Eighteen song cycles: studies in their interpretation;

Dust jacket notes: «Lotte Lehmann is the last – and arguably the greatest – ornament of the golden age of singing. In each of her great operatic roles – as Marschallin or Leonora or Sieglinde, or enchanting Rosalinde – she demonstrated an unique ability to match great singing with equally great acting. She was, in the fullest sense of the word, an interpreter. So, too, on the concert platform, she was an ideal interpreter, conveying to her audience a profound understanding of the rare marriage of words and music which is the hallmark of great Lieder. In her retirement she has become a distinguished teacher and this book is a distillation of her unique experience and knowledge of the singer’s art. It is a book which will be read with pleasure and profit not only by students but also by lovers of Lieder everywhere. The eighteen song cycles range from Beethoven to Richard Strauss and include five cycles by Berlioz, Debussy ad Ravel. In his Foreword to the book, Neville Cardus writes: ‘In this book Lehmann bestows on us her harvestings – enriching, I think, not only to students of Lieder, but to the oldest of music lovers. It is wise, wiser maybe than she knows. It teaches to the purist, insists on the individuality of the learner. But, more rewarding still, it is a book which reflects and sustains our impressions, our devotion to and admiration of, Lotte Lehmann.'»