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This episode explores the extraordinary life of the Russian poet Elisabeth Kulmann and the settings of her poems to music by Robert Schumann. The featured recital is performed by Mhairi Lawson and Eugene Asti, recorded at the Oxford Lieder Festival in 2016.

This episode features an exclusive performance of Schumann's very first songs, composed when he was still a teenager writing poetry in his bedroom. Some of these song texts are in fact his own, and we're treated to a performance of them from tenor Stuart Jackson and pianist Sholto Kynoch, with some insightful chat from Ben and Mark and an interview with Sholto afterwards.

Episode 1 of The Recital Room. Benedict Nelson and Mark Stone chat about Beethoven, poetic doctors, and how not to impress the opposite sex with musical tribute. Featuring an exclusive performance of Beethoven's seminal song cycle An die ferne Geliebte by English duo Ben Johnson and Sholto Kynoch.

The opening episode of the Recital Room podcast. Ben and Mark introduce the series.