Northwest German Philharmonic Orchestra

Ronald Brautigam is one of the leading pianists of his generation. A former student of the legendary Rudolf Serkin, over the years he has developed into an authority in the field of classical and early romantic composers with an acclaimed discography. His recordings have earned him a number of prizes, including four Edisons, two Diapason d'Or de l'Année and two MIDEM Classical awards.
The orchestral work Mittsommerlied by Lithuanian composer Raminta Šerkšnytė has also won prizes. Just as nature is the dominant theme in her oeuvre, the tone poem deals with the longest day of the calendar. To this end, she fuses elements of traditional and avant-garde musical language to take the audience on a journey into a landscape of the soul.
The "Scottish Symphony" takes us on a literal journey. Mendelssohn began composing it when he set off on a journey with his friend Carl Klingemann at the age of 20. They set their sights on the legendary Highlands. They also stopped off in Edinburgh and at Holyrood Castle. Queen Mary Stuart had once resided here. Mendelssohn wrote that it was on this day, in this place, that he found the beginning of his "Scottish". Although the symphony does not have a specific program, it is imbued with Scottish colouring, such as in the bagpipe chords of the second movement. The ballad-like opening seems to murmur "once upon a time". Associations with a gloomy, Scottish landscape with ruined walls and sunken stories come to mind when listening - even in the eerie storm music at the end of the first movement.
Sources: www.ronaldbrautigam.com; https://english.lithuanianculture.lt/; www.mic.lt; https://classical-iconoclast.blogspot.com/; www1.wdr.de

Raminta Šerkšnytė: Midsummer Song (2009)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto in G major, KV 453
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Symphony No. 3 in A minor, op. 56 "Scottish"

Conductor: Izabelė Jankauskaitė