Brun: Complete Orchestral Works

In this release, the prominent conductor Adriano with help from the world renowned Bratislava and Moscow Symphony Orchestras, among others, draws together the first complete series of orchestral works by Swiss composer Fritz Brun (1878 -1959).

This set sheds light on the little-known composer's repertoire, from the rhapsodies, the concertos, to ten sweeping symphonies.

Brun grew up in Lucerne and his time active as a composer coincided with a period of high creative output of Swiss music. Brun's repertoire sits alongside other native composers such as Honegger, Schoeck and Bloch. The crowded market, combined with the struggle to find a publisher (only three out of his ten symphonies were published in his lifetime) offers one indication as to why Brun's works failed to reach the mainstream public. While not a household name, Brun is often touted as the Swiss answer to Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar. Brun's works have a nostalgic touch; they draw on the Romantic and Classical eras in their emotional sincerity and defined forms, but always with a modern flavour.

The first CD opens with the bold staccato chords of Symphony No.1, reminiscent of late Beethoven, while Symphony No.2 has a lighter feel, as the composer paints an image of youth, love, heartbreak and the beauty of nature with rich harmonies inspired by Brahms and expressive Schumanninspired fanfares. This set showcases Brun's works as a fascinating collage of cross-historical and crosscultural encounters.

After graduating from the Cologne conservatoire, Brun worked in Berlin, London and Dortmund where he took up various music posts. His music reflects his European travels and unites diverse inspirations from different countries and eras as equals on his musical plane. Modernist influences are skilfully interwoven into his compositions, the scherzo movements for example, draw on Stravinsky in their timbre and rhythms and Symphony No.5 liberally experiments with tonality. However, similar to his English counterparts, his music remains rooted in his homeland. Symphony No.3 is inspired by the Alps and it is his best known work, made particularly famous for its use of Italian-Swiss folk melodies. In his later life, Brun returned to Switzerland, where he served as director of the Berne Music Society until his retirement in 1941. The final bonus disc features historical recordings, in particular, the celebrated Paul Sacher (1906-1999) brings his interpretation of Variations for string orchestra and piano, and Brun conducts his own Symphony No.8.

This unique set of recordings is the result of over a decade of perseverance by Adriano to share these hidden gems with a 21st-century audience and bring Fritz Brun the recognition he so rightly deserves.