First volume in a new cycle by Tapiola Sinfonietta under Janne Nisonen presenting the symphonies of Ferdinand Ries (1784–1838), Beethoven’s only acknowledged composition pupil, close friend and biographer. Often remembered in music history as Beethoven’s ‘right hand’, these new recordings by the Tapiola Sinfonietta are showcasing a remarkable and talented early 19th-century symphonist with a voice of his own.

REVIEW:

The Tapiola Sinfonietta play admirably well under Janne Nisonen, empowering the music to speak for itself. It’s a fascinating portrait of what else was going on in Vienna in Beethoven’s orbit and thus valuable on its own terms.

— Gramophone