CCMusic.com

By the time the 19th century was over, Franz Krommer had vanished almost entirely from music lovers' memories. In the early 19th century, Krommer was placed alongside Haydn and was even considered his successor in the string quartet. But when he died unexpectedly, musical journals announced his death with a few lines at best. Krommer's musical output focuses entirely on instrumental music. Moreover, his work clearly centers on chamber music and compositions for wind ensemble: he wrote more than 70 string quartets, 35 string quintets, around 40 quintets and quartets for wind instrument and strings, and more than 40 partitas and some 30 marches for various combinations. On this new release, the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana aims to bring some of Krommer's work back into the public eye by presenting his Symphony No. 4 op. 102, Symphony No. 5 op. 105, and Symphony No 7 without opus. Founded in Lugano in 1935, the Orhcestra della Svizzera italiana played a crucial role in the region's musical development, helping to establish several important festivals. The OSI has made numerous studio recordings for both radio and record labels. Previous releases on cpo have gained the ensemble the Diapason d'Or and the rating of "5 Stars" from the journal MUSICA.