This is the first title of the Altus label to be released in North America. Altus is a Japanese label specializing in the live recording...

This is the first title of the Altus label to be released in North America. Altus is a Japanese label specializing in the live recording of orchestral music. The orchestras and conductors are among the most important in the European musical landscape. On this release, we have the State Orchestra of Stuttgart conducted by Lothar Zagrosek in a basic repertoire: Beethoven’s Third followed by Bartok’s folkish Dance Suite.The Württemberg Stuttgart State Orchestra has a history of over four hundred years, established in 1589 as the Court Orchestra of Württemberg. Berlioz praised the orchestra, when he appeared with it as conductor, and in the 1880s Stuttgart was one of the first to stage the complete Ring cycle, conducted by the then general music director Herman Zumpe, who had assisted Wagner at the first Bayreuth Festival. The tradition of first performances has included the première of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos in 1912, conducted by the composer, in 1921 of a one-acter by Hindemith, and in recent times works by Orff, Penderecki, Glass, Zender, Riehm and Hölszky. Lothar Zagrosek took over the helm of the orchestra in 1997, and has been responsible for a number of important and innovative performances. In 2002 the orchestra was named Orchestra of the Year by Opernwelt. The work of the orchestra has included recordings and DVDs, in addition to symphony concerts and chamber music performed by members of the orchestra.