Albert Lortzing, who did not even reach the age of fifty, composed a towering number of stage works, several of which are regarded as German national treasures even today. Others have proven themselves to have stood the test of time thanks to excellent recordings. Although he became immortal with his Zar und Zimmermann and Undine, his purely orchestral output is quite thin. If it were not for the Concert Piece for horn and a similar work for trumpet, there would only be a number of overtures and pieces of ballet music available to a symphonic ensemble to produce a colourful portrait. The WDR Funkhausorchester has thus recorded a lively mixture of soloistic brilliance, entertaining dances and "dramatic" overtures whose existence was previously only known to die-hard Lortzing fans.