Vaclav Neumann - Schubert: Symphonies No.3 & No.8 (1966, 1969) [2020 SACD The Valued Collection Platinum]

100th anniversary of von Neumann's birth. Neumann's middle-aged masterpieces are all on SACD for the first time. Master Wenceslas Neumann (1920-1995) revives the masterpiece left in his prime. In addition to Schubert's two symphonies to Supraphon, Beethoven on Nippon Columbia's original is coupled. All songs have been newly mastered from the original master for this release. The beautiful sound of the Golden Age Czech Philharmonic has been revived. All songs on SACD for the first time in the world.

Schubert's two songs were recorded in 1966, and although Neumann left a complete symphony for Mahler and Dvorak in his country, Beethoven and Schubert only recorded some songs. However, there are many songs that are part of the concert repertoire, and the contents of this recording are well thought out. The sound of the woodwinds and strings of the time is fully utilized, and you can hear sounds that do not exist in modern times, such as the unique expression of the instruments in the lively line of movement in Symphony No. 3. Although it is an unfinished and heavy expression, the sound never sinks, and the strangeness of Neumann's control is interesting. On the other hand, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 was also played during Neumann's first visit to Japan in 1969, and Nippon Columbia recorded a session at the Setagaya Civic Center. It seems that the recording of the orchestra coming to Japan was rare at that time. There are many things we don't know about the situation today, including the selection of the venue, but it was around this time that Krecki recorded the entire symphony with the Czech Philharmonic, so I think there was an effect that Supraphon couldn't record. Uka (both recorded on Supraphone in 1989). Beethoven's symphonies by Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic are about Nos. 5, 7, 8 (1988-89) and No. 9 (live in 1989) on Supraphon, and there are other live performances with non-Czech Philharmonic, but they were left. There are not many sound sources. Of course, he has a deep knowledge of Beethoven, and his performance here is also splendid. It has a propulsive and powerful sound, yet it is coherent and persuasive as a single work. The sound is not as gentle as the venue is dead compared to Rudolfinum, the home base, but it is a result that makes you feel the thoughts of the technical team at that time. In addition, in this reprint, in the same way as the Supraphone method, we directly converted it to DSD from the original analog master tape that was strictly preserved at Nippon Columbia, so you can listen to it with high sound quality while maintaining the atmosphere of the time.

*As it is a machine translation, the result may not provide an accurate description.
Please use it only as a reference.



Tracks:

01-04. Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D Major, D. 200
05-06. Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759, "Unfinished"
Special coupling
07-10. Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 (1969 Nippon Columbia recording)

Personnel:

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Václav Neumann