This album contains 18 of the 53 Mörike Lieder by Hugo Wolf, performed by legendary artists Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Sviatoslav Richter.

The Gedichte von Eduard Mörike is one of the five major song cycles that brought great recognition to the nineteenth-century composer Hugo Wolf. The 18 songs included in this recording rank amongst the composer’s most outstanding works. Despite Wolf’s own regret of being recognised as a great lied composer, he developed the Lieder genre to its highest level.

The undeniable influence of Wagner and, to some extent the 'Second Viennese School', is self-evident in Wolf’s music. By pushing the boundaries of tonality and dramatic effect, Wolf was able to achieve an unprecedented level of tension in the Lieder genre.

The epic collaboration between Fischer-Dieskau and Richter began in 1965 at the Aldeburgh Festival. Their great mutual respect has been well documented. Nonetheless, during their collaboration Sviatoslav Richter and Dietrich Fischer- Dieskau only recorded works by three different composers: Schubert, Brahms and Wolf. It was about recording Wolf that Richter said: “On this occasion it seems as though we really entered into the spirit of these songs; we’d rehearsed sufficiently and felt not only confidence, but real friendship towards each other.”

According to Richter, their collaboration with Hugo Wolf’s Lieder was the most creative and satisfying. These legendary artists bring their uncompromising attention to detail and unity of vision to produce music-making of great power and beauty.

This re-release of the 1973 Deutsche Gramophone recording of the Mörike Lieder allows us to experience the work of these 20th century musical giants in an unprecedented way and to enjoy the Mörike Lieder like never before.