relationship between ballad, opera and "music drama", not least through the use of Leitmotifs, quasi-orchestral accompaniment or in the piano anticipating or recalling the vocal line.

Martin Plüddemann was a pivotal figure in the revival and modernisation of the art of ballad composition. He revered Carl Loewe and Richard Wagner and this confluence of influences allowed him to explore the close relationship between ballad, opera and "music drama", not least through the use of Leitmotifs, quasi-orchestral accompaniment or in the piano anticipating or recalling the vocal line. He set the finest poets - Uhland, Müller, Goethe, Heine and Burns among them - and shows a comprehensive mastery of the genre, whether in themes of medievalism, nationalism, the supernatural or in his delightful essays in humour.

Justus Hermann Wetzel's beautiful, catchy songs have accompanied Peter Schöne since the beginning of his singing career. Schöne released his first CD with recordings of Wetzel's fascinating compositions in 2004, while he was still studying at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK). With the release of the double album, Schöne once again pays homage to the composer by placing previously unpublished works by Wetzel in the context of contemporaries such as Hugo Wolf, Othmar Schoeck and Nikolai Medtner. The double album not only marks an appreciation of Justus Hermann Wetzel's work, but also presents a captivating musical portrait of the songs of that era.

Justus Hermann Wetzel's beautiful, catchy songs have accompanied Peter Schöne since the beginning of his singing career. Schöne released his first CD with recordings of Wetzel's fascinating compositions in 2004, while he was still studying at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK). With the release of the double album, Schöne once again pays homage to the composer by placing previously unpublished works by Wetzel in the context of contemporaries such as Hugo Wolf, Othmar Schoeck and Nikolai Medtner. The double album not only marks an appreciation of Justus Hermann Wetzel's work, but also presents a captivating musical portrait of the songs of that era.