Alba's album Brahms IV Segerstam concludes the series of symphonies by Johannes Brahms and Leif Segerstam. The last album of the four-part series includes Brahms' fourth symphony and the symphony number 295 composed by Segerstam in memory of conductor Ulf Söderblom. In his symphony "ulFSöDErBlom in Memoriam …" Segerstam plays with the name of the conductor, which includes the notes F, S, D, E and B. Brahms' fourth symphony was his last, and according to Segerstam, "the beginning of the symphony can be used to explain how music is born."

Beethoven’s monumental contribution to Western classical music is celebrated here in this definitive collection marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Surveying the totality of his career and achievement, the Complete Edition spans orchestral, concerto, keyboard, chamber, music for the stage, choral and vocal works, encompassing his most familiar and iconic masterpieces, alongside rarities and recently reconstructed fragments and sketches in world premiere recordings. The roster of artists and ensembles includes some of Beethoven’s greatest contemporary exponents, in performances that have won critical acclaim worldwide.

"This third [album] in the ALBA-TROSS-series of Brahms-Segerstam juxtapositions is an excellent tidbit of the contents of this unique project with [longbearded rascals] as musical musketeers…. the material has exploded into multiversic infinities…" as Leif Segerstam clearly says about this fabulous third release in the four album series with all four Brahms symphonies and four symphonies from Leif Segerstam’s over 320 symphonies. In this third album is presented Brahms’ third symphony and Leif Segerstam’s symphony no 294, “Songs of a UNICORN heralding…” with Horn obligato played by Tanja Nisonen. Leif Segerstam (b. 1944), conductor, composer, violinist, and pianist, is one of the most versatile musical talents in the Nordic countries.

This new release is the second in a four-release set from Alba which will feature all four of Johannes Brahms’ symphonies and four symphonies chosen from Leif Segerstam’s more than 300 symphonies. For this release, Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 and Segerstam’s Symphony No. 289 have been chosen. Brahms wrote his Symphony No. 2 in D major during a visit to Portschach am Worthersee in the summer of 1877.

This is first cd of four cd series with all four Brahms symphonies and four symphonies from Leif Segerstams´s almost 300 symphonies. Segerstam is one of the most versatile musical talents in the Nordic countries and one of the best conductors in the world. Segerstam has been chief conductor of Turku Philharmonic Orchestra since 2012. In that time Turku Philharmonic orchestra has raised to be one of the top orchestras in Finland.

Beethoven’s monumental contribution to Western classical music is celebrated here in this definitive collection marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Surveying the totality of his career and achievement, the Complete Edition spans orchestral, concerto, keyboard, chamber, music for the stage, choral and vocal works, encompassing his most familiar and iconic masterpieces, alongside rarities and recently reconstructed fragments and sketches in world premiere recordings. The roster of artists and ensembles includes some of Beethoven’s greatest contemporary exponents, in performances that have won critical acclaim worldwide.

Beethoven’s monumental contribution to Western classical music is celebrated here in this definitive collection marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Surveying the totality of his career and achievement, the Complete Edition spans orchestral, concerto, keyboard, chamber, music for the stage, choral and vocal works, encompassing his most familiar and iconic masterpieces, alongside rarities and recently reconstructed fragments and sketches in world premiere recordings. The roster of artists and ensembles includes some of Beethoven’s greatest contemporary exponents, in performances that have won critical acclaim worldwide.

It took Frank Martin a long time to heed his deep-seated inner calling to write a Requiem: 'What I have tried to express here is the clear will to accept death; to make peace with it.' The Requiem was composed in 1971/72, Martin utilizes the whole bandwidth of orchestral sound and explores all opportunities for interplay among the vocalists, as well. Leoš Janácek's setting of the Otcenáš, the Lord's Prayer, is not a conventionally religious work. The Czech composer was more interested in it's social aspects than any theological musings.

Beethoven’s monumental contribution to Western classical music is celebrated here in this definitive collection marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Surveying the totality of his career and achievement, the Complete Edition spans orchestral, concerto, keyboard, chamber, music for the stage, choral and vocal works, encompassing his most familiar and iconic masterpieces, alongside rarities and recently reconstructed fragments and sketches in world premiere recordings. The roster of artists and ensembles includes some of Beethoven’s greatest contemporary exponents, in performances that have won critical acclaim worldwide.

Was den deutschen ihr Nibelungenlied, das ist den Finnen die Kalevala. Dieses Nationalepos inspirierte Sibelius zu künstlerischen Höchstleistungen, wie Der Schwan von Tuonela oder Tapiola. Im reich bebilderten Booklet werden zudem die wichtigsten Szenen durch Werke des Nationalkünstlers Aksela Gallen-Kallelas illustriert. Für die Zusammenstellung konnte man aus dem reichhaltigen Fundus hervorragender Sibelius-Aufnahmen des Ondine-Katalogs schöpfen.

Hans Rott was a friend of Gustav Mahler's and Hugo Wolf's in their conservatory days, and his career was to end sadly, like Wolf's, in madness probably brought on by syphilis. While traveling by rail to take up a job as a choral director, his mind gave way and he claimed that Brahms had rigged the train to explode. He never reported for work, obviously.

This marvelous disc contains what unquestionably is the finest available performance of Cantus Arcticus, Rautavaara's most popular piece. (…) Excellent sonics, warm and well-balanced (in the concerto).

These four discs collect Leif Segerstam's second cycle of the symphonies of Sibelius. First issued by Ondine in the early years of the 21st century as separate discs filled out with symphonic poems, the symphonies are here condensed into a cold, hard block of eternity. Segerstam's first Sibelius cycle for Chandos in the early Nineties aimed both barrels at eternity, but with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra's colorful and dedicated but sometimes too cheerful playing, he didn't always hit it.

Einojuhani Rautavaara may well be the most popular symphonist alive today. On the occasion of his 80th anniversary, Ondine pays homage to its longtime house composer by releasing the first-ever edition of the complete eight symphonies, in a special box set. Rautavaara is recognized as the greatest Finnish composer after Jean Sibelius. He has often described symphonic music as a journey through human life.

The orchestral works Passacaglia, Ritual and (K)ein sommernachtstraum are all very well-conducted and beautifully recorded on this CD (as usual with BIS-records). The Malmö symphony orchestra specialized in Schnittke during the 80's, and that can be heard here. There is a great understanding to the sometimes very odd music.