During the first months of World War I, a surge of patriotism and glorification of war coursed through Viennese musical life. Out of those echoes...

During the first months of World War I, a surge of patriotism and glorification of war coursed through Viennese musical life. Out of those echoes of violent patriotism came the songs featured on this release. The tracks chosen here are taken from operettas and traditional Viennese songs from composers like Franz Lehar, Emil Hochreiter, and Robert Stolz. Performing these songs is baritone Csongor Szanto. Szanto began his career studying composition in Vienna before switching his concentration to voice, studying under Peter Thunhardt. He specializes in early music, and frequently performs Renaissance and Medieval songs.