Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Symphony No. 1, Op. 38: Andante un poco maestoso, Allegro molto vivace
2. Symphony No. 1, Op. 38: Larghetto
3. Symphony No. 1, Op. 38: Scherzo: Molto vivace
4. Symphony No. 1, Op. 38: Allegro animato e grazioso
5. Symphony No. 4, Op. 120: Ziemlich langsam, Lebhaft
6. Symphony No. 4, Op. 120: Romanze: Ziemlich langsam
7. Symphony No. 4, Op. 120: Scherzo: Lebhaft
8. Symphony No. 4, Op. 120: Langsam: Lebhaft
9. Overture: Die Braut von Messina, Op. 100

Disc 2:

1. Symphony No. 2, Op. 61: Sostenuto assai: Allegro ma non troppo
2. Symphony No. 2, Op. 61: Scherzo: Allegro vivace
3. Symphony No. 2, Op. 61: Adagio espressivo
4. Symphony No. 2, Op. 61: Allegro molto vivace
5. Symphony No. 3, Op. 97: Lebhaft
6. Symphony No. 3, Op. 97: Scherzo: Sehr mabig
7. Symphony No. 3, Op. 97: Nicht schnell
8. Symphony No. 3, Op. 97: Feierlich
9. Symphony No. 3, Op. 97: Lebhaft

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #252140 in Music
• Released on: 2001-08-21
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Import

Amazon.com
Admirers of Eschenbach's Bruckner and Mahler recordings will find much to please them here, for he's got Schumann's style down pat. This is especially true in lyric sections like the Romanza of the Symphony No. 4, although some of the slow movements could be more effective with greater intensity. Eschenbach's overall approach is very much in the traditional German manner. That means you won't get the energy that Leonard Bernstein brought to this music or the transparency and detail heard in George Szell's set. The engineering adds to the impression of thick sonorities that dampen the music's power. But Eschenbach's sturdy Schumann is definitely worth hearing for his stylish phrasing and numerous insights. The "Sturm und Drang" overture is a welcome bonus, a short but effective piece we don't hear very often. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews

Quality Schumann
This is a very valuable set. I have a couple of reservations, but frankly, this is one of the few complete sets of the Schumann 4 worth having. Most conductors handle Schumann's symphonies as if they were by Beethoven, Brahms, or Mahler. Very few seem to be able to find the elusive, magical world of this composer. Fortunately, Eschenbach is not one of those. Perhaps since he started as a pianist, he knows the real soul of Schumann, and it comes through quite gloriously in these performances. By comparison, Bernstein seems too overdramatic, Dohnanyi too grim, and Harnoncourt too dour. Szell and Kubelik get the feel right, but Eschenbach comes across as more spontaneous and warm than the former, and more energetic than the latter. The highlight of the set is the "Rhenish" Symphony (#3), which is the finest performance of the work that I have heard, perfectly balancing the textures and tempos with sensitivity and emotion, while never turning sleepy or routine. The others are almost as good, although the First Symphony is a bit less exhuberant than some. The recorded sound is good, although I would have liked it to be a shade clearer. All in all, a fine release from a conductor with very special insights into this music. Highly recommended.

Schumann superbly done.
This set includes the four numbered symphonies and the Overture "Die Braut von Messina". It does not include the original version of the D minor, or the two movements of the "Zwickau" Symphony.
Eschenbach is a natural Schumann conductor who knows how to use "rubato" with just the right give and take for these romantic works. The important repeat is taken in the "Lebhaft" of the first movement of number 4, but the links between the movements in this symphony are not observed(rarely is this done). While the "Spring" Symphony disappoints slightly in its more laid back approach, the others are among the best in the catalogue. If I continue to prefer the Sawallich set, this is still a most worthy effort in excellent sound.