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You may be thinking, Why is BIS issuing yet another Schumann Symphony cycle,
surely we are well served by Gardiner's outstanding new DG set? The answer
lies in the couplings; newly discovered orchestral arrangements of the composer's
piano pieces, interesting and intriguing makeweights in their own right and
deserving of re-incarnation. Joeres is a fiery conductor and his tempi for
the Carnaval pieces show that the music is not that suited to an orchestral
guise. Still, much fun is to be found in the Paganini piece whilst the
Davidsbundler march comes across perennially well. The same goes for the
exquisite 'Kinderjahr', a true study in harmony and invention The Mendelssohn
movement is particularly charming whilst 'Kmecht Ruprecht' is also very
beautiful. With the symphony I turned to my trusty old Sawallisch version,
which won me over in my days of youth! Although Joeres and the RPO are evidently
much attuned to this Cinderella-like score, there is none of the unique vision
that is constantly flowing through the Dresden version. However, Joeres holds
the structural flow well enough and his dreamy Adagio espressivo is very
beautiful where it is so easy to lose interest. A fiery Finale tips the balance
slightly but again, Sawallisch is quite difficult to beat. The BIS recording
is outstandingly clear and focused whilst the programme notes are keen and
highly informative. It will obviously depend on the couplings if you already
own one of the many Schumann symphony sets around.
Reviewer
Gerald Fenech
Performance:
Sound:
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Reviewer
Gerald Fenech
Performance:
Sound:
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