Hans Koessler (1853-1926)
Concerto passacaille pour violon et orchrestre en la mineur
Symphonie en si mineur

Fedor Rudin, violon
Nürnberger Symphoniker
Rudolf Piehlmayer, direction

Hans Koessler is a composer whose name is well known, even without knowing about his work in a remotely adequate way. In this specific case, this partial renown is thanks to the fact that this Bavarian composer taught the next generation of Hungarian musicians (including Bartók, Kodály and Dohnányi) in Budapest and was ultimately rewarded with the noble title "von". Although some students complained behind his back about his professorial stringency, Koessler's own works tell a different tale. The great creative power, poetic sensitivity and tonal confidence of his B minor symphony are complemented in the violin concerto by a remarkable formal originality – there are probably not many works of this genre that unfold their eloquence as a powerful passacaglia.