Walter Braunfels: Te Deum, opus 32

The German composer Walter Graunfels is one of the forgotten figures of the first half of the 20th century. On this re-mastered recording of a radio performance from 1952 of his spectacular Te Deum, the legendary Günter Wand, a great champion of his music from the time, conducts the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and soloists Leonie Rysanek and Helmut Melchert.

In the German musical world of the 1920s and '30s Walter Braunfels was a central figure and his successes were equal to those of his older colleague Richard Strauss. Many great conductors of the time, including Fritz Busch, Hans Knappertsbusch, Otto Klemperer and Bruno Walter, were keen to promote his music. Sadly, being half Jewish, Braunfels was one of the artists ostracised by the Nazis and was forced into hiding. Although after the war interest in the composer and his music waned, the conductor Günter Wand was one of his great admirers and from 1945 took it upon himself to bring Braunfels's works to the attention of the public.

This recording of Braunfel's massive Te Deum for Mixed Choir, Soprano, Tenor, Great Orchestra and Organ, op. 32, produced for a series of special concerts by Northwest German Radio, was made in 1952 on the occasion of the composer's 70th birthday, and features Wand conducting the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra with soloists Leonie Rysanek and Helmut Melchert.

Personnel: Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gunter Wand (conductor), Leonie Rysanek (soprano), Helmut Melchert (tenor)