This recording celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra (SKO), founded in 1945 by Karl Münchinger and one of the oldest and most renowned ensembles of its kind. Under Dennis Russell Davies, the SKO's honorary conductor, the orchestra embraced contemporary music and developed a distinctive sound that has inspired many other ensembles.
The works presented, in almost reverse chronological order, include "Momentum pro Gesualdo di Venosa ad CD annum" from 1960, the "Danses Concertantes" for chamber orchestra from 1942, the Concerto in D for string orchestra (1946), and the ballet music "Apollon Musagète" from 1927, composed for collaboration with the choreographer Georges Ballanchine.