The german set to music, texts by a German who fled to France. The Frenchman set only texts from his own cultural sphere, but repeatedly went to Germany to see performances of Wagner operas. The French-speaking composer from western Switzerland set texts by an Austrian. It seems difficult to find any natural connections between their works, yet they are all art songs in their most beautiful manifestation with temporal, cultural and national facets which are broadened by their creators' universal awareness of art.