R. Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 Michael Tilson Thomas

• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856): Symphony No. 1 in B- at major, Opus 38, Spring (1841):
• 1 Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring": I. Andante un poco maestoso - Allegro molto vivace 12:38
• 2 Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring": II. Larghetto 06:20
• 3 Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring": III. Scherzo: Molto vivace 06:10
• 4 Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring": IV. Allegro animato e grazioso 09:01
• Symphony No. 2 in C major, Opus 61 (1846):
• 5 Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: I. Sostenuto assai 13:05
• 6 Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: II. Scherzo 07:21
• 7 Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: III. Adagio espressivo 10:22
• 8 Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: IV. Allegro molto vivace 09:20
• Symphony No. 3 in E- at major, Opus 97, Rhenish (1850):
• 9 Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": I. Lebhaft 10:27
• 10 Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": II. Scherzo: Sehr mässig 07:05
• 11 Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": III. Nicht schnell 06:17
• 12 Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": IV. Feierlich 06:35
• 13 Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": V. Lebhaft 06:42
• Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Opus 120 (1841/1851):
• 14 Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120 (1851 Revised Version): I. Ziemlich langsam - Lebhaft 11:25
• 15 Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120 (1851 Revised Version): II. Romanze: Ziemlich langsam 04:18
• 16 Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120 (1851 Revised Version): III. Scherzo: Lebhaft 05:12
• 17 Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120 (1851 Revised Version): IV. Langsam - Lebhaft 09:54
• Total Runtime 02:22:12

Info for R. Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4

The GRAMMY Award-winning team of Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony present a premium edition two-disc recording of the complete symphonies of Robert Schumann, one of the most evocative composers of the Romantic era. Michael Tilson Thomas's nuanced approach accentuates the tender, simple, and vulnerable side of Schumann's symphonies, which MTT calls a „preserve for endangered emotions.“ Recorded live, these performances of Schumann's symphonies were hailed as „nothing short of magnificent“ by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Tilson Thomas states: “Like so much classical music, Schumann’s is a preserve for endangered emotions. He’s talking about wistfulness, whimsy, ardency, longing, setting off recklessly in conflicting directions, losing your way, or just mulling things over... Schumann moves between many sound worlds in these symphonies. Some sections are truly massive and proclamatory. Other parts are soloistic or chamber-like.”

He further shared: “My approach to Schumann—and to the whole standard repertoire—is to vary the number of musicians playing at any given time. According to the musical situation, the orchestra might morph from a large ensemble to a chamber orchestra, and vice versa ... We approached these symphonies from the point of view of Schumann’s piano music, with all its color, unusual effects and voicings. And I wanted these symphonies to sound as though they were being played on the piano, with free and spontaneous turns of phrase and color, and with the music’s wonderful sense of breathing—the way people breathe, sometimes deeply, sometimes with little emotional gasps...I hope these performances suggest a different way of thinking about this repertoire, especially as it prioritizes the tender, simple, and vulnerable side of the music. Although the music is very personal, it feels universal. Schumann’s symphonies are about all of us.”

San Francisco Symphony
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

No biography found.

Booklet for R. Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4