Paul Büttner: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin & Christopher Ward

• Paul Büttner (1870 - 1943): Symphony No. 3:
• 1 Büttner: Symphony No. 3: I. Allegro. Bewegt mit erhabenen Ausdruck 14:23
• 2 Büttner: Symphony No. 3: II. Adagio. Einfach und innig 08:43
• 3 Büttner: Symphony No. 3: III. Finale. Leidenschaftlich und stürmisch 10:32
• Symphony No. 4:
• 4 Büttner: Symphony No. 4: I. Mäßig bewegt 14:22
• 5 Büttner: Symphony No. 4: II. Scherzo. Presto 10:41
• 6 Büttner: Symphony No. 4: III. Andante maestoso 10:55
• 7 Büttner: Symphony No. 4: IV. Allegro (flammend) 11:32
• Total Runtime 01:21:08

Info for Paul Büttner: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4

Paul Büttner was born in Dresden in 1870 and studied violin and oboe there at the Conservatory. Over the years, Büttner increasingly established himself as a fantastic musician in Dresden. But he stayed virtually completely unknown before 1915, when the famous Arthur Nikisch premiered his Symphony No. 3. Since then, Büttner was named one of the greatest and most important contemporary symphonists in succession to Brahms and Bruckner. His Symphony No. 4 from 1917 continued the success and was performed by many different orchestras. In 1933, his music was marked as "unwanted," and the regime deleted him completely from the public music culture.

Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Christopher Ward, conductor

Christopher Ward
London-born conductor Christopher Ward has proven himself to be a highly versatile musician. His dynamic, charismatic, and compelling presence on the podium, alongside his creative programming, support for contemporary music, and imaginative education initiatives, have won him praise from critics and the public alike.

Christopher Ward began his musical journey at Oxford University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Early collaborations with Oxford's Philharmonia & Chorus, Bach Choir, and New Chamber Opera laid the foundation for his career. He was subsequently awarded the role of Répétiteur Fellow at Scottish Opera and the RSAMD in Glasgow.

Venturing abroad in 2004, he gained valuable experience at the International Opera Studio of Zurich Opera before making Germany his artistic home, serving as Solorepetitor and Kapellmeister at Staatstheater Kassel from 2005. Christopher not only gained attention with several new productions but also conducted the Staatsorchester Kassel in a variety of concerts. His multifaceted role extended to a period as chorus master and directing the theatre's annual youth orchestra project.

A formative experience also involved assisting Sir Simon Rattle with the Berliner Philharmonic in a production of Wagner's Das Rheingold at the Aix-en-Provence Music Festival in 2006, continuing this association in Berlin and Salzburg (Easter Festival).

In 2009, Christopher joined the internationally renowned Bavarian State Opera as Kapellmeister and musical assistant to Kent Nagano, conducting many premieres and concerts, and collaborating with the Bayerische Staatsorchester and opera studios of Munich and La Scala, Milan.

He then assumed the role of 1. Kapellmeister at Saarländisches Staatstheater in 2014, where he conducted various new productions, spanning the operatic repertoire from Rameau’s baroque opera Platée through works by Weber and Verdi to the contemporary German premiere of Haas’ Bluthaus.

As a guest conductor, he has appeared at Staatsoper Hamburg, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Komische Oper, Oper Graz, and Staatsoper Prag. He also directed world premieres at Prague Spring International Music Festival and Bregenz Summer Festival, and in 2019 took over at short notice the world premiere of Jörg Widmann's Babylon for an indisposed Daniel Barenboim at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin.

His recordings with Naxos and Capriccio have gained international acclaim and received several Opus Klassik nominations. They include collaborations with Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Gürzenich Orchester Köln, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Notable releases in 2022 featured the world premiere of Leo Blech's long-forgotten music and an appearance in Fatih Akin's film Rheingold.

Christopher Ward has held the position of Generalmusikdirektor at Theater and Sinfonieorchester Aachen since 2018. Here he has developed the musical standards through countless productions and concerts, appearing regularly with Sinfonieorchester Aachen at the Kölner Philharmonie and Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Alongside maintaining a focus on contemporary music, a flagship initiative developed a baroque ensemble playing on period instruments from within the orchestra. Meanwhile, he continues to grow the audience with innovative programming and passionate outreach projects.

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