Search - Robert Schumann, David Zinman, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra :: Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3

Romantic Adventure.

D. Seymour | Atlanta, GA USA | 04/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a Beethoven fanatic, Schumann's symphonies will not disappoint. He has wonderful technical precision backed by a Germanic gift for sounding particularly pastoral in the best sense of the word. The sparkling Finale to the Symphony No. 2 will surely capture your attention. The highlight of the disc, however is the Rhenish Symphony. Shumann dispatches with the usual 1-2 minute prelude and launches you immediately into an afternoon adventure theme. The Scherzo's rocking melody distincly captures the feel of a boat ride down the Rhine. Schumann's much maligned orchestration also sounds slightly more polished in the Rhenish. He obviosly enjoyed himself while he was writing this symphony and it shows."

Eh...

Ryan Richards | Midland, MI United States | 11/20/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Don't get me wrong; I don't think this CD is bad at all. I just don't think it's especially good. Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony play these symphonies with skill and precision, and their interpretations are definitely solid. However, their playing style is a bit lackluster for my taste; they just don't seem to have a solid grasp of the heroic/romantic nature of these two works. This is particularly evident in the Second symphony, which the orchestra plays in a nice, polished fashion: there's nothing wrong with playing like that (indeed, many orchestras strive to achieve that playing style), but when playing a work that's supposed to musically symbolize Schumann's personal "triumph over darkness," "polish" just isn't quite enough. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you're buying this CD solely based on its own merits, since there is a lot to like here; as aforementioned, the playing is extremely solid. When I compare this CD to the more inspired, powerful interpretations of Levine, Dohnanyi or Von Karajan, however, I'm left with the impression that things could be better than this."