Robert Schumann: The Four Symphonies - Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (1981-1984)
Robert Schumann: The Four Symphonies - Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
XLD | FLAC (tracks) | No Log/cue-sheet | Coverart Embedded & High-def JPEG | ~614 Mb
Classical | Philips Digital Classics 416 126-2 (1981-1984)
Released as a complete set of the four symphonies in the mid 1980s, towards the end of Bernard Haitink's twenty-four year tenure as Music Director of the Concertgebouw Orchestra (it added the "Royal" in 1988, after Riccardo Chailly became Music Director), this recording exhibits all of the hallmarks of a Haitink performance - clarity, an excellent sense of tempi - intense without being forced, and an excellent sense of musical architecture. Schumann's symphonies are said to be problematic to perform due to supposedly poor orchestration, but to judge from this performance, none of this evident. It is a performance that is engaging without being forced, and the playing of the orchestra is of extremly high caliber. This holds true for the entire set. Highly recommended.
Years later the set was released again where the Manfred Ouverture was added (part of the original release of the 3rd Symphony by Philips, but omitted from the first box-set); the posted version is without the Manfred Ouverture. Alas…
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