Songs of Max Kowalski

Presented here are The Songs of Max Kowalski (1882-1956), whose life and career can be described in two main segments: the first in Germany until 1939, and thereafter in England. Music-which had been the notably successful secondary career of Kowalski, the lawyer, in his homeland, and became his full-time occupation in exile-is their chief unifying element. Kowalski's output of more than 250 Lieder reflects the tonal and formal aesthetics of the late 19th century. His songs were performed and sometimes premiered or recorded by prominent singers and pianists, and about one third were published by reputable German and Austrian companies. Kowalski's songs are nearly all in German, yet they represent a wide range of poetic styles, subjects, and periods, as well as cultural, linguistic, and spiritual origins. Nils Neubert