From the Memoirs of Herr Von Schnabelewopski (German Classics)

Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) was a German poet and author of prose. His "Reisebilder" (Travel Sketches), "Die Harzeise" (Journey through the Harz Mountains), and the volume of collected poems "Buch der Lieder" (Book of Songs) are classics of German literature. --- His general interest in legends and folk tales is evident in his "Memoirs of Herr von Schnabelewopski", in which he tells, inter alia, the story of the Flying Dutchman that became the source for an opera by Richard Wagner. --- Many of his poems have been set to music by Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and other composers.