Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra

In the 1940s, András Mihály considered as a principal task with his string quartet to promote the works of Bartók and masters of the Viennese School. He was solo cellist at the Hungarian State Opera between 1946-48. In 1953, he wrote the three-movement Cello Concerto, for which he received the Kossuth Prize in 1955, utilizing his earlier musical background and solid knowledge of the instrument. In addition to tempo designators of the movements, the author also refers to their genre: Poema, Ballada, Capriccio. Soloist and all-knowing master of the instrument Miklós Perényi recorded this work at the age of 24.

In 1845-46, at a critical period in his life, Robert Schumann wrote his second symphony, the counterpointed structure of which can be explained by an awareness of the music of Bach which Schumann was engaged in studying around this time. The first movement is constructed from the insistent main theme with dotted rhythm. Two trios are inserted into the perpetuum mobile-like second movement in order to conclude with the demonic transformation of the introductory musical material. The third movement is one of Romantic symphonic literature’s most moving lyrical confession. The work closes with the cheerful fourth movement.