This new album by the Gavle Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jaime Martín includes perhaps two of the finest orchestral works by Max Reger (1873–1916), written towards the end of his life: the Four Tone Poems after Böcklin and the Romantic Suite, both sensous and poetic works suggesting a loose connection with Debussy.

Reger’s 150th anniversary of birth was celebrated in 2023. Yet, much of Reger’s music appears on concert programmes only very occasionally. During his own lifetime Reger was highly admired: Paul Hindemith described Reger as “the last giant of music”, and when Schoenberg founded his Society for Private Musical Performances in 1918, Max Reger, along with Debussy and Bartók, was one of the most frequently performed composers. Admiring Reger as an important innovator, Schoenberg promoted his music because “he still remains unfamiliar” and “I consider him a genius”. Reger’s Four Tone Poems after Böcklin and the Romantic Suite are sufficient to prove that Schoenberg was totally right.

Founded in 1912, the Gavle Symphony Orchestra has a long and exciting history, with a strong focus on the future. Since its inception, the Gavle Symphony Orchestra has played a significant role in the Swedish music scene and its 52 musicians are driven by an undeniable and heartfelt passion for music. The orchestra takes on a repertoire ranging from the baroque to the latest contemporary music with equal curiosity and dedication. Through a series of acclaimed recordings, the Gavle Symphony Orchestra has also brought many older Swedish composers into the limelight and given them well-deserved recognition. The orchestra regularly collaborates with renowned international artists such as Janine Jansen, Denis Kozhukhin, Gabriela Montero, Nemanja Radulovic, Lucas Debargue, Viktoria Mullova, Nicolas Altstaedt, Anne Sofie von Otter, Johan Dalene and many more, while past and current chief conductors include Petri Sakari, Robin Ticciati, Jaime Martin and Christian Reif. Gavle Symphony Orchestra has successfully toured in South Korea, China, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2022, Spanish conductor Jaime Martín has also held the positions of Chief Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (2019–2024), Principal Guest Conductor of the Spanish National Orchestra (2022–2024) and Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Gavle Symphony Orchestra (2013–2022). Having spent many years as a highly regarded flautist, Jaime turned to conducting full-time in 2013 and quickly became sought after at the highest level. His engagements include concerts with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Dresden and Netherlands Philharmonics, the Sydney, Barcelona, Dallas, Colorado, Antwerp, New Zealand, Frankfurt and Swedish Radio Symphonies, and his conducting debut at the BBC Proms with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, whose Principal Guest Conductor position he took on from the 24/25 season. Jaime Martín is the Artistic Advisor of the Santander Festival, a founding member of the Orquestra de Cadaqués, and Fellow of the Royal College of Music, London.