The lute was introduced into Europe from the East during the medieval era and maintained its popularity throughout the seventeenth century. The repertoire of songs for voice and lute accompaniment composed during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries was extensive, with European countries developing their own, individual styles. The theme of most of these songs was the progress, or otherwise, of love, itself both a universal theme and a continuation of the predominant theme of much courtly poetry from the medieval period. This recording presents an extensive cross-section of German lute songs from the seventeenth century, composed by a wide range of musicians.