Rediscovered Composer Hilde Loewe Celebrated in Concert with Romana Amerling and Nobuo Watanabe

Viennese soprano Romana Amerling and Japanese pianist Nobuo Watanabe will present a rare performance of rediscovered songs by Hilde Loewe, a composer who worked under the pseudonym Henry Love, on NDR Kultur EXTRA on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM CET. The concert will be broadcast live and made available as a video in the ARD Mediathek.

A Forgotten Voice of the 1920s and 30s

Hilde Loewe was a prolific composer of chansons, Viennese songs, and tangos during the 1920s and 1930s. Her song “Das alte Lied” (“The Old Song”) became a major hit, recorded by iconic singers Marlene Dietrich and Hildegard Knef, and featured in the classic film The Third Man. However, facing gender discrimination in the music industry, Loewe published her work under the male pseudonym “Henry Love,” leading to her eventual obscurity.

Rediscovery and Revival

Romana Amerling stumbled upon Loewe’s work through archival research, unearthing 31 songs attributed to Henry Love. Amerling subsequently recorded an album, “Henry Love/Hilde Loewe,” which is being released around the time of the NDR Kultur EXTRA performance.

The NDR Kultur EXTRA Performance

Amerling will perform a selection of these rediscovered songs, accompanied by Nobuo Watanabe, who is known for his affinity for music from this era. The program, NDR Kultur EXTRA, regularly provides a platform for artists, and is hosted by Charlotte Oelschlegel.

Other Highlights on NDR Kultur EXTRA

NDR Kultur EXTRA’s February 25th schedule also includes performances by pianist Claire Huangci, who will play works by Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, and Florence Price, and a debut performance by the duo of David Helbock and Julia Hofer. Violinist Tassilo Probst will perform with pianist Amadeus Wiesensee.

The entire concert with Romana Amerling and Nobuo Watanabe will be available to stream on the ARD Mediathek after the live broadcast.