Cristian Mandeal, Bucharest Philharmonic - Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No.2, Op.11 / Symphony No.2 (2007)

The Romanian Philharmonic Society was founded in 1868. Its conductors have included significant figures in Rumanian music not to mention Enescu himself, whose name the orchestra incorporated into its title in 1955 as the Georges Enescu Bucharest Philharmonic. The current conductor is Cristian Mandeal, who studied with both Karajan and Celibidache. He has conducted numerous major orchestras and more than forty world premieres. Georges Enescu (1881-1955) was an extraordinary musician--one of the great violin virtuosi of the twentieth century, whose performing prowess was eventually overshadowed by his compositional talent. He is the most famous Romanian composer of all time. At the beginning of World War I, after two years of work, Enescu finished his Second Symphony. It represents the culmination of his important creativity regarding music for orchestra.