Schubert: Symphonies / Berlin Phil. Harnoncourt
Label: Berlin Philharmonic Recordings Catalog: BPHR150061 Format: CD + BLU RAY Berliner Philharmoniker, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Christian Elsner (tenor), Bernarda Fink (mezzo), Christian Gerhaher (baritone), Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (bass-baritone), Luba Orgonášová (soprano), Birgit Remmert (contralto), Dorothea Röschmann (soprano), Jochen Schmeckenbecher (bass-baritone), Kurt Streit (tenor) Rundfunkchor BerlinSchubert:
Symphony No. 1 in D major, D82
Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, D125
Symphony No. 3 in D major, D200
Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D417 'Tragic'
Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, D485
Symphony No. 6 in C major, D589
Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D759 'Unfinished'
Symphony No. 9 in C major, D944 'The Great'
Mass No. 5 in A flat major, D678
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Mass No. 6 in E flat major, D950
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Alfonso und Estrella, D732
Nikolaus Harnoncourt once said, “Schubert is the composer who is closest to my heart” – and in this edition, Harnoncourt and the Berliner Philharmoniker present a brilliant and multifaceted portrait of the composer. It of course includes Schubert’s symphonies – from the too little-known early works to the “Unfinished” and the “Great” C major Symphony. With Schubert’s final two masses, central works of Romantic sacred music are also represented, plus there is a first-class discovery with the opera Alfonso und Estrella. Harnoncourt’s case for the work is so convincing not least because of the superb cast of singers which includes Kurt Streit, Dorothea Röschmann and Christian Gerhaher. But what lies at the musical centre of this edition is the collaboration of orchestra and conductor. This Schubert is colourful and dramatic – and represents a unique synthesis in which the famous sound of the Berliner Philharmoniker is as evident as Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s familiarity with the transparency and sound speech of historical performance practice. The performances, recorded between 2003 and 2006, are contained on eight CDs, plus there is a Blu-ray disc that presents all of the recordings in uncompressed 24-bit audio. The high quality of the recordings is matched by the standard of the product features, with an extensive booklet, a hardback cover, and a video interview especially produced for this edition in which Nikolaus Harnoncourt talks about his special connection to Schubert. Price: $201.98 |