Search - Schumann, Solti, Vpo :: Schumann: The Symphonies [Germany]

Excellent!

Ali Erol | turkey | 03/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think, the first movement of the first symphony is best part of this record. Especcialy when one hears the presentation of the main theme! VPO is energitic under Solti thorough the disc. Savallisch's record on Emý has also its merits. But, Solti's tempo is magnificent in specific moments. Sound quality is very good."

Invigorating Schumann from Solti

Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 01/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To hear these wonderful creations of Schumann's spontaneously-combusting imagination is to fall in love with the art of music all over again. Did romanticism in full flower ever produce a symphony cycle as engaging as this? True, Bruckner is more profound; Brahms more coherent. But Schumann's genius is ever fresh, ever renewing. Nor was he as clumsy an orchestrator as has sometimes been supposed.



Solti's is one of the few consistently successful Schumann cycles. His tempi are well chosen, and he responds instinctively to Schumann's chimerical mood-swings. The VPO play spendidly--as to the manner born. Solti draws superb articulation from the strings particularly, so that the finale to the "Spring" and the scampering scherzo of the Second are given astonishing point and precision. The more atmospheric moments, such as the "Cologne Cathedral" movement of the "Rhenish" are also not slighted. Others, such as Szell and Karajan, have found a deeper vein of inwardness in the slow movement of the Second, and of course no-one can match Furtwängler's seamless transition to the last movement of the Fourth. But overall, Solti can rank alongside Bernstein and Szell as a consistently perceptive and predictably exciting Schumann interpreter. Indeed, he's warmer than Szell and less interventionist than Bernstein, so in many ways he achieves just the right balance.



Another advantage of this compilation is that, unlike many of its competitors, it includes the rarely-heard "Overture, Scherzo and Finale" (almost like having a fifth Schumann symphony--though not quite as good as the canonical four) and "Julius Caesar" overture (the latter not one of Schumann's more inspired creations, however). I would gladly have traded "Julius Ceasar" for "Manfred."



The remastered sound is clearly focused with a fair amount of amplitude, though the violins sounded a bit dry to my ears. But this is a minor reservation which should not deter prospective purchasers. The list price for this "twofer" is rather high, but it is available for far less from some of Amazon's "used and new" sellers.



There is much "listening for enjoyment" here."