Complete Songs by Joseph Marx

Part 1 of the Complete Songs by Joseph Marx is an initiative of the Foundation 20^ste-century Lied, in collaboration with Cobra Records and Pianos Maene. The foundation, which is under the artistic direction of Reinild Mees, plays a pioneering role in the rediscovery of lied works from the first half of the twentieth century. Previous recordings of the Complete Songs by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Edward Elgar, Karol Szymanowski, Franz Schreker and Ottorino Respighi received high praise and were awarded various prizes. This new double album continues this trend with the rediscovery of liederen by the Austrian composer Joseph Marx. A large part of this repertoire has not been recorded before. A number of unreleased liederen – which previously only existed in manuscript – are even having their world premiere here.

The wonderful liederen are performed by three soloists with international careers: the Edison award-winning soprano Katharine Dain, the brilliant young tenor Mitch Raemaekers and pianist Reinild Mees, who has accompanied countless internationally renowned singers.

Joseph Marx (1882-1964) was one of the most prominent Austrian composers of his time. Between 1901 and 1912, he composed the majority of his 156 liederen – an extraordinary oeuvre that established his reputation and laid the foundation for his international success. During his lifetime, Marx published a total of 101 liederen. In addition, his estate – which is now managed by the Austrian National Library – contains another 55 liederen, the majority of which date from the years 1901 to 1905. At the request of the 20th Century Foundation Lied, the manuscripts of these liederen have been transcribed and catalogued by the Joseph Marx Society in Vienna.

On Thursday evening, 15 October, the musicians will present a programme featuring the finest liederen by Joseph Marx and talk about the composer. Following the musical part, the new double CD will be officially launched. The evening will end festively with a drink.