Brahms: Sandmännchen, WoO 31 No. 4

Kirchschlager amd Lehrbaumer take us on a “lieder journey” across Austria.

They have included the songs which they feel particularly close to in this collection.

Their survey of Austro-German Song also includes works by Schumann, Liszt and Richard Strauss.

This collection is a well conceived tribute to the romantic lied of the 19th century.

Included are lieder and duets by Mendelssohn, Schumann and Brahms.

The collection demonstrates the mastery which Alois Mühlbacher and the St. Florian Boys’ Choir have gained in this field.

This is a recording of folk and classical music transcribed for folk instruments. The connection between folk and classical is sometimes direct, as in Brahms's arrangements of existing folk tunes, or in the folk-based chorale tune of Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring; but more often the connection is one of mood, as in the folk dance-like character of My Lady Carrie's Dompe or the two bourées from Bach's English Suite. In trying to decide what to put on this recording we relied primarily on instinct, a feel for a piece, and whether it would work in transcription for folk instruments; but beyond any intellectual justification was the overriding sense of playing music we love. While the common theme is lullabies and dances, we did get sidetracked occasionally, when we simply wanted to play a particular piece.