The New Imperial Edition of Solo Songs has been designed as a chronological anthology of song from the Lutenists down to the present day. As other albums will be devoted exclusively to operatic and oratorio arias these are generally omitted from the present volumes.Manifestly, the selection must be indicative rather than comprehensive or merely exclusive and is essentially practical, not personal. Each song is briefly annotated and, except where indicated, appears in the original key or is set for the voice which it is normally associated.Apart from obvious restrictions, the choice has been largely determined by certain positive needs. To provide the singing teacher and student alike with a working catalogue as a basis for more specialized research into the varied treasure of the literature of song; to give the festival committees and examination bodies a ready way of governing without unduly restricting the dangerous freedom of choice classes; to present the would-be accompanist with a convenient means of studying the many-sided aspects of the exacting technique; and, lastly, to offer to all singers, whether amateur or professional, a practical and logical conspectus of the diversities of lyrical song over a period of some three hundred years. If, in addition these books will do something to combat the present-day weakness for vocal exhibitionism or narrow eclecticism the labour of their preparation will be doubly justified.

Brahms: At Last (So willst du des Armen) - Händel: Care Selve (Come beloved) - Händel: Endless Pleasure, Endless Love - R. Strauss: Farewell (Ich schwebe) - Pergolesi: Gentle Shepherd (Se tu m'ami) - Schubert: Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel (Gretchen am Spinnrade) - Schumann: He is Noble (Er, der Herrlichste von allen) - Mozart: How Calm is My Spirit (Ridente la calma) - Rachmaninow: How Fair this Spot (Tout est si beau!) - Ireland: I Have Twelve Oxon - Händel: Let Me Wander Not Unseen - Mendelssohn: Lone and Joyless (Infelice) - Listz: The Loreley (Die Loreley) - Brahms: Lullaby (Wiegenlied) - Harty: A Lullaby - Schubert: The Novice (Die junge Nonne) - Linley: O, Bid Your Faithful Ariel - Schubert: Omnipotence (Die Allmacht) - Bishop: Should He Upbraid - Head: The Singer - Grieg: Solveig's Song - Campian: So Sweet is my Discourse - Henschel: Spring - Schumann: Suleika's Song (Lied der Suleika) - Brahms: The Vain Suit (Vergebliches Ständchen) - Arne: Where the bee sucks - Gibbs: Where the bee sucks - Gibbs: Why do I love? - Gounod: Without Thee! (Ce que je suis sans toi)