SWRmusic is the recording label of the Südwestrundfunk (SWR) broadcasting company. Its purpose is to document the artistic work of the SWR’s internationally renowned orchestral and vocal ensembles, including outstanding archive recordings of famous musicians. To mark the label’s 25th anniversary, this box set of six albums presents a selection of the broadcaster’s recordings in collaboration with major artists.

The first part of the collection features Roger Norrington conducting three symphonies by Joseph Haydn, followed by pianist Clara Haskil playing two piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Michael Gielen conducts Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, and Hans Rosbaud directs various orchestral sequences from operas by Richard Wagner. The SWR Vokalensemble performs pieces by Anton Bruckner, and Eliahu Inbal brings the programme to a close with a performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony.

The SWR Symphony Orchestra is based in both the Liederhalle Stuttgart and the Konzerthaus Freiburg. Formed in September 2016 by the merger of the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart and the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg, its artistic profile is defined by performances based on historically informed performance practice, and by programmes that feature Classical-Romantic core repertoire and contemporary music in equal measure. The orchestra’s reputation is further enhanced by its own concert series, by appearances at festivals, and collaborations with international conductors and world-class soloists.