Sinfonie Nr. 45 Fis-Moll (Abschiedssinfonie) / Sinfonie Nr. 104 D-Dur (Sinfonie Mit Dem Dudelsack)

Released in 1965 by the East German label ETERNA, this recording features the Staatskapelle Dresden under the baton of Kurt Sanderling. The album pairs Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 45, known as the Farewell Symphony, with his Symphony No. 104, the London Symphony. These performances emerged during a period when the Staatskapelle Dresden was refining its reputation for a rich, warm orchestral sound, and Sanderling's interpretations were noted for their structural clarity and deep respect for the classical tradition.

The ETERNA label, operated by the VEB Deutsche Schallplatten, was the primary purveyor of classical recordings in the German Democratic Republic. Design-wise, the sleeve reflects the minimalist and functional aesthetic common to mid-century state-run label productions, prioritizing the visibility of the artists and catalog information over elaborate cover art. As an artifact of Cold War-era cultural exchange, the pressing is valued today both for the high fidelity of the East German engineering and the significance of Sanderling’s tenure with the Dresden orchestra.