Inspired by the vast potential of the tonal foundation of music, at a time when many of his contemporaries were embracing the twelve tone ideology, the eminent German composer Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling produced a rich, varied and highly personal body of work.

The 1956 Sinfonia diatonica for small orchestra, which here receives its world première recording, is characterized by filigree craftsmanship and a lithe classicism that are very refreshing in the context of the German post-war symphony.

The 1963 Symphony in C, scored for a much larger orchestra, including triple woodwind and brass, is notable for its inventive structure, increased harmonic and tonal freedom, and a restless yet organic contrast of dynamism and lyricism.