JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE, the greatest of German poets, died a hundred years ago this month, aged eighty-three. The great length of his life, which was a most arduous one, was a sign of his vitality: he lived life as no other man has ever done. Lyric and dramatic poet, novelist, art critic, scientist, statesman, political economist, theatre-director, philosopher, he was incredibly versatile: and in all his work there is the same gusto and originality of mind. Napoleon's famous comment after meeting him says the last word : 'He was a man.' Mr. Lowes Dickinson, who gave a talk on him two years ago, collaborated in an important interpretation of Goethe and Faust, published in 1928, and there could be no more sympathetic talker to celebrate his centenary. The recital of songs which follows forms an apt tribute to Goethe's achievement in lyric poetry: he was probably the world's finest lyric poet, and all the great composers of lieder have 'set' some of his poems.