Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 (complete) Berliner Philharmoniker & Sir Simon Rattle

• 1 1. Andante un poco maestoso - Allegro molto vivace - Animato 11:20
• 2 2. Larghetto - 05:45
• 3 3. Scherzo: Molto vivace - Trio 1: Molto più vivace - Tempo 1 - Trio 2 - Coda 05:36
• 4 4. Allegro animato e grazioso 08:24
• 5 1. Andante con moto - Allegro di molto - Animato 08:24
• 6 2. Romanza: Andante 03:58
• 7 3. Scherzo: Presto - Trio - Scherzo - Trio - Largo 06:56
• 8 4. Finale: Allegro vivace - Più vivace - Stringendo - Presto 05:37
• 9 1. Sostenuto assai - Un poco più vivace - Allegro, ma non troppo 12:07
• 10 2. Scherzo: Allegro vivace - Trio 1 - Trio 2 07:30
• 11 3. Adagio espressivo 10:14
• 12 4. Allegro molto vivace 08:10
• 13 1. Lebhaft 08:54
• 14 2. Scherzo: Sehr mäßig 06:01
• 15 3. Nicht schnell 04:41
• 16 4. Feierlich 05:26
• 17 5. Lebhaft – Schneller 05:34
• Total Runtime 02:04:37

Info for Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 (complete)

For Simon Rattle, Robert Schumann is 'the echt Romantic'. And in fact, the exuberance of the period, its passion and its melancholy can be heard with unique intensity in Schumann's music to this day. Schumann’s four symphonies have always been part of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s core repertoire, and a 1953 Wilhelm Furtwängler recording, in particular, has long been held in the highest regard. The cycle of four symphonies presented now has accompanied the Berliner Philharmoniker through the whole of 2013 – in Berlin and on tour in Europe and Asia. The performances were called a “defining moment” by Tagesspiegel, while the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung praised the orchestra’s “truly sensational quality.” A special feature of this recording is the performance of the early version of the Fourth Symphony from 1841, which appealed to Simon Rattle for its extra “lightness, grace and beauty,” compared to the established later version.

Simon Rattle says about this first release on Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings: “The Schumann Symphonies have never been considered one of the sure-fire big sellers of all music, but for us Berliner Philharmoniker, this music is closer to our hearts than al- most any other. So we think it is wonderful to launch our new label with Schumann. We believe that these recordings are something special, and that we have a very distinct point of view on these wonderful pieces. So we said, let’s share our interpretations with others. And hopefully this is really the start of a new wave of orchestra-produced recordings.”

“Rattle displays a fine affinity with these scores and though the orchestra members must have played these symphonies many times there’s never the slightest suspicion of routine here: everything sounds fresh and newly discovered – though I hasten to add that there’s never a suspicion of disruptive point-making.” (MusicWeb International)

“Well-thought-out tempo changes and plenty of rubato make for generally very persuasive accounts of all four symphonies. Rattle has clearly thought long and hard about exactly how to bring these works to life with a large symphony orchestra, carefully balancing winds and brass so as not to obscure any other details.” (Chris O′Reilly, Presto Classical)

“There is something surprisingly Karajan-esque about Rattle’s interpretations here – surprising because Rattle has conducted Schumann widely and his performances bristle with period-conscious style... the BPO’s well-upholstered sound, at once lithe and warm, is indubitably impressive.” (The Daily Telegraph, UK)

Camilla Tilling, Soprano
Magdalena Kožená, Mezzo-Soprano
Topi Lehtipuu, Tenor (Arias)
Mark Padmore, Tenor (Evangelist)
Roderick Williams, Baritone (Christus)
Christian Gerhaher, Baritone (Pilatus, Petrus)
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Simon Halsey, Chorus Master
Peter Sellars, Staging

Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor

Live recording from the Philharmonie in Berlin, February and November 2013

No biography found.

Booklet for Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 (complete)