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Over the years, many of the countless attempts to portray Beethoven have veered towards the one-dimensional: the hero, the titan, the free spirit, the rebel and non-conformist, the musical libertarian… While there may be some truth in one or more of these labels, the reality is infinitely more complex. To get to know the true Beethoven, one needs to look beyond the multitude of myths that have proliferated around him – and a good starting point is to focus on some of his vocal miniatures, works that have been unjustly eclipsed by the monumental status of his nine symphonies. Beethoven revisited the Lied form continually throughout his entire life. Here, we encounter a poetically sensitive and insightful man, drawn to the humorous qualities of the genre as well as to the fundamental questions of human existence. World-renowned artists baritone Matthias Goerne and pianist Jan Lisiecki reveal some of his rich and varied creations in this field on their first joint album, Beethoven: Lieder - Songs. Goerne and Lisiecki selected twelve works for their album, including two song cycles: the Sechs Lieder, op.48 – settings of poems by Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (1715-69) – and An die ferne Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved), the best-known of Beethoven’s solo vocal compositions.