One of the finest and most innovative songwriters of the late romantic period, this Austrian composer wrote an astonishing flow of 174 songs in a blast of creative energy over a 33-month period. He was also a gifted lyricist, with a musical and literary talent for bringing characters in a poem to life and expressing psychological depths. Both voice and piano sing in his music, working toward conveying a whole impression. Aside from the songs, his best-known work is the beautiful Italian Seranade of 1887 for string quartet, later orchestrated in 1892. His only finished orchestral work was Penthesilea (1883-1885). Like many artists who consciously (or subconsciously) sacrifice their well-being for their art, Wolf experienced a breakdown due to mental stress and was institutionalized from 1898 to 1903. ~ Blue Gene Tyranny, Rovi