To mark the 10th anniversary of Hans Werner Henze's death, the WDR Symphony Orchestra has re-recorded his works for cello and orchestra, such as the 1953 Ode to the West Wind, evidence of his rejection of the increasingly dogmatic avant-garde and influenced by the way of life on Ischia, where Henze had moved in 1953. The English Love Songs (according to Henze, only Love Songs) were commissioned by the WDR Symphony Orchestra, and so cellist Isang Enders is able to interpret the poetic music from the original performance material. The Liebeslieder are directly related to Introduction, Theme and Variations for cello, harp and string orchestra, as the original 5th movement was deleted from the Liebeslieder and incorporated into the new piece.
Hans Werner Henze composed the Lament Ode for Margaret Geddes in 1997 as an "obituary for a highly revered and beloved friend, Princess Margaret of Hesse and by Rhine".
During the recording, conductor Lin Liao had to go into quarantine due to corona, and Jonathan Stockhammer was fortunately able to stand in for her. At the same time, Russian troops invaded Ukraine and launched their war of aggression. Isang Enders recalls the work and messages of the committed pacifist Hans Werner Henze.
