BaL 10.11.12 Schubert's - 4th Symphony "Tragic"

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Richard Wigmore with a personal recommendation from recordings of Schubert's 4th Symphony "The Tragic.".

Available recordings:

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado
Berliner Philharmoniker, Daniel Barenboim
Dresden Staatskapelle, Herbert Blomstedt
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Böhm
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Orchestra of the 18th Century, Bruggen
Dresden State Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis (download)
Leningrad Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Dmitriev
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer
Moscow Orchestra, Roland Freisitzer
USSR SO, Alexander Gauk
Berliner Philharmoniker, Carlo Maria Giulini
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini
The Hanover Band, Roy Goodman
Budapest Failoni Chamber Orchestra, Michael Halasz
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Anima Eterna Brugge, Jos van Immerseel
London Symphony Orchestra, Don Jackson
Stockholm Sinfonietta, Neeme Järvi
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Istvan Kertesz
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik
Philharmonica Hungarica, Peter Maag
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
Menuhin Festival Orchestra, Yehudi Menuhin
Sinfonia Varsovia, Yehudi Menuhin
Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Gordan Nikolic
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Roger Norrington
London Classical Players, Roger Norrington
Bamberger Symphoniker, Jonathan Nott
Real Filharmonia de Galicia, Helmuth Rilling
Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Tamás Vásáry
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, George Vass
Radio Symphony Orchestra Saarbrucken, Marcello Viotti
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-orchester, Gunter Wand
South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hans Zender
Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, David Zinman

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It was Antony Hopkins who introduced me to this work in his "Talking About Music" series. I loved the slow movement, and was struck by its resemblance to the A flat Impromptu Op.142, no. 2.

[Pabmusic]

I see from Amazon that this mono recording is still available:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Conduc...1857692&sr=8-1

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Do you happen to know which orchestra is playing? In the meantime, I'll just add the conductor's name to the list.

[Pabmusic]

Do you happen to know which orchestra is playing? In the meantime, I'll just add the conductor's name to the list.

It's the LPO. It was recorded in 1959 and I'm wrong in calling it mono.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's the LPO. It was recorded in 1959 and I'm wrong in calling it mono.

Many thanks.

[HighlandDougie]

I see from Amazon that this mono recording is still available:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Conduc...1857692&sr=8-1

And very good it is, too. I don't think that the original recording (made for Concert Hall) was ever the highest of fidelities but in its remastered form it is clear and quite bright. I bought this compilation for the César Franck Symphony and was very pleased to discover this Schubert 4th. Anyone who likes Boult's Schumann is likely to warm to his affectionate but no-nonsense approach - different to Beecham but just as enjoyable

[vinteuil]

Many thanks as always to Alpensinfonie for the research that has gone in to the production of the list.

I don't know whether the Frans Brüggen / Orchestra of the 18th Century on philips is still available.

I like it a lot.

There is / was also a Menuhin / Menuhin Festival Orchestra on EMI. Didn't do much for me...

[aeolium]

There is also István Kertész with the VPO - may be only available as part of a complete set (which I much enjoyed).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't know whether the Frans Brüggen / Orchestra of the 18th Century on philips is still available.

I like it a lot.

There is / was also a Menuhin / Menuhin Festival Orchestra on EMI. Didn't do much for me...

Both of these seem to be available and there's a second Menuhin version too.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There is also István Kertész with the VPO - may be only available as part of a complete set (which I much enjoyed).

Fancy me forgetting that one. It's the only one I possess.
List duly amended.

[jayne lee wilson]

Always felt that Hans Zender's cycle on Hanssler never got anything like its due (I much prefer it to Colin Davis in Dresden), and it includes a great 4th!

Oh, and there's another Harnoncourt (live) reading from 1996, with the Berlin Phil on Teldec, c/w Schumann's 4th. The latter is the more frequently heard revision - Harnoncourt gave us the original 4th with his terrific COE Schumann cycle.
The two Berlin 4ths are excellent!

[PJPJ]

Eduard van Beinum's fine Decca recording with the Concertgebouw is in this box:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Recordings-1948-1953-Concertgebouw-Orchestra-Amsterdam/dp/B00008CLMH/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1351881754&sr=1-8

[Barbirollians]

Boult for me ! Abbado a close second.

[verismissimo]

Think I've only ever heard VPO/Kertesz in this symphony, so Saturday will be a revelation.