Richard Strauss' father, Franz Strauss, was one of the most prominent horn virtuosos of the time, and the horn was one of the instruments for which Richard had a predilection throughout his life. With his "Serenade," Strauss junior convinced conductor Hans von BÃ¼low of his talent. Von BÃ¼low took the piece into the program of his famous Meininger Hofkapelle. There is a close relationship between the first concerto in C Minor op. 8 by Franz Strauss to the horn concerto op. 11 of his son who orientated him-self at the romantic stile of his father. The horn virtuoso himself premiered his own concerto in C Minor in spring 1865 during an academy in the Odeon concert house in Munich. Born in the same year as Franz Strauss, Franck received his first music lessons and made his first public appearances as pianist before moving with his parents to Paris, where he became a pupil of Anton Reicha. In 1871 he was a co-founder of the SociÃ©tÃ© Nationale de Musique, and later elected it's president. Characteristic of Franck's mature style is the so-called "cyclical form" - a formal concept that attained full significance only in the works from Franck's last decade. This period also saw the composition of his today most well-known works, which of course attained their great popularity only after his death. The Piano Quintet is considered the beginning, the "portal work," whose tendencies and motifs are taken up again in later works such as the D-Minor Symphony, the Violin Sonata, and the String Quartet. Premiered in it's original form on 17 January 1880 in the SociÃ©tÃ© Nationale de Musique, the work experienced it's premiere in the expanded form of a "Symphony for Orchestra and Piano" on 8 June 2008 with Mathias Weber, who made the arrangement, performing the piano part.

Tracklist:

Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments in E Flat Major, Op. 7 (TRV 106)
Concerto for Horn ; Orchestra in C minor, Op 8: Allegro Moderato
Concerto for Horn ; Orchestra in C minor, Op 8: Andante
Concerto for Horn ; Orchestra in C minor, Op 8: Tempo Primo
Concerto for Horn ; Orchestra No. 2 in E Flat Major, Op. 14: Lento - Presto - Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Concerto for Horn ; Orchestra No. 2 in E Flat Major, Op. 14: Romanze - Andante Sostenuto
Concerto for Horn ; Orchestra No. 2 in E Flat Major, Op. 14: Tempo Primo
Piano Quintet in F minor, M. 7: Molto Moderato Quasi Lento - Allegro
Piano Quintet in F minor, M. 7: Lento Con Molto Sentimento 1
Piano Quintet in F minor, M. 7: Allegro Non Troppo, Ma Con Fuoco

UPC: 4012476569161
Label: Musicaphon
Release Date: 3.30.10
Format: CD

Strauss / Franck / Neunecker / Weber - Rarities-Chamber Musical (CD)