RAUCHEISEN: "The Man at the Piano" - 66CD Box Set

Michael Raucheisen (1889-1984)

"The Man at the Piano"

Famous Lieder Interpretations of lieder written by such well-known writers as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Joseph von Eichendorff, Friedrich von Schiller, Heinrich Heine, Eduard Mörike, Wilhelm Müller and many others.

The history of music has seen many important singers of lieder over the years - such as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Hans Hotter, Karl Erb, Helge Rosvaenge, Peter Anders, Anton Dermota, Margarete Klose and Erna Berger, to name but a few - but who has ever heard of Michael Raucheisen, the pianist and lieder accompanist?

Michael Raucheisen was one of the most admired lieder accompanists of the twentieth century and from the 1920s right up until the end of World War II, he was partner to the most important singers of the period. His focus of interest was always on German lieder and as a concert accompanist Raucheisen managed to attract audiences' attentions once again to the genre, which at that point in time was not receiving the attention it deserved - the great world of opera was much more popular.

Membran International GmbH wishes to call Michael Raucheisen back to mind with this edition - because without Raucheisen's pioneering work, the genre of lieder would probably still be living in the shadows. Over one thousand lieder have been compiled on sixty-six CDs, providing a comprehensive overall view of the genre. Included are exemplary recordings of the major song cycles Die schöne Müllerin, Die Winterreise und Der Schwanengesang by Franz Schubert as well as lieder by Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Hugo Wolf, Carl Loewe and Richard Strauss - and there are many works just waiting to be discovered, such as lieder by Hans Pfitzner, Peter Cornelius and Heinrich Marschner.

The historic recordings have been restored with the aid of the most modern studio equipment and are of a good sound quality, without having lost any of the warmth or charm of the originals. The accompanying book supplies a wealth of information, including a comprehensive biography about Michael Raucheisen and biographical information about the edition's most important composers and performers. The edition's exquisite design makes it a must for all overs of classical lieder - and for all those, who want to become such!