Lieder & Ballads

20 years ago, Helen Buchholtz was an enigmatic unknown. In 1999, two suitcases containing around 250 music manuscripts were found, which have since become accessible in the archive of Helen Buchholtz in CID Fraen. Only by chance had they survived: the notes, packed in sacks after the death of the composer, had been saved from a fire by a nephew at the last minute. Helen Buchholtz, daughter of a wealthy brewery owner, received early lessons in music. At the age of 36, she married a German doctor and moved with him to Wiesbaden. Widowed early, she returned to Luxembourg, where she frequented poets and musicians. There her music was performed in concerts and on the radio. The double album presents a selection of her best 51 songs and ballads, which are selectively placed in a dialogue with contemporary music: Inspired by Helen Buchholtz's late Romantic music, Catherine Kontz, Albena Petrovic-Vratchanska, Stevie Wishart and Tatsiana Zelianko composed four new songs.