“This work is not only intended to appeal to people born and bred in Hamburg, nor to those well acquainted with the place, but also to any others who can appreciate an attempt at a “Characteristic Picture” of a large City, such as Hamburg, through the medium of a musical composition. The term “Characteristic Picture” describes at once the design and form of the work, which consists of a series of pieces chosen with an eye to their suitability to express, as nearly as is possible in music, the character of Hamburg’s manifold beauties, its great historic and artistic past, and some of its artistic features, or as we used to say: with a view to topography, history and folklore. The Composer’s aim was to produce as homogeneous a musical portrayal of Hamburg life as possible, and he hopes that, since love for his native city guided his pen, he may to some extent have succeeded in his purpose.” – Walter Niemann, Foreword