Product DescriptionIn his lifetime, the German composer Carl Loewe was often referred to as the Schubert of North Germany. He is frequently credited with developing the romantic ballad into a powerful art form and his prolific output of ballads and songs amounts to some four hundred works. Loewe s treatment of long narrative poems in a clever and powerful mixture of dramatic and lyrical styles has been a template for many subsequent composers and many of the ballads on this disc are masterpieces of their genre. Performed here by Austrian baritone Florian Boesch in his Hyperion debut these refined performances make it clear why Boesch has been labeled as one of the finest interpreters of Lieder of his generation. Loewe s daring and imaginative accompaniments are played here by the incomparable Roger Vignoles.