Schubert: The Symphonies

It was only after his death that Franz Schubert’s symphonic works made an impact in music history. In fact, the first public performance of any of Schubert’s symphonies took place at a memorial concert held a few weeks after the composer had passed away, on 19th November 1828. The work that was heard at that occasion was Symphony No.6, D589, the ‘Little C major’, while the two undisputed master works of the series – the ‘Great C major’ and the ‘Unfinished’ – had to wait until 1838 and 1865, respectively, before being performed.

The six symphonies that precede them in the list of completed works were all composed between 1813 and 1818, while Schubert was still only 21 years of age. In a style above all oriented on Haydn and Mozart, they are youthful in the best sense of the word and display a disarming freshness which the present performances convey to perfection. The four discs gathered here were released singly between 2010 and 2014, receiving critical acclaim in the international music press: the reviewer in The Daily Telegraph (UK) described the experience as ‘having a layer of varnish removed from a much-loved painting’ while his colleague in Fanfare wrote that the approach by Thomas Dausgaard and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra ‘changes the landscape’, proposing that the cycle ‘could become a first choice among any available.’ The set also include some shorter orchestral works, among them the much-loved Rosamunde Overture.

Disc 1

1-4

Schubert: Symphony No. 1 in D major, D82

I. Adagio – Allegro vivace

II. Andante

III. Menuetto. Allegretto

IV. Allegro vivace

5

Schubert: Adrast, D137: Funeral March

6-9

Schubert: Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, D125

I. Largo – Allegro vivace

II. Andante

III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace

IV. Presto

10

Schubert: Die Zauberharfe (The Magic Harp), D 644 – Overture

Disc 2

1-4

Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D major, D200

I. Adagio maestoso – Allegro con brio

II. Allegretto

III. Menuetto. Vivace

IV. Presto vivace

5-8

Schubert: Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D417 ‘Tragic’

I. Adagio molto – Allegro vivace

II. Andante

III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace

IV. Allegro

9-12

Schubert: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, D485

I. Allegro

II. Andante con moto

III. Menuetto. Allegro molto

IV. Allegro vivace

Disc 3

1-4

Schubert: Symphony No. 6 in C major, D589

I. Adagio – Allegro

II. Andante

III. Scherzo. Presto – Più lento

IV. Allegro moderato

5-9

Schubert: Incidental music to Rosamunde, D797: excerpts

No. 1, Entr’acte. Allegro molto moderato

No. 5, Entr’acte. Andantino

No. 3a, Entr’acte. Andante

No. 9, Ballet Music. Andantino

No. 2, Ballet. Allegro moderato – Andante un poco assai

Disc 4

1-2

Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D759 ‘Unfinished’

I. Allegro moderato

II. Andante con moto

3-6

Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C major, D944 ‘The Great’

I. Andante – Allegro ma non troppo

II. Andante con moto

III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace

IV. Finale. Allegro vivace