Symphony No. 1 in F minor (1923)
Vaterland: Symphonic Poem (1915)

Austrian composer Julius Bittner (1874-1939) was largely influenced by the music of Richard Wagner and therefore focused most of his attention on the composition of operas and operettas for which, it seems, he was widely sought after. So why has his work been ignored all these years? This release is the first recording of any of his orchestral music. Through his frienship with Bruno Walter he had an opportunity to meet Gustav Mahler who was impressed by one of his operas. His music is, like most composers around that time, highly expressive, romantic, and moves forward in broad strokes of orchestral color and rhythmic momentum. The tone poem Vaterland at times brings to mind the Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks by Richard Strauss in it's development. Conductor Dmitry Vasiliev and the Siberian Symphony Orchestra, one of the largest orchstras in Russia, execute these works as if they were old favorites. If you want to hear something unheard up until now, from one of the most fertile periods of musical history, now's your chance. Based on the Vol. 1 in the title, it's safe to assume that more will follow.