This 3CD set presents a reissue of critically-acclaimed recordings of chamber works by four major 20th century composers, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern and Messiaen. The music is performed by the renowned conductor and pianist Christoph Eschenbach, alongside members of the Houston Symphony Chamber Players - the group he founded when he was director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra between 1988 and 1999.
Highly-regarded German conductor and pianist Christoph Eschenbach won the Steinway Youth Piano Competition when he was only eleven years old and, at the age of 22, the International Music Competition of the ARD. Simultaneously he studied conducting and today he regularly conducts the major orchestras of Europe and North America. In 1993 Eschenbach was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit for his outstanding achievements as a pianist and conductor and since then he has gathered many more awards and prizes.
One of the highlights of Eschenbachs career was his time as music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra from 1988 until 1999. Within this period of time he founded the Houston Symphony Chamber Players. This acclaimed ensemble initially comprised of Christoph Eschenbach himself as conductor and pianist and key members of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Three albums with recordings from the group, none of which have been available for a long time, are here being re-released on the Membran label. The featured works, by Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Olivier Messiaen, are universally considered to be 20th century classics.