Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 [Hybrid SACD] [Hybrid SACD - DSD, Import]

Robert Schumann (Composer), Thomas Dausgaard (Conductor), Swedish Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Swedish Chamber Orchestra
• Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard
• Composer: Robert Schumann
• Audio CD (October 28, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD, Import
• Label: Bis
• ASIN: B001HADE6E
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,206 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Rhenish'), Op. 97: 1. Lebhaft

2. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Rhenish'), Op. 97: 2. Scherzo. Sehr mäßig

3. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Rhenish'), Op. 97: 3. Nicht schnell

4. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Rhenish'), Op. 97: 4. Feierlich

5. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ('Rhenish'), Op. 97: 5. Lebhaft

6. Manfred, overture & incidental music, Op. 115: Overture

7. Overture to Goethe's Hermann und Dorothea, for orchestra in B minor, Op. 136

8. Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120: 1. Ziemlich langsam - Lebhaft

9. Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120: 2. Romanze. Ziemlich langsam

10. Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120: 3. Scherzo. Lebhaft

11. Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120: 4. Langsam - Lebhaft

Editorial Reviews

For some years, Thomas Dausgaard and his Swedish Chamber Orchestra have been developing their project "Opening Doors," performing symphonies and other orchestral works from the Romantic era with the smaller-than-usual forces of a modern-day chamber orchestra. It has been possible to sample the results of this approach in various music centers around the world during the team's extensive tours, as well as on disc. The present disc is the fourth of their "Opening Doors" recordings and at the same time the closing disc of a "series within a series" - a triptych featuring Schumann's complete symphonies. Symphony No.3 in E flat major ('Rhenish'), Op.97 I. Lebhaft II. Scherzo. Sehr mäßig III. Nicht schnell IV. Feierlich V. Lebhaft Overture to 'Manfred', Op.115 Hermann und Dorothea, Overture, Op.126 Symphony No.4 in D minor, Op.120 (final version, 1851) I. Ziemlich langsam - Lebhaft - II. Romanze. Ziemlich langsam - III. Scherzo. Lebhaft - IV. Langsam - Lebhaft

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Finale to a Good Schumann Cycle, November 17, 2008

By 

Ken Gildner - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 [Hybrid SACD] (Audio CD)

Upon second hearing, I'm quite impressed with the new Dausgaard/Swedish Chamber Orchestra recording of Schumann's Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4. I didn't know what to expect from a chamber orchestra rendition of my favourite piece of music (the 'Rhenish'), but Dausgaard has used his forces to great effect. The opening Lebhaft is taken at a brisk tempo, which seems a bit startling at first but settles in very nicely. The smaller forces allow for wonderful dynamic changes, with even the pp string accents that dot the movement well audible. The acceleration into the final bars seems a bit strange, but proves effective. The second movement Scherzo perhaps doesn't resonate as deeply as when done with a full orchestra, but the crescendi throughout the movement are done quite well and accompanied by exuberant timpani. The middle movement, Nicht Schnell, is just that--not too quick, and very pleasant; the woodwinds give a clear performance. The deceleration into the final pianissimo notes seems a bit much, though it does emphasize the jarring entrance into the one contrasting movement, the famous Feierlich, the opening notes of which paint as convincing a picture as I've heard of a procession at Cologne Cathedral. However, the entrance to the lovely trombone chorale seems a bit rushed, and while the trombones come across brightly, their lines seem a bit murky. The final three chords of the movement are also somewhat disjointed. The final Lebhaft features an interesting blending of melodic lines and good dynamic contrasts, though the orchestra seems a bit inarticulate when compared to their wonderful opening movement. The build-up to the coda is truly invigourating, with the brass coming through very colourfully (if a touch too colourfully) through to the final notes.

The Fourth Symphony (the final version of the work; the original draft was released by the same ensemble a couple of years ago along with the Second Symphony) is taken very briskly--quite the opposite to Szell or Furtwängler, but nonetheless intriguing. The motivic variations throughout the work are highlighted very well, and each section comes through clearly (another benefit of the chamber forces). However, Dausgaard's lively tempi seem to fail in the Trio portion of the third movement, where, after an exciting first section of the movement, the lines tend to merge into one another and caused me to lose my focus.

The two overtures are played very well; the 'Manfred' Overture in particular almost comes across as a completely different piece of music than that which is usually recorded with a full orchestra, sounding much less brooding and swelling. The sound quality, as with the previous two releases in the series, is top-notch. The series won't displace my two favourites (Dohnanyi/Cleveland and Sawallisch/Dresden), but I've certainly enjoyed listening to some of my favourite music from a traditional (non-traditional?) approach.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dausgaard & Danish Chamber Orch: Schumann Syms: Not one complaint, really lovely readings, March 6, 2009

By 

Dan Fee "music fan aka drdanfee" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 [Hybrid SACD] (Audio CD)

On this disc we have the third symphony and the revised (later) version of the fourth symphony. Another excellent disc offers the second and the original composer's version of the fourth. A third disc completes the set with the first symphony, two overtures - Messelina and Genoveva, a Zwickau fragment, and the Overture-Scherzo-Finale that failed to become a full symphony.

Immediately, this SACD multichannel release gets comparisons and competition from the existing catalog, especially from two directions. An immediate comparison arises with Lawrence Foster's super audio readings on Pentatone. He has given us the first two symphonies, leading the Czech Philharmonic. His completion of this series, presenting him and the band in the third and (revised) fourth symphony is pending release very soon. (USA? About March 31st, per Amazon.) Foster's disc is also super audio and multiple channels.

Another comparison arises with David Zinman leading the very fine Tonhalle Zurich orchestra, reduced to chamber sizes in regular, red book CD stereo. (An inexpensive Arte Nova set) Some comparison might also be made with Zinman's other complete Schumann symphony series, where he leads the Baltimore Symphony on Telarc. So, a comparison with a big band reading in Baltimore, and a very different chamber band-sized Tonhalle.

All these options are very fine Schumann readings, indeed; though some reviewers on Amazon did find the Tonhalle readings unconvincing. I was not one of them. That Tonhalle set, to my ears, is not only as winning as many others available; but sets performance standards for occupying a fresh interpretive position, then carrying it off with abundant musical aplomb. Tonhalle manages modern instrument playing that integrates the greater tonal force of modern instruments with positive lessons learned from HIP approaches, like Norrington and Gardiner and Herreweghe (my HIP fav). The Tonhalle set is also affordable - about the price of a very fancy hot drink in the bustling urban cafe; so price helps if you already have one or more favorite symphony sets. The Tonhalle set sent me back to the Baltimore discs. What I felt coming away from that visit to Telarc was that I liked what Zinman was doing in Baltimore quite a bit, too, and that as big band readings go, Baltimore has much to recommend it.

Lawrence Foster and the Czech Phil fit right into this varied set of comparisons, adding multiple channel super audio high resolution into the mix. The Czech band is definitely big band.

With such a great abundance of very good options, I put off getting these Dausgaard readings for as long as I could. I kept hearing excerpts that sounded attractive; yet I kept rationalizing to myself that buying Dausgaard would be too self-indulgent. Who needs overkill on the fav shelves? I chastened myself. Those shelves are already home to: Sawallisch with Dresden, Jerzy Semkow with St. Louis, Szell with Cleveland (remastered in SACD stereo), James Levine with Berlin, Marek Janowski with Royal Liverpool, Kubelik with Bavarian Radio, Mehta with Vienna, Bernstein with Vienna, von Karajan with Berlin, Haitink with Amsterdam, Klemperer with the golden era Philharmonia of London, Solti with Vienna, and my odd-ball preference by a hare's hair - James Levine leading Philadelphia. I top off my fav shelf with two complete sets of Gustav Mahler's re-orchestrations of the original Schumann, one from Aldo Ceccato on BIS, and one from Ricardo Chailly in Leipzig, plus an HIP Set with Herreweghe. (Yes, I'm probably finishing the Foster set once it arrives.)

As one of my extended family told me once, Why, you could play that shelf all day long and not repeat yourself, so don't you have enough Schumann symphonies?

I lost this battle to restrain myself today, because one of the stores where I shop played the whole disc while I was there. Really, these readings are so brimming with musicality, charm, and sheer affection for the composer's music that I was flooded with irresistible beauty, overwhelmed, and happy to be persuaded. One nice detail in this complete set spread across three super audio discs is that Dausgaard gives us both the original and the revised edition of the fourth symphony. From the first notes of the first symphony with its heralding motif for the joyous arrival of Spring, through the shorter filler overtures or unfinished orchestra pieces, through the remaining complete symphonies, I can find nothing negative to say.

Super audio multichannel sound lets the Swedish Chamber Orchestra right into my home listening room. The strings are lovely, but never sound at all thick or heavy with even a touch of massed inertia. The low strings are expertly present, always being apt musical foundations for everything else going on in the Schumann orchestra. The strings' vital aliveness reminds me quite a bit of Zinman in Zurich; but the high resolution bloom is heightened in surround sound. The woodwinds are beautiful. The distinct members of the woodwind family are individually themselves; then when blended or combined in various choirs, they simply pour fourth from the five speakers like a welcome flood of fresh air and sunshine and sparkle. One has no need to lament even for a tiny second that these woodwinds end up playing such a dominant role in the chamber-balanced-band readings. Brass are great, too - sometimes an extension of the strings' or woodwinds' material liquidity, other times providing musical ballast or point or counterweight for the unfolding textures.

Hearing such fine work from Sweden is a bit of a surprise, however welcome a surprise it may be. Yes, Dausgaard has done very competent work; but these three super audio discs represent a musical and high resolution sound leap forward. Now these same forces have turned to Dvorák symphonies, and if that effort turns out as fine as this one, it will become another moving feast, all beauty.

I gave up resisting and let these three beauties win the day. You will have to make your own choices. Five stars, all three super audio discs. Bravo, BIS.