Forbes has named Thomas Dausgaard and The Swedish Chamber Orchestra’s recording of Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3, 4 & 5 one of the Best Albums of 2014.
Of the BIS SACD, Cultural Contributor Jens F. Laurson writes:
“Wildness, youthful jubilance, brilliance and a good timpani thwacking are all necessary ingredients and it’s not surprising that (early) Schubert is being well served by early music and chamber ensembles: They are tuned to vitality and happy to go for the jugular… Honors among recent, very successful Schubert releases must be Thomas Dausgaard and his Swedish Chamber Orchestra… They have the best sound of the lot and perhaps the most deft hand at these works, too: Wherever slow, Dausgaard never drags; wherever fast, he never hurries. Punch and zest, yes, but not outright violence. The drum-roll opening of the Fourth shoots out like a salvo of (non-violent) machine gun fire, the darkness of the strings mourns passionately. The Fifth of Schubert, a personal favorite, can be a sunny masterpiece. Günter Wand in his last recording delivered something near genial perfection (NDRSO, RCA), but in his snappier way, Dausgaard rather matches him. That’s reason enough to declare this disc one of the finds of the year.”