This release from the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under conductor Paavo Järvi inaugurates a new series of Haydn's 12 London Symphonies, the last works he wrote in the genre. These are popular works with no shortage of interpretations on the market, but Järvi's readings are distinctive, and the album landed on classical best-seller lists in the spring of 2023. Järvi places Haydn's characteristic humor in the context of high-intensity, high-energy readings. Consider the Trio of the Minuet in the Symphony No. 101 in D major ("The Clock"), where a remarkable rising flute figure rises to a ninth above the tonic, a move not really sanctioned by Classical-period harmony.

“The Beethoven concerto is a piece of overwhelming power,” says violinist Vilde Frang. “It is somehow more than music – the dimension of it feels almost cosmic. The force of this concerto takes me by surprise, over and over again.” Frang juxtaposes Beethoven’s epic, lyrical work with Stravinsky’s compact violin concerto, which pays spiky tribute to 18th century models. The conductor is Pekka Kuusisto, himself an adventurous violinist, in his role as Artistic Best Friend of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. “It was the chamber musical qualities of the Beethoven concerto that provided the key for me,” says Frang.