Damrosch: Orchestral Music

Anyone searching for "Damrosch" in a music encyclopedia can tell from the entry provided whether they have a good or a less than good music encyclopedia. If it is a less than good one, they will only find the entry "Damrosch, Walter". Of course, without him, modern music history would be unthinkable: after all, he commissioned many important orchestral works, such as Gershwin's "An American in Paris" or the "Concerto in F". Here, however, we are talking about "Damrosch, Leopold" - and if you find this entry in your encyclopedia, then you can rest assured: you have a good one! Leopold Damrosch was the now little-known father of Walter Damrosch. Leopold Damrosch, born in Posen in 1832, encouraged by none other than Franz Liszt in the 1850s, and emigrated to the USA in 1872, was a respected man of his time. This not least because he founded the New York Symphony Society in 1878: an orchestra that today enjoys worldwide fame as the "New York Philharmonic Orchestra". As a composer, Leopold Damrosch undeniably showed a closeness to Max Bruch and Richard Wagner in his music, often seasoned with sophisticated counterpoint. This CD documents the recording of the premiere (!) of Damrosch's only symphony from 1878. For although the symphony was written in the year the New York Symphony Society was founded, it was never published or performed during Damrosch's lifetime. Until, yes, until in 2015 (!) the university orchestra of the small Californian town of Azusa took it upon itself and premiered the piece. What a story! And this CD makes it immortal...