Symphonies no. 3, 6 and ‘Die Alpen’ by Swiss composer Joseph Lauber (1964 – 1952)

Even more astonishing symphonies to discover! World premiere recording.

September 20 2021

On this second volume of Schweizer Fonogramm’s Lauber Cycle, the Sinfonie Orchester Biel Solothurn and their chief conductor Kaspar Zehnder carry on the re-discovery of the symphonic work by this pianist, conductor, composer and composition teacher of Frank Martin. With the 3rd Symphony and the symphonic suite ‘Die Alpen’ from 1896/97, Lauber shows a compositional mastery perfectly balanced in craft, sentiment and energy. While the Third, composed in the year of Bruckner’s death, aspires to all the pretensions of symphonic confessional music with a romantic glow, in ‘Die Alpen’ he deliberately uses Helvetic folk songs and even inserts Switzerland’s former national anthem in the finale…With the 6th Symphony, written nearly 50 years and two world wars later, Lauber hesitantly enters the neoclassical territory and reflects on his long artistic life in an surprising, film-music-like way. The recording was made in December 2020 at the Menuhin Forum Bern under the artistic recording direction of Frédéric Angleraux/ ADCSound.

Excerpts

1 - I Allegro con fuoco

Joseph Lauber - 3. Sinfonie in h-moll

2 - II Andante maestoso

Joseph Lauber - 3. Sinfonie in h-moll

3 - III Allegro scherzando

Joseph Lauber - 3. Sinfonie in h-moll

4 - IV Andante maestoso - Allegro moderato

Joseph Lauber - 3. Sinfonie in h-moll

5 - I Allegro ma non troppo

Joseph Lauber - 6. Sinfonie in D-Dur

6 - II Scherzo

Joseph Lauber - 6. Sinfonie in D-Dur

7 - III Adagio

Joseph Lauber - 6. Sinfonie in D-Dur

8 - IV Allegro

Joseph Lauber - 6. Sinfonie in D-Dur

9 - I Sehnsucht nach den Bergen (Andante)

Joseph Lauber - Die Alpen

10 - II Älplerreigen (Tempo di Valse)

Joseph Lauber - Die Alpen

11 - III Ein Sommertag im Hochgebirge (Moderato)

Joseph Lauber - Die Alpen

Pictures