Orchestral Music: Richard Stöhr Works for String Orchestra on Audio CD

Listeners looking for a focused program of string orchestra music will find two works by composer Richard Stöhr on Orchestral Music. The album brings together pieces written at very different points in his life.

The Concerto in the Old Style is expansive, witty, energetic, and good-natured. The Second Suite takes a more introspective, understated, and deeply felt approach.

Presented as first recordings, these works offer a way to explore additions to the string orchestra repertoire, including a late Romantic statement in the Second Suite.

Spec sheet

• Name: Orchestral Music
• Format: Audio CD
• Composer: Richard Stöhr
• Artists: Agnieszka Kopacka, Sinfonia Varsovia, and Richard Stohr
• Works: Concerto in the Old Style and Second Suite
• Product dimensions: 6.1 x 4.79 x 0.39 inches
• Product weight: 3.52 ounces

The two selections provide distinct musical characters within one program. The Concerto in the Old Style has an expansive, lively, and witty profile, while the Second Suite is inward-looking and restrained. That contrast gives the album a clear listening arc without shifting away from its central focus: music for string orchestra by the same composer.

The works also connect with a major change in Stöhr’s life. They were composed on either side of his flight from occupied Austria to the United States, a transition from prominence and danger to liberty and obscurity. This context adds a historical dimension to the listening, while the works themselves remain the focus. The Second Suite is also described as one of the last grand statements of late Romanticism.

How to use it

Play the CD when you want to spend time with a focused classical program rather than move between unrelated composers or styles. The contrast between the lively Concerto in the Old Style and the reflective Second Suite makes the album suited to attentive listening, whether you are exploring string orchestra repertoire or following the different moods of two works by Stöhr.

It can also fit into a classical listening session centered on late Romantic music. The Second Suite offers a particularly direct point of interest for listeners drawn to that tradition, while the Concerto in the Old Style provides a more energetic counterpart. The sequence lets you hear both approaches as part of one composer’s output and consider how differently string orchestra music can express character.

Best use cases

Choose this recording to discover two works that are presented as first recordings, to broaden a collection focused on orchestral music, or to hear a less familiar composer through a pair of contrasting pieces. If you are comparing it with a broad classical compilation, this album takes the more concentrated approach: both featured works are by Stöhr and written for string orchestra. That focus is useful when you want to explore a particular composer or ensemble format instead of sampling many unrelated selections.

The program also suits a listening session built around musical contrast. The energetic, good-natured character of the concerto and the introspective tone of the suite give you two different entry points into the same composer’s work.

When it makes sense

It suits you if you want a physical audio CD devoted to two string orchestra works by Richard Stöhr, especially if first recordings and late Romantic repertoire are central to your listening interests. The pairing combines a lively concerto with a reflective suite, making Orchestral Music a purposeful choice for discovering this repertoire in a compact, composer-focused program.