In the late nineteenth century, Hugo Wolf stepped into Franz Schubert's shoes as Germany's greatest writer of art songs. Though he occasionally worked with Opera or symphonic forms, Wolf was best known for composing short works performed by singer and pianist. Beginning with words by a famous poet such as Goethe, Wolf would study the text arduously until he felt he understood its deepest meanings, which he would then reflect with complex chords and melodies that pushed the boundaries of dissonance.
