BaL 2.06.18 - Schumann: Symphony no. 4 in D minor

[verismissimo]

What a masterwork this is. But in the right hands. Whose?



9.30
Building a Library: Schumann's Symphony no. 4 with William Mival.

Schumann' Symphony no. 4 in D minor was first completed in 1841 and then heavily revised in 1851. The composer's widow, Clara, later claimed that the first version had just been a sketch, which was only fully orchestrated in the second version. However, it turns out that this was not true, and Brahms, no less greatly, preferred the earlier, more lightly scored version.

Available versions:-

MDR Sinfonieorchester, Hermann Abendroth
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Marc Andreae
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim
Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie, Frank Beermann (SACD)
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein *
Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein
Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein (DVD)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
Cappella Aquileia conductor, Marcus Bosch (SACD)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
London Symphony Orchestra, Yondani Butt
Philharmonia Orchestra, Guido Cantelli
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Aldo Cercato (arr. Mahler)
Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiu Celibidache
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly *
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly (DVD)
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly *
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly (orch. Mahler)
Orchestre National de la Radioffusion Françcaise, André Cluytens
Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard (SACD)
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Lawrence Foster (SACD)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwangler
Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwängler *
Swiss Festival Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwangler (SACD)
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner (both versions)
Odense Symfoniorkester, Simon Gaudenz (SACD)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
NDR Sinfonieorchester, Thomas Hengelbrock
Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, Philippe Herreweghe
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Heinz Holliger
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Konstantin Iliev
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Marek Janowski
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Paavo Järvi (DVD/Blu-ray)
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Armin Jordan
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan (DG)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan (Warner)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert von Karajan
Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan *
Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, Noriaki Kitamura *
Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Philadelphia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer*
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Kletzki
Dresden Staatskapelle, Hans Knappertsbusch
Hans Knappertsbusch, Wiener Philharmoniker
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Ken-ichiro Kobayashi *
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Franz Konwitschny
London Symphony Orchestra, Josef Krips
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik
Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano and Trento, Gustav Kuhn
The Tasmanian Symphony, Sebastian Lang-Lessing *
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf
Symphony Orchestra of the Südwestfunk Baden-Baden, Erich Leinsdorf (DVD/Blu-ray)
Berliner Philharmoniker, James Levine
Philadelphia Orchestra, James Levine *
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Fabio Luisi
NHK Symphony Orchestra, Jun Markl (SACD)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Sir Neville Marriner
French National Radio Orchestra, Jean Martinon
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Masur
Wiener Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Hans Müller-Kray *
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
French National Orchestra, Charles Munch *
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti *
Wiener Philharmoniker, Riccardo Muti
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
London Classical Players, Sir Roger Norrington
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Sir Roger Norrington
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Grzegorz Nowak
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Sakari Oramo *
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Paul Paray
Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Max Pommer *
Berliner Philharmoniker, Simon Rattle (SACD)
Estonian Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Rico Saccani *
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling (DVD)
Das Bayerische Staatsorchester, Wolfgang Sawallisch (SACD)
Dresden Staatskapelle, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Michael Schønwandt
Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic, Michael Schønwandt (SACD)
Radio Kamer Filharmonie, Michael Schønwandt
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz *
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Jerzy Semkow
Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
German Radio Philharmonic, Stanislav Skrowaczewski
Authentic Orchestra, Derek Solomons *
Vienna Philharmonic, Sir Georg Solti
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Karl-Heinz Steffens (SACD)
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell *
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt
Philharmonia Orchestra, Christian Thielemann
San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas (SACD)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Robin Ticciati
Kölner Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester, Hans Vonk *
NBC Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
NDR Sinfonieorchester, Günter Wand
Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra Kosice, Johannes Wildner *
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit
Orchestra of the Swan, Kenneth Woods
Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Christian Zacharias (SACD)
Northern Sinfonia, Thomas Zehetmair
Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Zender *
Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, David Zinman



* download only

[umslopogaas]

I've got, on LP:

Krips/LSO (Decca)
Szell/Cleveland O (Columbia)
Mehta/VPO (Decca)
Leinsdorf/Boston SO (RCA)
Kubelik/BPO (DG)
Klemperer/Philharmonia (Columbia)

I always think Klemperer brings special insights, but if I could only have one it would probably be Szell. Szell's version is on CD and the 2010 Penguin Guide likes it, but notes a "reduced range of dynamic"; I cant say I noticed that on the LP.

[vinteuil]

I have Sawallisch, Gardiner, and Norrington.
I enjoy all of them -'equally but differently'...
If it were to be a desert island choice it wd probably be Norrington. Or perhaps JE Gardiner... Or then again ...

[Don Petter]

The Boult/LPO is pretty good on the recent reissue.

[formbyman]

What a masterwork this is. But in the right hands. Whose?

Furtwangler.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Available versions:
VSO/Luisi
Philharmonia/MutiBergen Philharmonic Orchestra/Ceccato (arr. Mahler)
San Francisco SO/Monteux
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Konwitschny
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR/Norrington
ASMF/Marriner
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Jordan
RSO Stuttgart/Marriner
Kölner Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester/Vonk
LPO/Boult
Orchestra Revolutionnaire et Romantique/Gardiner (both versions)
?/Walter
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra/Wit
Bayerische Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester/Kubelik
Dreseden Staatskapelle/Knappertsbusch
Wiener Philharmoniker, Bayerisches Staatsorcheter, NDR Sinfonieorchester/Knappertsbusch (?)
Budapest Symphony Orchestra/Vasary
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/Cantelli
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Masur
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/Zinman
VPO/Muti
VPO/Böhm
VPO/Karajan
VPO/Solti
VPO/Bernstein
Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra/Schønwandt
Tonhalle Orchestra/David Zinman
NDR Sinfonieorchester/Wand
The Cleveland Orchestra/Szell
Northern Sinfonia/Zehetmair
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/Chailly (inc. Mahler version)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Nowak
BPO/Karajan
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra/Lang-Lessing
Swedish Chamber Orchestra/Dausgaard (1841 version)
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra/Semkow
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Masur ?
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Foster
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern/Skrowaczewski
Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Harnoncourt (1841 version)
New York Philharmonic Orchestra/Barbirolli
Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie/Beermann
BPO/Kubelik
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra/Knappertsbusch
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
BPO/Furtwängler
BBCSO/Monteux
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra/Oramo
LSO/Krips x 2
Das Bayerische Staatsorchester/Sawallisch
Staatskapelle Dresden/Sawallisch
NHK Symphony Orchestra/Markl


DVD:
BBC Philharmonic/Sanderling
VPO/Bernstein
Boston SO/Leinsdorf
Symphony Orchestra of the Südwestfunk Baden-Baden/Leinsdorf

[Chris Newman]

I have Zinman's Zurich Tonhalle set (his Baltimore set is much praised too) and Boult with the LPO. Both are very fine: lean and lithe without excess fat or ponderousness.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Bernstein & Furtwangler, but I wish I could get hold of the VPO/Mehta, which I once heard, but never bought.

Why Bernstein? I suppose it's because I saw him conducting it with the VPO in the RAH in 1971, and actually met the great man afterwards.

[makropulos]

What a masterwork this is. But in the right hands. Whose?

I grew up with the Decca LP conducted by Krips (with the Spring Symphony on the other side). I still think that's pretty good, but my favourite Schumann conductor is probably Bernstein, and both his NYPO and VPO recordings of the symphonies are tremendous, not least in No. 4. I also like very much the late Böhm recording on DG (VPO) and Chailly's Mahler version on Decca. Sawallisch, Szell and Kubelik are all excellent in this symphony as well, and so is Boult.

Something I wish would be released on disc one day is Charles Mackerras's Schumann series at the Edinburgh Festival in 1999 with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. That included both the 1841 and 1851 versions of No. 4, both in superb performances.

[Curalach]

It's funny how some experiences in life stick in the mind more than others. I well remember the first time I heard Schumann 4, it was in the Usher Hall when I was still in my teens. It was performed by the Philharmonia conducted by Klemperer. It made a huge impression and I was blown away by the bridge into the last movement. I remember sprinting down Morrison Street to Haymarket after the concert to catch the last train to Glasgow.
It was a performance hewn from granite and I shortly thereafter bought their newly issued LP.

In my collection now are only two other performances; RSO Stuttgart/Marriner and Philharmonia/Thielemann.

Often thought of as bad box-office, the Schumann symphonies are not performed as often as they might be. The RSNO programmed them all in the season before last, to great effect, each with a different conductor. No 1 - Jacob Hrusa, No 2 Roger Norrington, No 3 Andrew Davis; No 4 Stephane Deneve.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's funny how some experiences in life stick in the mind more than others. I well remember the first time I heard Schumann 4, it was in the Usher Hall when I was still in my teens. It was performed by the Philharmonia conducted by Klemperer.

I too remember the first time I heard Schumman 4. I was 11 years old when my parents took me to Germany in 1961 to visit a German man (and his family) whom they had met when he was still a prisoner-of-war in Manchester in 1946. When the German family heard that I liked classical music, they borrowed some LPs from a friend, but it was Schumann 4 that captured my attention, especially the 3rd movement - it just sounded so "German" to me. I don't know which recording it was, but I like to think it may have been the BPO/Furtwangler, which is the one I rate most highly.

[Serial_Apologist]

Am I right in thinking all Schumann's symphonies were re-orchestrated by Mahler, and that it is these versions that one always hears today?

S-A

[makropulos]

Am I right in thinking all Schumann's symphonies were re-orchestrated by Mahler, and that it is these versions that one always hears today?

S-A

No, in a word. But Chailly's Decca set uses them explicitly and a few older recordings use some of Mahler's retouchings (Szell - a marvellous Schumann conductor - wasn't averse to tickling up the orchestration from time to time). But what we hear today (and have done for quite a while) is Schumann's Schumann - unless you get the Chailly set or one of the others of the Mahler orchestrations (there used to be one on BIS - was it Aldo Ceccato conducting?).

[barber olly]

Bernstein & Furtwangler, but I wish I could get hold of the VPO/Mehta, which I once heard, but never bought.

available on Australian Eloquence!

[Serial_Apologist]

No, in a word. But Chailly's Decca set uses them explicitly and a few older recordings use some of Mahler's retouchings (Szell - a marvellous Schumann conductor - wasn't averse to tickling up the orchestration from time to time). But what we hear today (and have done for quite a while) is Schumann's Schumann - unless you get the Chailly set or one of the others of the Mahler orchestrations (there used to be one on BIS - was it Aldo Ceccato conducting?).

Many thanks Makropulos - Schumann has sometimes been "knocked" for scoring thickly; I'll check whose version of the Rhenish I have later, but it sounds ok to me.