Jukka-Pekka Saraste became principal conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 2010/11 season. This release features Brahmss Second Symphony, which is often called his 'Pastoral'. It was written during a happy holiday in Pörtschach in 1877. Brahms wrote to his friend in Vienna, the critic Eduard Hanslick: 'The Wörthersee is virgin ground. Melodies fly around there, so that you have to take care not to step on them'. The work was premiered by the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Hans Richter in December 1877, where it was a great success.

The violin concertos of Ludwig van Beethoven and Alban Berg are, on the surface, more different from one another than two compositions could ever probably be. Yet both stand as titans within the violin repertoire and broke incredibly significant new ground. Beethoven's lone Violin Concerto was different than anything that came before it and set the tone for virtually every concerto written after it for nearly a century.

Before hearing Jacques Offenbach's works for cello and orchestra, abandon any expectations of serious concerto writing, and prepare instead for musical comedy, albeit of an instrumental variety. Offenbach's habitual tunefulness and tendency to compose medleys undermines conventional notions of form and development, and his Concerto militaire in G major is far from orthodox. While the cello is featured prominently and given many choice passages for virtuosic display, the stringing of one infectious melody after another makes this work more comparable to the later potpourris from the operettas. The Four Impressions are really collaborations between Offenbach and Friedrich von Flotow, which were orchestrated later by Heinz Geese from the cello and piano score.

This 10 CD-Set offers a collection of the most popular Mass compositions from the Viennese Classics up to the romantic period. It includes famous masterpieces like Mozart’s „Coronation Mass“, Beethoven Missa solemnis, Haydn „Harmony Mass“, Gounod St. Cecilia Mass but also rarities like „Missa Sancti Joannis Nepomuceni“ by Michael Haydn, the „Coronation Mass“ by Cherubini, „Missa sacra“ by Robert Schumann and the „Misa solemnis“ of the german romantic composer Friedrich Kiel. Performed by well known artists like the Vienna Boys’ Choir, RIAS Chamber Choir, Tölzer Boys’ Choir, Wiener Akademie and last but not least also includes the spectacular recording of Beethoven’s Missa solemnis with conductor Michael Gielen.

"The symphony performance under Eivind Aadland has everything you would hope for: lots of energy and excitement, with a very fine, well-prepared orchestra." (American Record Guide) The complete edition of Edvard Grieg's symphonic works with the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Eivind Aadland is now available as a set. This edition is especially convincing thanks to the authentic approach of the Norwegian Eivind Aadland. Vol. 1 and 2 are dedicated to the original orchestral works, whilst Vol. 3 contains a portion of the transcriptions of works that Grieg had originally composed for the piano.