Honegger's Symphony No. 2 for string orchestra and trumpet was commissioned in 1936 by Paul Sacher, a major patron of 20th-century music.
Historical Context
Honegger's Symphony No. 2, written during World War II, conveys the gravity and austerity of a people under occupation, with a message of hope in its finale.
Performer Biography
Lev Klytchkov, the solo violinist, was invited to join the Leningrad (later St Petersburg) Philharmonic in 1982 by the eminent conductor Evgeny Mravinsky.
Performer Biography
Emmanuel Leducq-Barome, the conductor, studied with the Russian conductor Mariss Jansons and later with the eminent professor Ilya Mussine at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory.
Composition History
Richard Strauss's Metamorphosen, a 'study for 23 solo strings', was also commissioned by Paul Sacher and completed just 26 days before Germany's capitulation in World War II.
Performer Biography
The Baltic Chamber Orchestra was created in 2000 by Emmanuel Leducq-Barome and consists entirely of soloists from the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
Historical Context
Strauss's Metamorphosen is a lament for the destruction of German cultural institutions, particularly the Munich Nationaltheater and other opera houses, during World War II bombings.
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