Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein - Schumann: The Symphonies (1996)

Tracklist

CD1
01. Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring": I. Andante un poco maestoso – Allegro molto vivace (Live)
02. Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring": II. Larghetto (Live)
03. Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring": III. Scherzo. Molto vivace (Live)
04. Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring": IV. Allegro animato e grazioso (Live)
05. Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: I. Sostenuto assai – Allegro ma non troppo (Live)
06. Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace (Live)
07. Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: III. Adagio espresssivo (Live)
08. Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: IV. Allegro molto vivace (Live)

CD2
01. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": I. Lebhaft (Live)
02. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": II. Scherzo. Sehr mässig (Live)
03. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": III. Nicht schnell (Live)
04. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": IV. Feierlich (Live)
05. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Rhenish": V. Lebhaft (Live)
06. Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120: I. Ziemlich langsam – Lebhaft (Live)
07. Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120: II. Romanze. Ziemlich langsam (Live)
08. Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120: III. Scherzo. Lebhaft (Live)
09. Symphony No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120: IV. Langsam – Lebhaft – Schneller – Presto (Live)

Leonard Bernstein was full of surprises. A conductor often accused of hopeless self-indulgence, he responded intuitively to the classical aesthetic of Haydn, and no less to the early Romantic bravado of Schumann. In fact, these symphonies have never been better played or conducted than they are here. These are performances of high passion--they're either very fast or very slow--and extraordinary color and drama. Bernstein sticks faithfully to the composer's original, thick orchestrations but makes each symphony work through playing of unflagging clarity and chamber music-like balance. That this was all done live, in performances of such wide emotional range, is amazing. But amazing was what Bernstein did best.

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