Carl Czerny - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 (Michael Alexander Willens)

Information

Composer: Carl Czerny

• Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 780
• Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 781

Kölner Akademie

Michael Alexander Willens, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: CPO

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Contemporary eyewitness accounts described Carl Czerny's workspace as a bustling composition factory, reflecting an extraordinary output of 861 cataloged publications that spanned basic sonatinas to exhaustive pedagogical treatises. Amid this massive catalog, Czerny produced only two numbered symphonies (Op. 780 and Op. 781), alongside a handful of unnumbered orchestral works, which reveal his profound respect for the symphonic tradition. Expertly crafted with a balance of dramatic tension, lyricism, and impeccable formal proportions, these works showcase his compositional mastery. Particularly in their Scherzos, the symphonies reveal a striking proximity to his teacher Ludwig van Beethoven, transcending his reputation as a writer of daily keyboard exercises.

Michael Alexander Willens (b. 1952) is an American conductor and music director of Die Kölner Akademie. A graduate of the Juilliard School, where he studied with John Nelson, he also trained with Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood and with Paul Vorwerk in choral conducting. His musical background spans baroque to contemporary, jazz, and pop styles. Willens has led performances across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East, earning widespread acclaim. Passionate about rediscovering forgotten repertoire and championing contemporary American composers, he has conducted numerous world premières and released over 40 acclaimed recordings, many recognized with awards and international praise.