Much has been written already on the topic of Schubert and the guitar - and from the composer's lifetime up to today, countless editions of his songs featuring guitar accompaniments have been published. So why add yet another one? Because the present versions for guitar originate from the composer's immediate circle. In the years 1840-1842, Schubert's friend and provider of lyrics Franz von Schlechta (1796-1875) put down in writing the present collection of songs: some feature previously unknown guitar accompaniments, some are based on versions which had already been printed in Schubert's lifetime, but have not been republished since, while others are hard-to-find arrangements by the composer's contemporaries. These 39 songs are reproduced here in facsimile form, enhanced with transcripts of the lyrics as well as reference texts and documents, introduced and commented by Stefan Hackl.
