Staatskapelle Dresden, Wolfgang Sawallisch – Schumann: The Four Symphonies, Ouverture, Scherzo & Finale (1973/2015) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Robert Schumann – The Four Symphonies, Ouverture, Scherzo & Finale – Staatskapelle Dresden, Wolfgang Sawallisch (1973/2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time – 02:28:15 minutes | 2,93 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Master, Official Digital Download  – Source: Qobuz | Front cover | ©  Warner Classics
Recorded: 09/1972, Lukas Church, Dresden, Germany

Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Staatskapelle Dresden make fitting and eloquent interpreters of Schumann’s four symphonies, each a highly distinctive work. The city of Dresden was the composer’s home for six years, while Sawallisch was a keen advocate of his large-scale work. For all the energy and passion that Sawallisch communicates in these performances, he does not impose himself on the music; he is content to illuminate and reinforce Schumann’s inspired, if sometimes idiosyncratic arguments.

There are three (or four) indisputably great Schumann symphony cycles-Bernstein’s (Sony or DG), Szell’s, and this one. All three have one thing in common, however different their approaches in other respects: they take the outer movements of each symphony with tremendous excitement and verve, making sure that wind parts and contrapuntal lines sound clearly. The virtues of Wolfgang Sawallisch’s performances are well known and include his eruptive way with the “Spring” Symphony, the virtuosic scherzo of the Second and its brilliantly triumphant finale, the blazing energy he brings to the opening of the “Rhenish”, and the thrilling first-movement development of the Fourth (has its motto theme’s triumphant first appearance ever been better prepared and executed?). Of course, different listeners will have their own favorite passages, but uniting it all is the superb playing of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Toss in the best-ever version of the Overture, Scherzo and Finale (an unjustly neglected masterpiece if ever there was one), and you have a set that belongs in every serious record collection. A/B comparison with previous issues reveals very little sonic improvement in this new remastering, save for the higher-level transfer. On some systems these performances tend to sound overly bright, though I have always found them excellently balanced and, if not exactly mellow, never strident or shrill. A magnificent reissue. -David Hurwitz, Classics Today

Tracklist:

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Disc#1

Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38, ‘Spring’
1 I. Andante poco maestoso – Allegro molto vivace 11:31
2 II. Larghetto 07:01
3 III. Scherzo (Molto vivace) – Trio I – Trio II 05:24
4 IV. Allegro animato e grazioso 08:22

Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120
5 I. Ziemlich langsam – Lebhaft 10:20
6 II. Romanze (Ziemlich langsam) 04:10
7 III. Scherzo (Lebhaft) & Trio 05:17
8 IV. Langsam – Lebhaft 07:57

Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52
9 Overture (Andante con moto – Allegro) 06:36
10 Scherzo (Vivo) 03:53
11 Finale (Allegro molto vivace) 06:36

Disc#2
Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61
1 I. Sostenuto assai – Allegro ma non troppo 12:32
2 II. Scherzo (Allegro vivace) – Trio I – Trio II 06:42
3 III. Adagio espressivo 10:18
4 IV. Allegro molto vivace 08:07

Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, ‘Rhenish’
5 I. Lebhaft 08:55
6 II. Scherzo (Sehr mäßig) 06:42
7 III. Nicht schnell 05:30
8 IV. Feierlich 06:53
9 V. Lebhaft 05:29

Personnel:
Staatskapelle Dresden
Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor

Download:

mqs.link_SchumannTheFurSymphniesStaatskapelleDresdenWlfgangSawallisch19732015Qbuz2496.part1.rar
mqs.link_SchumannTheFurSymphniesStaatskapelleDresdenWlfgangSawallisch19732015Qbuz2496.part2.rar
mqs.link_SchumannTheFurSymphniesStaatskapelleDresdenWlfgangSawallisch19732015Qbuz2496.part3.rar
mqs.link_SchumannTheFurSymphniesStaatskapelleDresdenWlfgangSawallisch19732015Qbuz2496.part4.rar