Felix Woyrsch - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6 (Howard Griffiths)

Information

Composer: Felix Woyrsch

• Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 52
• Symphony No. 6 in C major, Op. 77 “Sinfonia sacra”

Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen

Howard Griffiths, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: CPO

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Felix Woyrsch’s late-Romantic symphonic output can be understood as a deliberate and accomplished act of synthesis rather than derivation. Working from his base in Altona, he absorbed and reconfigured the contrasting legacies of Wagner, Bruckner, and Brahms into a cohesive personal language that resists the usual charge of epigonality. His six-symphony cycle, brought together in the present publication, stands as a unified artistic statement in which structural discipline and expressive breadth are tightly interwoven. Far from occupying a peripheral position, Woyrsch demonstrates how late-Romantic discourse could be extended with integrity into new expressive territory, while remaining receptive to the emergent impulses of modernism.

Howard Griffiths (b. 1950) is a British-Swiss conductor with a distinguished international career, acclaimed for his dynamic artistry, commitment to contemporary music, and support of young talent. Trained at London’s Royal College of Music, he has lived in Switzerland since 1981. He served as Artistic Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (1996–2006) and General Music Director of the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt (2007–2018), leading acclaimed tours, award-winning recordings, and innovative education projects. Griffiths has guest-conducted leading orchestras worldwide and collaborated with renowned soloists and composers such as Gubaidulina, Pärt, and Henze. With nearly 200 recordings, including praised Brahms symphonies, he continues to champion both classical repertoire and emerging artists, notably through projects with the Orpheum Foundation.

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