These two works for string orchestra were composed on either side of the flight of the Viennese composer Richard Stöhr (1874–1967) from occupied Austria to the USA, and from prominence and danger to liberty and obscurity, and they reflect the change in his circumstances: the Concerto in the Olden Style is expansive, witty, energetic and endlessly good-natured, whereas the Second Suite is introspective, understated and deeply felt. These first recordings allow the discovery of two major additions to the repertoire for strings; the Second Suite is also one of the last grand statements of late Romanticism.

“Jan Lehtola makes the best possible case for the work and its discmates, as do violinist Anna-Leena Haikola and pianist Annikka Konttori-Gustafsson to the pieces they play. Stöhr’s music has struck a major chord with me, and I would love to hear more of his music.” – Fanfare, March/April 2021 (TOCC0280: Stöhr - Solo and Chamber Music for Organ)

“The music on this release all comes from 1942–43, shortly after Stöhr had settled in the United States after fleeing Nazi Germany. You would not know that by listening to this lovely, untroubled music, nor would you likely guess that these are 20th-century works given their solid diatonicity and ardent Romanticism.” – Fanfare, November/December 2020 (TOCC0536: Stöhr - Chamber Music Vol.4)