Customer Reviews

Schubert: Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" & No. 9 "The Great"

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I guess I'll have to disagree with everyone on one point or another. I simply love Szell's versions of both symphonies and despite owning other efforts, this is the disc I always come back to. Szell's 4th movement of the 9th is just beyond belief. If you aren't up dancing in less than a minute check your pulse...chances are you're dead and just don't know it. And quite frankly, as much as I enjoy Furtwangler's work in Beethoven, I do NOT recommend his version of the 9th...more emphasis on length than heaven, and it does not make me dance. At less than a ten-spot, this Szell disc cannot be beat.

Though there are a number of very fine recorded performances of the Schubert Ninth, it's this one by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra I return to most frequently. I gather that others either love or hate Szell in this, his first stereo version, originally recorded for Columbia on the Epic label. Many also feel the 1952 DGG Furtwangler is the greatest "C Major" ever put on disc. I do not. Despite the reverence many have for Furtwangler I do not particularly care for what I hear as a tendency at times to draw out slower passages. By comparison, I prefer Szell's relative tautness of line and somewhat more mobile pace during slower segments. I also find his choices of inflections and his manner of displaying radiance and grandeur more appealing in contrast to Furtwangler's approach. After listening frequently to Szell's interpretation for many years, I have come full circle, from fondness to disfavor to admiration. In sum, I am able to "smell the flowers", enjoy the driving energy, as well as revel in the superb articulation of the Cleveland Orchestra all at once. One of Szell's finest accounts ever and surely one of the greatest "Greats". For somewhat of a different though very satisfying interpretation, try the Bernstein/New York Philharmonic reading. Different in yet another way is the powerful, richly textured version with Hermann Abendroth and the Leipzig Radio Orchestra in monophonic sound only.

As for the "Unfinished", it is a fine performance on technical grounds. Emotionally, I perceive it as just a bit unyielding. More importantly, it just doesn't move me. There's one version of this symphony that has long stood as my absolute favorite---Bruno Walter's with the New York Philharmonic. It's literally poetry in motion, and it's very special. Though not the equal of Walter, Leonard Bernstein and the NY Philharmonic provide an extremely well characterized alternative.

There's not much I can say that other reviewers haven't covered in spades, but I do want to call attention to David Hurwitz's line about balancing passion with discipline. This is particularly true in the "Unfinished" symphony, which always runs the risk of being bogged down with sap by well-meaning but overly Romantic conductors. Szell's "Unfinished" is appropriately spooky and atmospheric, tender and lyrical, and furious by turns, but its hallmark is that it keeps moving, never allowing the momentum to flag. It's similar to Carlos Kleiber's famous recording, but I think Szell's is even better: Kleiber brings an intensity that almost overwhelms the work's atmosphere, whereas Szell balances his momentum with a keen ear for the mood of each movement, resulting in a performance that perfectly captures the completely unique sound of this symphony. The same is true in the "Great" symphony, wherein Szell and the Clevelanders somehow combine incisive rhythmic attacks and metronome-perfect precision with the singing quality unique to Schubert's music. Listen in particular to the sharply accented opening of the Scherzo (with the strings digging away at their instruments!), and then contrast it with the lilting, bucolic Trio, in which Szell calls attention to the beautiful scenery without bogging down the whole works in Romantic admiration. A truly thoughtful, well-considered performance that isn't afraid to be intellectual *or* powerful, and does indeed miraculously combine the two. A seemingly impossible feat? Yes, but this is Szell and Cleveland - impossible was the order of the day. The hell-for-leather last few measures of the "Great", with that last note that blasts out of the speakers, cement the greatness of the rest of this disc. This disc would be a bargain at ten times the price, but for the price it's offered at, you should feel no hesitation at clicking that "Buy" button right now. As far as I know, this CD's out of print, so don't wait until it's gone.

I love the Cleveland orchestra and I love Szell, and his way with Mozart's symphonies is unsurpassed for me. But this Schubert somehow isn't there. True the musicians play with all the precision and beauty you'd expect. But the results are a little...flat. I do enjoy this recording, but there's something "Schubertian" that's missing. Someone once said nature is never far from Schubert's mind, but to me it sounds far from Szell's mind. There's too much tautness here, too much of a martial precision. Simply, Szell is a little too straight-laced. For those who say look no further, this is the best Schubert ever!, etc., I have to wonder if they've ever heard Furtwangler's amazing 1942 and '43 traversals, or even in modern times Harnoncourt's recordings of the Schubert symphonies. (I'm not a Harnoncourt fan in general, but this set gets highest possible marks from me.) I also agree with Samanthajane that the tempi in the "Great" are too fast, and we don't get that magnificent spirituality that's so central to this symphony. These are not BAD recordings, but in this hypercompetitive repertoire there are better introductions to these works.

I recently purchased the CD reissue of this recording for Szell's reading of the Unfinished. I remember being impressed with it in its original coupling with the Mendelssohn Italian Symphony on vinyl disc. Szell's recordings of both the Eighth and the Ninth Symphonies are superb. I played two other vinyl disc recordings of the Unfinished before playing Szell to select a recording for inclusion on a tape of Schubert's music. I listened to Karajan, then Giulini. I found the Giulini superior to the Karajan, but the Szell vastly superior to both. Listen to the Unfinished on bookshelf speakers. Szell gives everything in interpreting this music, restraint in the piano passages, thunder in the fortissimos, perfect pacing and warmth throughout. I have been a rabid collector of classical recordings since the early 70's, and I regard this recording along with Solti's complete Carmen opera and Ormandy's Pathetique on Sony as representing the very pinnacle of the recorded romantic repertoire.

I've lost count of the number of Sony "Essential Classics" bargain discs I have but I know they are nearly all really special performances and this one is no exception. Despite a little tape hiss - these recordings are over fifty years old, for goodness' sake - the sound remains crisp and startlingly immediate. Just listen to how the Cleveland strings articulate the repeated arpeggios of the second subject in the Finale of the "Great". That illustration will also serve to highlight the virtuosity of the Cleveland players; Barbirolli with the Hallé cannot compete, for all that he secures an affectionate and highly characterful performance in his second, 1964 recording of this piece, of which I am very fond. Even the Berlin Philharmonic under Tennstedt sound simply smooth and unruffled compared with the crackling intensity of the playing Szell demands from his Cleveland band. Their discipline is absolute but this never results in stilted interpretation.

Many look to Fürtwängler for the best readings of these symphonies but I do not find him to be a natural Schubertian; there is surely something too Prussian and Olympian about his temperament to admit of Viennese charm whereas Szell attacks both works with a hectic flush in his cheek. Barbirolli meanwhile steers a more genial middle course between Szell's freneticism and Fürtwängler's ponderousness. With Fürtwängler, the second movement of the Eighth plods and fails to gain momentum, whereas Szell achieves first delicacy, then a majestic stride, before conjuring a kind of cautious but consolatory tripping motion from the oboes and clarinets. In the Ninth, I find that Szell brings much more variety in phrasing and dynamics as well allowing the low strings to emerge with greater clarity. A third successful way is found in Barbirolli's more affectionate manner, an approach enhanced by the spacious recorded sound given to him by Dutton. In the Scherzo, Szell risks all by shaving an incredible four minutes off most conductors' timings, taking only 7'20" and similarly the Finale is one and a half to two minutes faster than most - but it all hangs together and creates an impression of momentum, drive and exuberance. It is extraordinary how precise the Cleveland remain under the duress of Szell's extreme tempi and the result is thrilling. Szell strikes me as being at ease with Schubert's mercurial invention, of knowing exactly what he's doing and what he wants to achieve.

I very much enjoy Barbirolli's relaxed charm and Tennstedt's grand authority but in the end it is Szell whose overview is most convincing and engaging.

I agree with a previous reviewer who says that he started out admiring Szell, went through a priod of being disappointed by him, and then returned to a newfound admiration. For anyone who wants to find a way back to Szell (I realize that his army of loyal fans never left), this Schubert disc is a good place to start. Szell's predominant virtues -- a strong linear moomentum, crisp articulation, and impeccable discipline -- are shown off to best advantage in the "Unfinished" and "Great C Majaor symphonies, two works that thrive when they are played like Beethoven rather than Mendelssohn.

The "Unfinished" is polished perfectly, the exact opposite of Bruno Walter's looser, more affectionate reading. There's room for a version like Szell's that makes you marvel at its tonal balance and perfection of ensemble. Tempos are conventional except for a somewhat sped-up second movement. There's no reaching for emotion. Impeccable execution is allowed to have its own eloquence, and here it does.

The same holds true in the C Major, where long stretches of repetition often lull orchestras into sloppy ensemble. Not here. The upteenth repeat of an ostinato figure in the violins (e.g., triplets going for dozens of measures without change) remains as alert and buoyant as the first. There's no getting around the fact that Szell was a dispassionate condcutor, but in place of felt emotion, he brings out a pristine quality in Schubert that is refreshingly innocent. Tempo relationships are subtly judged, which prevents monotony as the same melodic material returns with slight variations. After a brisk but relaxed Andante, the Scherzo is one of the most vivacious I've heard. The finale proceeds without scrambling in the violins, albeit it could use a bit more geniality.

In all, these are outstanding performances. In his heyday Szell competed at Columbia Records with Ormandy, Bernstein, and Walter -- he wasn't even granted entry to the main label but was shifted off to Epic and its notorious hiss. Here the hiss is gone, and even without remastering we get a true sense of the polished machine that the Clevelanders were proud to be.

SZELL...it was said that every single recording he made should be bought. It comes no further from the truth. The 9th indeed is a marriage of both Tocanini's precision and drive with Furtwangler's spirituality and emotions. The beautiful harmonies in the 2nd movement 2nd theme is weaved out nicely with balance and unison yet with each part evident. In the 4th movement, a really spirited and energetic display of true emsemble playing by Cleveland. A PERFECT RECORDING! Now the 8th...the mysterious beginning of the 8th comes out eloquently with a slightly too loud Robert Marcellus in the clarinet solo...goes on into controlled dynamicism and contrast in the many sfzs that follows. If it was priced at normal, it is top-class. What can I say given that it is budget? STUPENDOUS!

My favorite recording of the Great C Major remains Furtwangler/Berlin Philharmonic on DG. Szell's view is from an opposite pole, but no less enthralling. Here, both symphonies are beautifully recorded, and if one wanted to introduce a neophyte to classical music, better examples would be hard to find.

This is my favorite recording of the 'Unfinished' Symphony -- classic, poised, yet romantic, song-like, touched with mystery and sorrow in the second movement.

It's hard to believe quality can be had this cheap!

I have owned these performances since they first appeared on Epic Lp's. They remain as beautifully shaped and flawlessly played as ever, and sound better with each remastering. The 8th is especially fine, since the slightly more spacious recording captures the orchestra's tonal beauty as well as its strength. Amazingly, this disc costs less than the two LP's originally released! Don't miss this, even if you already own other recordings of these works.