Büttner: Symphonies Nos. 3 + 4

Paul Büttner, born in 1870 in Dresden, studied violin and oboe at the local conservatory. Over the years, he earned an excellent reputation as an outstanding musician. But it was not until 1915, when his 3rd Symphony was successfully premiered by none other than Arthur Nikisch, that the international music scene began to speak of him as a promising modern composer, a successor to Anton Bruckner and Johannes Brahms. The equally highly successful premiere of his 4th Symphony in 1917 further contributed to this. However, in 1933, the regime classified his music as 'degenerate' and banished the composer and his works from all public attention. Christopher Ward conducts the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra.