Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Serenade for Winds in C Minor, K.388/384a:
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Menuetto
IV. Allegro

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy:
String Symphony No. 8 in D Major, MWV N 8:
I. Adagio e Grave. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto - Trio. Presto
IV. Allegro molto. Piu presto

Robert Schumann:
Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op.52:
I. Overture. Andante con moto
II. Scherzo. Vivo
III. Finale. Allegro molto vivace

Irish Chamber Orchestra and Jörg Widmann present the album Invitation, featuring masterworks by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Schumann. This album celebrates a remarkable ten-year creative partnership between the ICO and Jörg Widmann, who, while now pursuing new projects, remains closely connected with the ensemble. Marking the ICO’s first recording with PENTATONE, Invitation captures the orchestra at its most expressive, from the taut intensity and contrapuntal precision of Mozart’s C minor Serenade for Winds to the buoyant energy and intricate textures of Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 8. Widmann’s direction brings out the rich interplay of voices, the lyrical clarity of the winds and strings, and the dynamic contrasts that give each work its distinctive character. The album concludes with Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo and Finale, delivered with infectious rhythmic drive and exuberant lyricism. The ICO’s finely tuned ensemble playing highlights the sparkling dialogue between strings and winds, while Widmann shapes the work’s sweeping gestures and playful contrasts with precision and vitality. Across these three composers, Invitation offers listeners an immediate sense of drama, wit, and emotional depth, revealing the subtle humour, harmonic brilliance, and expressive contrasts that define each masterpiece and celebrating a decade of collaboration between conductor and orchestra.

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This album was recorded at ICO Studio on 24 April 2022 (Tracks 1–4) and 25 June 2015 (Tracks 5–8), and at the University of Limerick Concert Hall on 6 October 2024 (Tracks 9–11).