Christoph Ess; Sonja Gornik; Sinfonieorchester Aachen; Christopher Ward - Strauss: Golden Horizon CD

Richard Strauss is considered to be both the last ‘Classical’ composer and a champion of modernity. His wide-ranging output stands as a monument to one of the most successful and influential composers of the 20th century. His spirited and compact First Horn Concerto was the product of his teenage years, while the Second Horn Concerto came six decades later, echoing the expressively lyrical and dynamic character of its youthful predecessor. Both of these concertos share the chamber orchestra character of the Four Last Songs in its arrangement by Eberhard Klokes. The Andante in C major and Alphorn in E flat major, originally composed with piano accompaniment, are heard here in arrangements with chamber orchestra by Lars Opfermann.