William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5

William Schuman (Composer), Gerard Schwarz (Conductor), Seattle Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Seattle Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Gerard Schwarz
• Composer: William Schuman
• Audio CD (December 12, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos American
• ASIN: B000JVSVEC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,478 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding performance, February 6, 2008

By 

David Thierry "[e-mail]" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 (Audio CD)

Schuman's Third Symphony probably stands with Copland's Third as the two most performed of American symphonies and rightly so. The third symphony is the most approachable and melodic of Schuman's works with a slow movement of sublime beauty to stand with any composers. Beautifully orchestrated, Schuman knew how to use the brass section just as well as Mahler or Bartok. I always felt this music reflected the writing of Emerson and Thoreau, that sort of depth, but that's just me. The polyphonic writing is very rich. The fifth symphony is great fun too, continuing his accomplishments. Don't for a minute think this music is difficult. Schuman communicates beautifully. His most difficult work is the Eighth symphony, filled with gorgeous, yes gorgeous, dissonance in the lower registers, very solemn, profound, moving and beautiful. Try it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Second String Recordings, September 9, 2009

By 

Hegelian (Concord, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 (Audio CD)

The Schuman Third Symphony was a Leonard Bernstein specialty, and his two recordings are superior to Schwarz' account here. It's not a bad performance, though Schwarz takes the climax of the Chorale movement too fast and then the climax at the end of the symphony too slow. But either Bernstein account is to be preferred. Schwarz does better with the Fifth Symphony, so overall this is a nice disc providing alternative accounts of these two works for those of us who have subsisted on Bernstein for decades. But if you don't have a recording of the Third, start with Bernstein on DG.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Symphony No. 3, July 1, 2010

By 

Steven Apergis (Burke, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 (Audio CD)

The main competitions for this recording are those made by Bernstein. I prefer this recording. In spite of his greatness, Bernstein could be terribly sloppy. His recordings of this symphony contain an example of this. In the second movement after the toccata, there is an extended recitative performed by the strings, which includes several unison pizzicato notes. In the Bernstein recordings, these notes appear to include a grace note.

When I checked a copy of the score of the Symphony, I found that these were suppose to be single notes all played at the same time. I can imagine Bernstein waving his arms at the strings and they had no idea when they were suppose to play. Instead of a solid "plunk" we here annoying "kerplunk". I do not care how great Berstein's interpertation is these "kerplunks" drive me crazy.

In this recording one hears a solid attack by the strings. At least in this section one hears what the symphony is suppose to sound like.

I have also heard Slatkin conducting the National Symphony in a performance of the Schuman Third. They also executed a single solid attack in this section.