The album's concept originated from a collection of letters from late 19th-century composers, including Robert Franz, Anton Rubinstein, Richard Strauss, Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn, and Robert Schumann, discovered by David Gordon-Shute.
Album & Artwork
This recording project of music for brass was inspired by a family's hidden collection of letters, which included autographs from eminent composers.
Composer Biography
Robert Schumann's Impromptus on a Theme by Clara Wieck, Op. 5, were the first fruits of his lifelong love for Clara Wieck, who would later become his wife.
Composition History
Richard Strauss's Festmusik der Stadt Wien was officially composed as an expression of gratitude for having been awarded Vienna's Beethoven Prize in 1942.
Performer Biography
Onyx Brass, founded in 1993, has commissioned and premiered over 150 new works, and is described by BBC Music magazine as 'easily the classiest brass ensemble in Britain'.
Recording & Production
All tracks on this album are premiere recordings, with the exception of Richard Strauss's Festmusik der Stadt Wien.
Compositional Technique
Richard Strauss's Festmusik der Stadt Wien features a grand instrumental lineup of ten trumpets, seven trombones, two tubas, and timpani, but notably excludes horns.
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