Search - Robert Schumann, Riccardo Chailly, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra :: Schumann: Symphony No. 1 in B Flat Major, Op. 38 (Spring); Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120

Chailly is relaxed and singing, but the real stars are the o

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/10/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a dedicated modernist, Chailly has been cautious about the standard Romantic repertoire, and his besetting flaw has been emotional restraint. But he has a natural feeling for Schumann's symphonies. I was impressed by his outings with the Leipzig Gewandhaus, using as a hook the Mahler edition of the symphonies. But here's an even better example of Chailly's deep sympathy with Schumann, in two warm, unabashedly romantic readings. the accusation was leveled at Schumann that his symphonies aren't truly symphonic but are extensions of is piano style. I've never gotten the point, but it's certainly true that his orchestral music requires the same qualities that a great pianist would bring: a lyric line, heartfelt feeling, and flexible rubato. All are present here, and in addition chailly adds personality -- not as much as Bernstein does but just as convincingly.



After so many years of loving Bernstein's Schumann, I wonder if I don't prefer this CD from 1991, a time when the concertgebouw was playing with a glow for Chailly. thanks to Decca's outstanding sound, we hear every detail of the woodwinds, even in tutties. thee's a freshness and bounce to the pacing, but if you want Bernstein's visceral excitement, it isn't here. Nor is Klemperer's grandeur or Karajan's epic sweep. Chailly is measured and musical, which sounds like faint praise, but once you hear the opening fanfare of the First, so beautifully balanced and confidently sung, there's no turning away. The Fourth Sym. is moodier and requires the conductor to swing between storm and exaltation. chailly is more likely to stay on the positive side, but how can one object to a reading so full of sunny joy? The pacing is always forward, which makes the Romanza less melancholy. The Scherzo is somewhat impersonal, and the finale lets go of energy and mystery. But given such remarkable playing and recording, Chailly's Schumann is impressive."