Frivolous young ladies, sisters with suicidal desires, crows, a depressed wanderer, and many other strange characters meet in colorful musical garb on this Genuin debut recording of the lied duo Alice Lackner (mezzo soprano) and Imke Lichtwark (piano). Music by Schönberg and Zemlinsky, written for the legendary Überbrettl cabaret in Berlin, is combined with contemporary music by Sven Daigger, two of which were written specifically for this recording. Lackner and Lichtwark approach the art songs straddling all genres with seriousness and extraordinary lightness. Listeners can expect sharp character sketches ranging from passionate love to honky-tonk and the dark abysses of the soul. © Genuin