Jukka-Pekka Saraste became principal conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 2010/11 season. This release features Brahmss Second Symphony, which is often called his 'Pastoral'. It was written during a happy holiday in Pörtschach in 1877. Brahms wrote to his friend in Vienna, the critic Eduard Hanslick: 'The Wörthersee is virgin ground. Melodies fly around there, so that you have to take care not to step on them'. The work was premiered by the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Hans Richter in December 1877, where it was a great success.