Christian Ludwig - Serenade Nos. 3 & 4 & 5: For String Orchestra [CD]

A richly endowed composer, selfless teacher, and a rare human being. Proclaims Robert Fuchs' memorial stone, and this esteem is reflected in his astonishing roster of pupils Mahler, Sibelius, Wolf and Korngold among them. His own compositions, though, have been overlooked, unaccountably so on the evidence of these lovely Serenades. The Third is quite Brahmsian with a wonderfully bracing Hungarian finale. No. 4 is a highly expressive and richly scored work, whilst No. 5 casts it's net yet wider - with anticipations of Mahler, and joyous references to the Vienna of the Strauss family. Serenades Nos. 1 and 2 are available on Naxos. Robert Fuchs was one of the most important of all compositional teachers, but his own works have long been undervalued. Some of the chamber works have begun to receive praise in new recordings, and the Serenades should cement Fuchs' position still further. He shows the influence of Brahms but also seems to foretell something of Mahler (whom he taught) as well. Serenade No 3 has been recorded, along with No 2 and the Andante Grazioso on Ebs, back in 2000. This has received minimal publicity. CPO recorded No 5 back in 2004 but coupled it with Fuchs' Piano Concerto. Our disc focuses on the Serenades in a unique coupling. Currently Principal Conductor of the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra in South Korea, Christian Ludwig served as artistic director of the Cologne Chamber Orchestra from 2008 to 2011, conducting the orchestra at major venues in Paris, Munich, Rome and Cologne."