Elin Manahan-Thomas's chooses her favourite recording of Schumann's song-cycle Myrthen. The 26 songs that Schumann published under the title Myrthen (Myrtles) were all composed in 1840, the year in which great songs flowed out of him in a great flood of inspiration. He gave a beautifully bound edition of the Myrthen songs to his bride Clara on the eve of their wedding that year. This cycle contains some of Schumann's most popular songs such as Der Nussbaum and Die Lotosblume. And some of the greatest Lieder singers from Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to Christian Gerhaher have recorded their interpretations of many of these great songs.

Schumann's Myrthen

Building a Library: a guide to the best recordings of the greatest classical music. Each week an expert and enthusiast brings along a  wide range of recordings of a well-known piece. They explore the music and the different ways of performing it, ending with a recommendation for your library

Music

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Debussy's Jeux

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Stravinsky's The Firebird

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Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

Iain Burnside chooses his favourite recording of Mahler's Kindertotenlieder.

Schumann's Myrthen

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