Reicha: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 1

Featuring

Valentin Egel
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Anton Reicha

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Performer Biography

Valentin Egel, the conductor on this album, became the general music director of the Croatian National Theater in Rijeka at the age of twenty-six.

Historical Context

Reicha's early training took place at the enlightened electoral court in Bonn, where his uncle Joseph Reicha was the orchestra director for Elector Maximilian Franz, a Habsburg known for his extensive music collection.

Composer Biography

Anton Reicha's musical manuscripts were initially dismissed as "not meriting any description" by a Parisian notary in 1836, and many remained unpublished for nearly two centuries.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Reicha's passion for composition was ignited by daily exposure to good music in Bonn, describing it as an "all-encompassing" and "veritable fever."

Compositional Technique

Reicha's Bonn works already show innovations like unconventional meters and a unique approach to counterpoint, which would characterize his style throughout his life.

Composer Biography

Anton Reicha and his friend Ludwig van Beethoven, who played viola and piano, passionately discussed the works they performed in the Bonn court orchestra.

Composition History

In the run-up to Reicha's 250th birthday in 2020, librarians and musicologists began to re-examine his archives, leading to the dating and modern publication of many previously lost early works.