The Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957) made his mark first in Europe as an operatic wunderkind, then in Hollywood as the composer on the run from the Nazis who invented the genre of the symphonic movie soundtrack—Technicolor in sound—that flourishes to this day. As far as his reputation among keepers of the classical flame was concerned, Korngold made quite the Faustian bargain. How could such a figure fail to fascinate so omnivorous a maestro as John Mauceri? As founding director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and its figurehead on the podium for 16 seasons, Mauceri, too, has paid a price for his inclusive attitude. Yet he is by no means some slick bandleader for a summer’s eve. For the tangled tale of his discovery of Korngold’s 40-minute Symphony in F#, op. 40, see the liner notes for a new album devoted to two historic recordings never before released: Mauceri’s 30-year-old live radio performance of the symphony (Korngold’s only foray into the genre) with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, and a piano reduction documented by the composer, date and purpose unknown. Completed in 1952, well after Korngold had cut the cord with Hollywood, the symphony comprises four movements. The first is conceived as an energetic moderato, to be followed by a whirling tarantella, an expansive funeral march, and a carefree, feel-good finale. Korngold dedicated the score to the memory of Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom Korngold revered, but if he had some narrative “program” in mind, he kept it to himself. —Matthew Gurewitsch

The Korngold Symphony is available for purchase on Amazon.