Track Listing

1. Symphony No. 8 in B minor ('Unfinished'), D. 759: Allegro moderato
2. Symphony No. 8 in B minor ('Unfinished'), D. 759: Andante con moto
3. Symphony No. 9 in C major ('The Great'), D. 944: Andante... Allegro ma non troppo
4. Symphony No. 9 in C major ('The Great'), D. 944: Andante con moto
5. Symphony No. 9 in C major ('The Great'), D. 944: Scherzo & Trio, Allegro vivace
6. Symphony No. 9 in C major ('The Great'), D. 944: Allegro vivace

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #151746 in Music
• Released on: 1992-11-17
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com essential recording
Schubert's two greatest orchestral works on one CD at budget price--if the performances were indifferent this would be no bargain at all, but they are superb. In fact, these versions may have been equaled, but they have never been surpassed. George Szell understood intuitively how to balance Romantic passion with intellectual discipline. In difficult pieces like the Schubert Ninth, he rose to the challenge like an Olympic athlete after a new world record. The recordings he made in his prime with his own Cleveland Orchestra comprise one of the most satisfying legacies in the history of classical music on disc. Within even this impressive legacy, these performances stand high. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Great Great
Both symphonic performances on this disc are outstanding. However, as most reviewers liked the 8th, I will comment on the 9th. Like a few individuals below, I began to wonder if other versions were better. Therefore, I compared this disc with other recommendations, and Szell's repeatedly came out on top.

I compared the Szell disc with Solti's recent re-release on the fabulous Decca Legends series. Szell's first movement was grander, more forceful, though not lacking in dynamic contrasts. The Cleveland strings sang sweetly, while brass and woodwinds all had a fullness that defied the age of the budget-priced recording. The Solti disc had a few moments of grandeur, but with much more pianissimo playing that diminished the overall impact of the Great introduction. Gramophone/Penguin reviewers always put a premium on "hushed" playing, consistently criticizing CBS discs for lack of a "true pianissmo" (note however Penguin typically awards Szell discs the highest rating of three stars with a bracketed third star, not two stars). Despite this, Szell's discs are always right-on with dynamics, and the Gramophone/Penguin recommendations in such circumstances are often much less entertaining. Also noteworthy in the Solti performance was the absence of his signature fast tempi and crisp ensemble.

Though I preferred Szell's middle movements as well, the most significant distinction was in the fourth movement. Much has been made about the rhythmic precision of the Cleveland ensemble, which was demonstrated in the fourth movement of the 9th symphony as nowhere else. The pulse was lively, and what was so astounding was how the meter of the underlying triplets never wavered as the overlying melody sang out most memorably. The overall result was fantastic symphonic music-making. The last movement of the Solti disc was anti-climactic as the tempo was slower than expected. Though the Decca Legends recordings are generally outstanding, I preferred the CBS/Sony sound in this particular case.

I also compared Wand's Hamberg and Berlin recordings of these symphonies and still found Szell's more to my liking. Try some of the other recommendations if you must, but in the end you'll most likely realize these are the finest.

For Either Symphony...Look NO Further
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.

"Great C Major" rates an A ; "Unfinished", a B .
Though I do like Josef Krips, Bruno Walter, Karl Bohm (with the Dresden Staatskapelle) and Hermann Abendroth in the Ninth, it's George Szell 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 an otherwise excellent reading, I am annoyed, at times, by his tendency to slow the pace to a crawl. Yes, I understand that some feel Szell moves too much in the opposite direction, so that "smelling the flowers" becomes difficult or impossible. After listening frequently to this account for many years, I have come full circle, from fondness to disfavor to admiration. I have also come to the realization that with Szell I can "smell the flowers" AND enjoy the driving energy, as well as revel in the superb articulation of the Cleveland Orchestra all at once. I recall the words used by some commentator years ago, when he described the performance in this way: "It soars..it blazes..it is a marvel !"

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. Karl Bohm's with the Dresden Staatskapelle and Leonard Bernstein's with the New York Philharmonic are also extremely well characterized.