​The divine in pristine nature

​The nineteenth century was the age of the natural philosopher. In pristine nature you could find the divine, rise above the mundane. Their ideas inspired poets such as Goethe. A rich stream of nature poetry flowed from which composers gratefully drew. Art song flourished.

Nature poems by Goethe and others are the focus of this programme of songs by Nikolai Medtner. He was a true Romantic and was still setting Romantic poets to music when his contemporaries were already turning to the avant-garde. His songs were neglected for many years. Wrongly, as it turns out. Pianist Frank Peters and mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Levental have brought Medtner’s songs to the fore with their first complete CD recording. His songs are astonishing in their eloquence and the rich piano parts that add extra layers of meaning to the lyrics. Ekaterina and Frank present the fourth CD in their cycle.