Only sixteen Lieder (songs for voice and piano) survive from Alma Mahler's vast output, as her husband Gustav curtailed her publication efforts. Five poem-based works evoke love—intoxicating, intimate, infinite, and reflective of loves' past. Gustav's initially panned Symphony No. 1 employs musical imagery akin to a song cycle, interpreting nature's joys and sorrows.

Brahms' vibrant and lively Hungarian Dances were inspired by the cherished traditional heritage of a long-time friend. Schumann's passionate Fourth Symphony, emblematic of his joyful marriage to Clara, languished for ten long years before final publication. Grieg's heroic Piano Concerto shines with rich Norwegian folk melodies, virtuosic cadenzas, and majestic flourishes.