…CPO's Josef Matthias Hauer: Violin Concerto is the sort of thing that is endlessly fascinating if you are a composer, theorist, or a musician highly engaged with the workings of tonality; for the layman it will not be a confrontational experience, but will take many, many listens to truly get. Hauer's musical alchemy may have resulted in a compound that's a bit more like lead than gold, but lead also has its useful properties, and this disc writes a new chapter in our understanding of the development of twentieth century music.
Fritz Wunderlich could be considered the James Dean of the singing world – a young, charismatic performer who suffered a tragic death at the height of his career and abilities, and whose posthumous reputation has grown beyond that which he was able to enjoy during his short life. Considered among the finest Mozartean tenors of his day, Wunderlich embraced a wide repertory that expanded to included the works of Strauss, Schubert, Bach, and Mahler, and he left behind many excellent recordings that have been the primary source of his legacy…