Ferdinand Hiller's and Carl Reinecke's compositions were indebted to the conservative musical

styles of Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. They stood in contrast to the Neudeutsche

Schule, programme music and the works of Richard Wagner. Particularly in his later years,

Reinecke was branded a conservativist – perhaps not too surprising when one considers the

aesthetic schism that had developed between works such as Reinecke's Trio op. 249, published in

1901, and Arnold Scho¨nberg's “Verkla¨rte Nacht” (1899). But at the time, Reinecke's late chamber

music, particularly the Trio, were played frequently on the concert circuit. Today, Reinecke's music

is experiencing a revival to which the present recording seeks to contribute.

Ferdinand Hiller had a profound influence on Reinecke's musical career. When Reinecke made

his public debut at the piano in 1843, Hiller conducted. In 1851, Hiller offered him a position at the

newly founded Conservatorium der Musik in Cologne. Hiller's musical output contains works in

nearly every genre. Among the works for strings, the String Trio op. 207 is most notable on

account of its masterly structure. It was published posthumously; its genesis is unknown.

The New Wuppertal String Trio was formed in 2004 by members of the symphony orchestras of

Wuppertal and Dortmund. Based on their common enthusiasm for the smallest, most soloistic,

most transparent genre of string chamber music, the trio aims to let listeners experience musical

form and structure. The Trio dedicates itself equally to the promotion of older and very new music.

Their first recording on ARS included String Trios by Max Reger and Theodor Blumer (ARS

38483).