Complete Brahms and Szymanowski Symphonies Out Now on DigitalTheatre.com

Today DigitalTheatre.com is excited to release the next instalment of the London Symphony Orchestra Collection, which features Valery Gergiev conducting five thrilling concerts of Johannes Brahms and Karol Szymanowski.

The new titles are:

- Szymanowski violin concerto no. 1, Szymanowski symphony no. 1 and Brahms symphony no. 1
- Brahms Tragic Overture, Brahms symphony no. 2 and Szymanowski symphony no. 2
- Brahms symphony no. 3, Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn and Szymanowski symphony no. 3 (Song of the night)
- Szymanowski symphony no. 4 (Symphonie concertante), Szymanowski violin concerto no. 2 and Brahms symphony no. 4
- Szymanowski Stabat Mater and Brahms A German Requiem

Johannes Brahms is considered one of the great nineteenth-century German composers and is popularly known as one of 'the three Bs' (along with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven). He is particularly well known for his piano compositions and was himself a successful pianist. The Variations on a Theme by Haydn was originally composed for two pianos before being transcribed for orchestra in 1873.

An obsessive perfectionist, many of Brahms' works were destroyed before they made it to the concert platform, however what survives is still enjoyed across the world today. His first symphony was a particular labour of love, taking almost fifteen years to complete and its première was followed quickly by that of the second symphony. Brahms wrote two more symphonies after a six-year break, during which he composed some of his most popular works including the famous Academic Festival Overture and Tragic Overture.

Brahms' A German Requiem was a relatively early work written between 1865 and 1868 after the death of his mother. He compiled the text himself, drawing from the German Lutheran Bible, although the piece is not liturgical. The result was a work of seven movements - his longest composition and often regarded as his finest choral work.

Like Brahms, Karol Szymanowski was a composer and pianist. Born in Poland in the late nineteenth-century, Szymanowski's works are seen to represent a transitional era in composition at the turn of the century. His symphonies are among his better-known works and his use of choir and solo tenor in Symphony no. 3 is especially notable. Drawing on the influence of Richard Wagner, countryman Frédéric Chopin and Alexander Scriabin, Szymanowski carved out his own distinctive style, which is exemplified in this work.

The first violin concerto was inspired by Szymanowski's second symphony, and is notable for its rejection of the tonal and romantic aesthetics of the previous century. It was 14 years before he wrote his next violin concerto, premiered just four years before his early death from tuberculosis at the age of 54.

Similar to A German Requiem, Szymanowski's Stabat Mater was inspired by the death of a family member, in this case his niece, making the reflection on the grieving mother particularly poignant as Szymanowski consoled his sister. Another parity between the two works is the billing of this work as 'a Polish requiem', a reflection of the original commission.

Speaking about the launch of the London Symphony Orchestra Collection last year, Co-Founder and Creative Director of DigitalTheatre.com, Robert Delamere said: "With a global reputation as one of the world's leading orchestras, we are delighted that the London Symphony Orchestra Collection will sit alongside our Collections from the Royal Opera House and Shakespeare's Globe - together with DigitalTheatre.com Originals, forming the world's premier on-demand global arts entertainment platform."

Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of London Symphony Orchestra said: "The LSO enthusiastically welcomes its relationship with DigitalTheatre.com. It brings a means of reaching a global audience with its outstanding music and video content which is a key to the Orchestra's future plans and it furthers the LSO's digital offering."

Audiences will be able to watch online and via Digital Theatre's expanding range of platforms including the Digital Theatre Desktop Player, the Digital Theatre YouView channel and apps for Samsung Smart TV and iOS.

The London Symphony Orchestra Collection also features works by Berlioz, Mendelssohn and Schumann. DigitalTheatre.com collections is home to the Royal Opera House Collection, the Shakespeare's Globe Collection, the English National Ballet Collection and the Glyndebourne Collection.

Price: Rent (£3.99) Buy (SD): £8.99 Buy (HD): £10.99. Available from February 24 2015 (currently embargoed). For more information, visit www.digitaltheatre.com.

DigitalTheatre.com is the on-demand arts entertainment platform working in partnership with leading theatre companies to capture stunning live performances authentically created for a fully immersive on-screen experience. Over 40 productions are available to rent or buy in HD across the globe.

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