P.E. LANGE-MÜLLER (1850-1926): Symphonies No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 17 "Autumn" and No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 33.

Description: Like Schumann, Lange-Müller was criticized for over-thick orchestration in his first symphony (1879) and for its length. The composer added extra musical program notes depicting various aspects of autumn but the work stands on its own, richly romantic, full of a gentle melancholy with a real touch of Dvorák (the earlier symphonies) in the first movement; the conductor points out similarities in works by Fibich and Novák as well as noting passages that Carl Nielsen must have known when composing his first and fourth symphonies. The second (1889, rev. 1915) is more concentrated, with forward-looking, late-romantic harmonies in many places and Lange-Müller's characteristic despondency is most evident in the second movement Andantino although he struggles mightily against it in the first movement and finale. Chamber Philharmonic of Bohemia; Douglas Bostock. Original 2001 Classico release (05C008).