Paul Büttner, born in 1870 in Dresden, studied violin and oboe at the conservatory there. Over the years, he built an excellent reputation as a musician. But it wasn't until 1915, when his 3rd Symphony was successfully premiered by none other than Arthur Nikisch, that the international music world spoke of a promising composer of the modern era, as a successor to Anton Bruckner and Johannes Brahms. This was also aided by the equally successful premiere of his 4th Symphony in 1917. However, in 1933 the regime classified his music as "degenerate" and banned the composer and his works from all public attention.

Christopher Ward conducts the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.