Schubert: Symphonien Nos. 8 & 9

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Staatskapelle Dresden is Germany's finest orchestra--always has been--and they play this music with consummate authority. In fact, this is rather more their show than it is Giuseppe Sinopoli's and while nothing ever goes wrong with these perfectly sensible readings, you can hear this orchestra to even better effect with Sawallisch on Philips, or Blomstedt on Berlin Classics, all for much less money. Need I say more? --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Sandor Vegh made it again!.......2007-01-17

And this time with one of the most known works of the symphonic repertoire: Schubert 's unfinished under the wise baton of this genius acquires sublime transcendence where Vegh demonstrates us an universe behind the score.

The Ninth is extraordinary too.

By any reason, you should not miss this outstanding version!

Average customer rating:

Excellent playing, mannered interpretation.

Schubert: Symphonien Nos. 8 & 9

Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001GIL
Release Date: 1993-04-01

Tracks:

Sym no.8 in b, D 759 'Unfinished': 1. Allegro moderato
Sym no.8 in b, D 759 'Unfinished': 2. Andante con moto
Sym no.9 in C, D 944 'The Great': 1. Andante-Allegro ma non troppo
Sym no.9 in C, D 944 'The Great': 2. Andante con moto
Sym no.9 in C, D 944 'The Great': 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace-Trio
Sym no.9 in C, D 944 'The Great': 4. Allegro vivace

Amazon.com

The Staatskapelle Dresden is Germany's finest orchestra--always has been--and they play this music with consummate authority. In fact, this is rather more their show than it is Giuseppe Sinopoli's and while nothing ever goes wrong with these perfectly sensible readings, you can hear this orchestra to even better effect with Sawallisch on Philips, or Blomstedt on Berlin Classics, all for much less money. Need I say more? --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Excellent playing, mannered interpretation........2006-12-28

Giuseppe Sinopoli was a conductor of great technical accomplishment, with a fine ear, who produced questionable interpretations of much of the orchestral repertoire.

The "Unfinished" Symphony is given a relatively straightforward performance. It would be self recommending if there were not so many fine performances of this repertory staple already available.

The 9th Symphony (called "the Great" to distinguish it from its smaller companion in the same key) fares less well. The first movement starts promisingly, but soon after the introduction Sinopoli begins pulling apart the tempo like so much taffy, destroying structural continuity. I've always thought this movement works best when performed in more or less a straight line, allowing tension to build as the piece approaches the coda. The Andante proceeds relatively mannerism free, while the following movement is limp as a dishrag. Marked Scherzo, it's performed more like an old fashioned Minuet, which is certainly not what Schubert - - influenced by Beethoven - - intended. The final movement begins at a sensible tempo, which Sinopoli alters for no reason whatsoever (the tempo changes in the recording are not in any copy of the score I've seen). As with the Scherzo, the Allegro vivace is lacking rhythmic drive, so that the symphony peters out rather than concluding.

Despite the excellent sonics and fine orchestral playing, this disc is a non-starter.