Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3

by Philippe Herreweghe, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Overview

Philippe Herreweghe is a conductor better known for historically oriented performances, but like some others in that field, he has taken up conducting Romantic repertory with conventional orchestras. With the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, he recorded the four Schumann symphonies at different times, with the project apparently delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They're distinctive recordings that stand apart from those of, say, Jordi Savall. Herreweghe wisely declines to shrink his forces down to historical performance standards; his 38 violins seem to be the orchestra's regular complement, and there are no nods toward historical instruments in the other sections. Nevertheless, one can identify this performance as a product of the historical performance movement. Herreweghe reins in his strings in many passages, revealing a wealth of subtle detail in the orchestration whose seeming absence was among the reasons these symphonies were undervalued for so long. The slow movements are full of very subtle shading, and though some may want more oomph in the outer movements, those are carefully etched as well. Herreweghe keeps the tempos fixed, and the end result is a pair of performances that may remind those of a certain age of George Szell's readings of these works with the Cleveland Orchestra; they are dry but far from insensitive. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, probably containing musicians who have worked with Herreweghe before, responds well to his shaping of the two works. Sample and listen carefully to pick up on what Herreweghe is doing here. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2023
Label:	PHI
UPC:	5400439000407

Tracks

1. Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38 'Spring'~I. Andante un poco maestoso - Allegro molto vivace
2. Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38 'Spring'~II. Larghetto
3. Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38 'Spring'~III. Scherzo. Molto vivace
4. Symphony No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 38 'Spring'~IV. Allegro animato e grazioso
5. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97 'Rhenish'~I. Lebhaft
6. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97 'Rhenish'~II. Scherzo. Sehr mäßig
7. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97 'Rhenish'~III. Nicht schnell
8. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97 'Rhenish'~IV. Feierlich
9. Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97 'Rhenish'~V. Lebhaft

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Philippe Herreweghe   Primary Artist,Conductor
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra