Italienisches Liederbuch (Italian songbook)

Wolf's lieder are often referred to as "symphonic lieder", with an important part of the piano, beside the voice. Writer Paul Heyse (1830-1914). translated from Italian, among other things, a large number of mostly anonymous poems, which he published as the Italienisch Liederbuch. Wolf has put these poems into delightful music, small jewels. Hugo Wolf, in 1896 - after a four-year period, marked by physical and psychological problems, which later grew more serious and ultimately fatal - composed among other things, the 24 lieder of the Italienisches Liederbuch’s part two. This was his last important composition, followed by only two lieder on texts by Lord Byron and three on texts by Michelangelo. Today, Wolf is considered one of the most important 19th Century lieder composers, but that recognition was slow in coming. As late as 1931, admirers felt compelled to begin a Hugo Wolf Society to make his lieder better known via gramophone recordings. Needing the least help, however, was the Italienisches Liederbuch, various songs of which came to be loved early on, largely owing to their melodiousness and the accessibility of their content, but doubtless also for their brevity – if ever lieder could lay claim to being “little jewels” it is the 46 of this bundle, which together take up less than 80 minutes. (source: linernotes by Paul Korenhof in the cd "Hugo Wolf - Italienisches Liederbuch")