Hermann Reutter's talents as a composer were already in evidence by 1923, when he became acquainted with trends in contemporary music at the Baden-Baden and Donaueschingen festivals; it was there that he met Paul Hindemith. In 1956, he assumed the post of rector at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, a position he retained until his retirement.

Reutter's early compositions reflect stylistic influences of the romantic models of Anton Bruckner and Hans Pfitzner. However, the impressions made by Bartók, Stravinsky and Hindemith resulted in a change in Reutter's musical language. In the context of a dialogue with the music of his own time, he learned to express his own ideas and develop his own individual style. The works on this recording, although stylistically and chronologically wide-ranging, present an unmistakable manifestation of a strong, deeply human musicality, discovering a sincerely authentic voice that cannot be pigeon-holed by considerations of style or nationality.