Beethoven- Violin Concerto, Symphony No.8- Brahms String Sextet No.1

Performing the dual role of soloist and conductor, Augustin Dumay leads the Sinfonia Varsovia in Beethoven's Violin Concerto. The concerto is paired here with Beethoven's compact, extrovert and high spirited Symphony No.8. The music captures his boisterous humor, especially in the closing minutes of the work. The second disc features Brahms's String Sextet No.1. His chamber music for strings begins not with a quartet, which would have invited comparison with Beethoven, but with a sextet. The lush sounds of the additional instruments provided a darker sonority that suited Brahms's complex and rich contrapuntal and tonal palate. The work's premiere was led by Joseph Joachim, a champion of the Beethoven concerto, and a lifelong friend of Brahms.