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

[vinteuil]

.

... does anyone know the Gianandrea Noseda?

http://amzn.eu/3M1F52n

.

[jayne lee wilson]

So - you want a perfect Schumann 4th? One that just makes you go gosh! in the middle, and wow! at the end, and gasp or stare or purr with pleasure and surprise all of the way through?
I’ve just heard it - Robin Ticciati with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in the 1851 revision. At least as fine as YNS in its interpretatively renewing, texturally refreshed bar-by-bar magnetism, this has one more thing to offer: at least in its 24/192 download guise, remarkable sound: utterly exceptional for transparency of counterpoint and audibility of detail, even in the densest passages; the subtly graded dynamics, from a whisper to a very considerable roar, with surprising weight and tonal depth for a chamber orchestra but the greatest heft reserved for the truest climaxes. Ideal warmth and body too, a smooth, crystalline clarity: perfectly defined, but without over-etching.
The first movement’s coda really comes on strong, even after all the splendour that preceded it; Ticciati injects a startling rhetorical emphasis into the finale coda: a sudden dynamic boost in the two big chords before the final rush - announced by a timpani thunderclap, then a balestral thrust of the strings - which is truly thrilling, and leaves the listener with a great sense of fun too!

But all through, there’s a lovely elegance to the string playing, a warmth and individuality to the wind solos, beautifully judged tempi with very natural rubato or phrasal emphasis, following the mood - nothing eccentric or attention-seeking. Rhythmically Ticciati is extremely precise, but light, hefty or gutty as apt.
The Romanze has you catching your breath, then sighing; has the oboe/cello duet ever sounded clearer, sweeter, yet more piercingly plaintive, than here?
The only feature that provoked interpretative query was a slight tendency to elongate a pause; but even here, Ticciati obviously means it, and it sounds musically meaningful to this listener at least. (Channelling Bruckner, perhaps…) It is an integral part of a completely thought-through, fastidiously-judged interpretation.

The beauty, power and richness of sound here could make it a excellent point of departure for those still languishing in past decades with their Furtwangler, Karajan, Kubelik, Sawallisch and so on. Come on out of your cave of old glories, come out into the fresh air and sunshine of an archetypal Schumann for a later age.

[Beef Oven!]

So - you want a perfect Schumann 4th? One that just makes you go gosh! in the middle, and wow! at the end, and gasp or stare or purr with pleasure and surprise all of the way through?
I’ve just heard it - Robin Ticciati with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in the 1851 revision. At least as fine as YNS in its interpretatively renewing, texturally refreshed bar-by-bar magnetism, this has one more thing to offer: at least in its 24/192 download guise, remarkable sound: utterly exceptional for transparency of counterpoint and audibility of detail, even in the densest passages; the subtly graded dynamics, from a whisper to a very considerable roar, with surprising weight and tonal depth for a chamber orchestra but the greatest heft reserved for the truest climaxes. Ideal warmth and body too, a smooth, crystalline clarity: perfectly defined, but without over-etching.
The first movement’s coda really comes on strong, even after all the splendour that preceded it; Ticciati injects a startling rhetorical emphasis into the finale coda: a sudden dynamic boost in the two big chords before the final rush - announced by a timpani thunderclap, then a balestral thrust of the strings - which is truly thrilling, and leaves the listener with a great sense of fun too!

But all through, there’s a lovely elegance to the string playing, a warmth and individuality to the wind solos, beautifully judged tempi with very natural rubato or phrasal emphasis, following the mood - nothing eccentric or attention-seeking. Rhythmically Ticciati is extremely precise, but light, hefty or gutty as apt.
The Romanze has you catching your breath, then sighing; has the oboe/cello duet ever sounded clearer, sweeter, yet more piercingly plaintive, than here?
The only feature that provoked interpretative query was a slight tendency to elongate a pause; but even here, Ticciati obviously means it, and it sounds musically meaningful to this listener at least. (Channelling Bruckner, perhaps…) It is an integral part of a completely thought-through, fastidiously-judged interpretation.

The beauty, power and richness of sound here could make it a excellent point of departure for those still languishing in past decades with their Furtwangler, Karajan, Kubelik, Sawallisch and so on. Come on out of your cave of old glories, come out into the fresh air and sunshine of an archetypal Schumann for a later age.

Jayne, I don't see that 24/192 download on Qobuz. Where did you get it from?

[Bryn]

Jayne, I don't see that 24/192 download on Qobuz. Where did you get it from?

Linn?

[Beef Oven!]

Linn?

Yes, they have it - thanks Bryn

[visualnickmos]

Jayne (if I may be so familiar)

What a fabulous critique. So enjoyable to read, as well as crucially informative. Thank you for posting. I want to experience Ticciati's recording.

"The beauty, power and richness of sound here could make it a excellent point of departure for those still languishing in past decades with their Furtwangler, Karajan, Kubelik, Sawallisch and so on. Come on out of your cave of old glories, come out into the fresh air and sunshine of an archetypal Schumann for a later age."

Lovely way with words - but I do quite enjoy an occasional languish in the past decades, - though not as far back as Furty! Is possible to have both? And no - I did NOT vote Brexit! Fresh air, sunshine and a languish as and when required. Does that work?

[Beef Oven!]

Better value to buy the complete cycle ..... I mean set, for £25

[Beef Oven!]

(Very) late insomniac edit: just heard SCO/Ticciati (1851)... OhMyGod...Oh. My. God....to make a symphony so familiar, live so vividly....(later, later...)
(Hint: Beef - you might not need Furtwangler anymore....)

I'm spinning it now (medium Res iTunes - I have 3 Jackie Mclean albums downloading now, 2 Hi-Res so my airwaves are busy!).

Now a third of the way through second movement and you may be right - at least as good as my beloved Yannick and the WF kinda deselects itself on the sound criterion as a first choice.

Looks like you've captured Nick too!!

I'm going to listen to Yannick again later and JEG's two. I wanna save some time for the Bruckner/Ligeti broadcast later.

[Bryn]

I know there have been many very positive reviews of the Ticcaiti set, but be warned, St. Bernard says no, and he says he knows what needs to be known about classical music.

[Beef Oven!]

I know there have been many very positive reviews of the Ticcaiti set, but be warned, St. Bernard says no, and he says he knows what needs to be known about classical music.

I give up with him, he's such a worker.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I know there have been many very positive reviews of the Ticcaiti set, but be warned, St. Bernard says no, and he says he knows what needs to be known about classical music.

That review seems to be more about him than about what he's supposed to be reviewing.

[jayne lee wilson]

Yes, they have it - thanks Bryn

AFAIK, Linn's own-label downloads are usually only available from Linn's store itself. Linn is listed on HDTracks, but there's only one, less-than-compelling-looking Bach album available there...

There may be a few scattered elsewhere (though I've never seen any), but probably not the best-reviewed ones...

It's been fascinating to return to Nézet-Séguin and Ticciati after getting so excited about them on release, only to find them sounding better (in Ticciati's case stunningly so) than ever.
I recall Simeone strongly favoured Ticciati in IRR, where Threasher in Gramophone loved both, but went just the other way. I like Rattle's comment quoted on the Linn site, that Ticciati makes 1851 sound as radically exciting as 1841. Having fallen in love with the Original this week, and feeling reluctant to listen to 1851 again until last night, I can only concur...

I feel that YNS and Ticciati have changed the Schumann-symphony landscape in a way only Harnoncourt previously managed, way back in the 1990s. And perhaps the listening world was better prepared for their revitalising approach in 2014, at least partly thanks to Harnoncourt blazing the trail against rather more startled or reluctant responses......

[Bryn]

The audio quality does not come up to 44.1/16 standard, let alone 192/24, and limited preparation time means a few insecurities but I will be sticking with an earlier survey with the SCO, that conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras at the EIF, and captured to cassette and later transferred to CD-R. He offered both versions of the 4th, and the concertos, to boot. Well, that set and the JEG, Goodman, Zinman et al.

[jayne lee wilson]

The audio quality does not come up to 44.1/16 standard, let alone 192/24, and limited preparation time means a few insecurities but I will be sticking with an earlier survey with the SCO, that conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras at the EIF, and captured to cassette and later transferred to CD-R. He offered both versions of the 4th, and the concertos, to boot. Well, that set and the JEG, Goodman, Zinman et al.

Well something's gone wrong somewhere, surely...? If only we could listen on the same system(s) - I always feel large discrepancies of response to be down to the chain of reproduction...
I've had the complete Linn cycle since 2014 and it never disappoints the ears from a sonic perspective (disregarding the numbers); the pleasure intensified this time by the challenging context of so many other recordings.

We await other responses.... but if the Ticciati isn't in Mr Mival's final three I'd be very surprised...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I didn't know Leinsdorf had recorded it - that'll probably be brilliant, too!

Crickey! It is! Played it twice this evening, having got hold of a copy - and I think it's easily taken "second best" place in my affections ... if not even knocking Furtwangler off top place!!! Tremendous, incisive playing from the Boston SO; excellent recorded sound, with the woodwinds really "telling" ... and all repeats observed to glorious effect Leinsdorf comes up with yet another top notch performance here: much better, it has to be said, than Munch's rather relaxed recording of the First Symphony with the same orchestra from a couple of years earlier, with which this is coupled.

My only quibble - there is a five second pause between the first two Movements (tracks five & six), rather than the segue/attacca that most recordings go for. There's nothing in the score to suggest that the segue is required, but its omission may take a few hearings to get used to (and, if I don't get used to it, I may remove the gap with Audacity ).