Traditionally, Switzerland has an important and impressive heritage regarding festivals for classical music, among them the famous Lucerne Festival, rooting back to the so-called "Concert de Gala" in the gardens of Richard Wagner's villa at Tribschen in 1938 conducted by Arturo Toscanini. This release features the fascinating variety and the many facets of the classical festival scene in Switzerland. The selection of the works takes the importance of big names and well known works into account, but also presents modern or even avant-garde approaches or less well known chamber music works.

The world’s leading orchestras, conductors and soloists, outstanding concert venues like the KKL Culture and Convention Centre by the renowned architect Jean Nouvel in Lucerne, a breathtaking landscape: there are many reasons for falling in love with the Swiss music festivals. The Swiss festivals now draw more than 500,000 classical music enthusiasts to the shores of Lake Lucerne or the Verbier mountains every year. And the numbers of visitors is growing from year to year. With this release, you will understand why.

CONTENTS:

DISC 1:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37    
Francesco Piemontesi, piano
Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Roger Norrington, conductor

Mozart: Symphony No. 39 in E-Flat Major, K. 543    
Francesco Piemontesi, piano
Le Cercle de L'Harmonie / Jérémie Rhorer, conductor

DISC 2:
Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550    
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551, "Jupiter"    
Le Cercle de L'Harmonie / Jérémie Rhorer, conductor

DISC 3:  
Elgar: Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47  
Schumann Quartett
CHAARTS Chamber Artists 
Felix Froschhammer, concert master

Kancheli: Chiaroscuro for Violin and Orchestra    
Sebastian Bohren, violin
CHAARTS Chamber Artists
Andreas Fleck, conductor

Schumann:
Dein Angesicht, Op. 127 No. 2    
Lehn' deine Wang' an meine Wang', Op. 142 No. 2    
Es leuchtet meine Liebe, Op. 127 No. 3    
Mein Wagen rollet langsam, Op. 142 No. 4    
Ian Bostridge, tenor
Saskia Giorgini, piano

Ralph Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge: V. Bredon Hill    
Ian Bostridge, tenor
Casal Quartett

Purcell: The Fairy Queen, Z. 629: O Let Me Weep    
Regula Mühlemann, soprano
Robin Müller, violin
CHAARTS Chamber Artists

DISC 4:  
Brahms: Piano Trio No.1, Op. 8    
Jonian-Ilias Kadesha, violin
Vashti Hunter, cello
Joonas Ahonen, piano

Blum: Luzerner Kreisel    
Silke Gäng, mezzo-soprano
Oliwia Grabowska, piano

Gesualdo: Madrigals, Libro 6: II. Beltà poi che t'assenti    
Davos Festival Kammerchor

Dalbavie: Palimpseste für Flöte, Klarinette, Violine, Viola, Violoncello und Klavier    
Àgnes Vass, flute
Joonas Ahonen, piano

Dickkopf: Paris    
Davos Festival Männerchor

DISC 5:
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61    
Lily Francis, violin
Festival Orchestra / Willem de Bordes, conductor

Enescu: Romanian Rhapsodies, Op. 11: No. 1 in A Major 
Jonian-Ilias Kadesha, violin
Festival Orchestra / Daniel Bard, concert master

DISC 6:  
Beethoven: Piano Trio No. 5 in D Major, Op. 70 No. 1 "Ghost"    
Candida Thompson, violin
Xenia Jankovic, cello
Paolo Giacometti, piano

Enescu: Octet in C Major, Op. 7    
Daniel Bard, violin

DISC 7:  
Bach: Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227    
Britten: Hymn to St. Caecilia
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Paul McCreesh, conductor

DISC 8:  
Mozart: Requiem in D Minor, K. 626    
Elgar: They Are at Rest
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Paul McCreesh, conductor

DISC 9:  
Haydn: Symphony No. 6 in D Major, Hob. I:6 "Le Matin"    
CHAARTS Chamber Artists  
Gregory Ahss, concert master

Sollima: Fecit Neap 17
Giovanni Sollima, cello
CHAARTS Chamber Artists  
Gregory Ahss, concert master

Schönberg: Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4    
Felix Froschhammer, violin
Gregory Ahss, violin
Lawrence Power, viola
Razvan Popovici, viola
Maximilian Hornung, cello
Andreas Fleck, cello  

DISC 10: 
Webern: Sechs Stücke für großes Orchester, Op. 6    
Orchestra of the Lucerne Festival Academy / Susanna Mälkki, conductor 

Neuwirth: Trurliade - Zone Zero
Victor Hanna, percussion
Orchestra of the Lucerne Festival Academy / Susanna Mälkki, conductor 

Rihm: Gruss-Moment für Pierre Boulez
Ligeti: San Francisco Polyphony
Orchestra of the Lucerne Festival Academy / Matthias Pintscher, conductor

DISC 11: 
Shostakovich: From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79  
Shostakovich: Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op 40    
Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19    
Bloch: From Jewish Life, IEB 6
Sol Gabetta, violin
Bertrand Chamayou, piano

DISC 12:  
Mahler: Symphony No. 5    
UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra / James Levine, conductor

DISC 13: 
Bach: Concerto for 4 Keyboards in A Minor, BWV 1065    
Martha Argerich, piano
Evgeny Kissin, piano
James Levine, piano
Mikhail Pletnev, piano

Haydn: Symphony No. 88 in G Major, Hob. I:88    
Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra / András Schiff, conductor

Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19    
Lynn Harrell, cello
Yuja Wang, piano

Ysaye: Sonata for 2 Violins in A Minor, Op. posth.
Joshua Bell, violin
Leonidas Kavakos, violin

Composing has always formed an integral part of the artistic life of pianist-conductor Olli Mustonen. Mustonen studied composition under the direction of Einojuhani Rautavaara since the age of 8. His first compositions mainly consisted of chamber works, but in the early 2010s, Mustonen has emerged as a symphonist. This album contains two of his most latest symphonies. Mustonen’s dramatic symphonies are firmly rooted and continuing the tradition of the great classical composers and seek inspiration from multiple sources. The theme of Mustonen’s 2nd Symphony, ‘Johannes Angelos’ (2013), is Byzantium and the ancient city of Constantinople with its mysticism. Mustonen’s 3rd Symphony (2020) is based on the Songs 47-49 in the Finnish national epic Kalevala. This work has been inspired by the cosmic and shamanistic elements in Finnish mythology. In this recording, the solo part is sung by Ian Bostridge who also premiered the work.