Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 1-9

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Minkowski takes a surprisingly conventional view of these pieces, though his performances, recorded 'live' in Vienna's Konzerthaus, are none the worse for that...impressive performances, greatly... — BBC Music Magazine, March 2013, 5 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 24th Sep 2012
Catalogue No: V5299
Label: Naive
Length: 4 hours 7 minutes

Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D major, D200

Work length23:32

$5.00

$6.50

Musiciens du Louvre, Les
Marc Minkowski

I. Adagio maestoso - Allegro con brio

Track length9:06

$2.00

$2.60

II. Allegretto

Track length4:30

$1.00

$1.30

III. Menuetto: Vivace

Track length3:34

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Presto vivace

Track length6:22

$1.00

$1.30

Schubert: Symphony No. 1 in D major, D82

Work length26:38

$6.00

$7.80

Musiciens du Louvre, Les
Marc Minkowski

I. Adagio - Allegro vivace

Track length8:25

$2.00

$2.60

II. Andante

Track length7:56

$2.00

$2.60

III. Menuetto: Allegretto

Track length4:18

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Allegro vivace

Track length5:59

$1.00

$1.30

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

Work length26:00

$7.00

$9.05

Musiciens du Louvre, Les
Marc Minkowski

I. Largo - Allegro vivace

Track length10:10

$3.00

$3.85

II. Andante

Track length7:32

$2.00

$2.60

III. Menuetto: Allegro vivace

Track length2:48

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Presto vivace

Track length5:30

$1.00

$1.30

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

Work length29:10

$7.00

$9.10

Musiciens du Louvre, Les
Marc Minkowski

I. Allegro

Track length7:13

$2.00

$2.60

II. Andante con moto

Track length9:49

$2.00

$2.60

III. Menuetto: Allegro molto

Track length5:03

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Allegro vivace

Track length7:05

$2.00

$2.60

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

Work length29:34

$7.00

$9.10

Musiciens du Louvre, Les
Marc Minkowski

I. Adagio molto - Allegro vivace

Track length9:40

$2.00

$2.60

II. Andante

Track length9:19

$2.00

$2.60

III. Menuetto: Allegro vivace

Track length3:11

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Allegro

Track length7:24

$2.00

$2.60

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

Work length26:43

$7.00

$9.00

Musiciens du Louvre, Les
Marc Minkowski

I. Allegro moderato

Track length15:09

$4.00

$5.15

II. Andante con moto

Track length11:34

$3.00

$3.85

Schubert: Symphony No. 6 in C major, D589

Work length30:44

$7.00

$9.05

Musiciens du Louvre, Les
Marc Minkowski

I. Adagio - Allegro

Track length9:08

$2.00

$2.60

II. Andante

Track length5:29

$1.00

$1.30

III. Scherzo: Presto

Track length6:07

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Allegro moderato

Track length10:00

$3.00

$3.85

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

Work length54:43

$13.00

$16.70

Musiciens du Louvre, Les
Marc Minkowski

I. Andante - Allegro ma non troppo

Track length16:49

$4.00

$5.15

II. Andante con moto

Track length14:31

$3.00

$3.85

III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace

Track length11:54

$3.00

$3.85

IV. Allegro vivace

Track length11:29

$3.00

$3.85

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Following the extremely successful recording of Haydn complete London Symphonies released in 2010, Marc Minkowski, Naïve and the Wiener Konzerthaus set up a new project, even more ambitious although similar in form: to perform for the Viennese audience and record the complete symphonies of Schubert in the same week, in March this year. 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble. Major concerts will take place in Paris this Autumn to celebrate this event.

This 4-CD set on period instruments sheds a new light on all the Symphonies, some not as highly considered as perhaps they should be.

Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble use instruments of the Classical era, laid out according to Viennese tradition, with the violins on either side of the conductor and the double basses in a line facing him. The oboe too is of Viennese manufacture: its highly idiosyncratic bore produces a sound, at once nasal and tender, that is immediately recognisable – indeed, despite developments in instrument making and the multiplication of keys, the modern version of this instrument is still not so very far removed from the oboe that Schubert knew. Four double basses are used in general but only two for the Fifth Symphony, which is written in a more central tessitura and dispenses with clarinets, trumpets, and timpani.

‘In the “Great C major”, on the other hand,’ explains Marc Minkowski, ‘Schubert’s ambitions recall, relatively speaking, those of Haydn in The Creation or Beethoven in the Ninth Symphony. That’s why I chose to deploy five basses and to double the first flute and oboe parts and the second clarinet and bassoon parts: the use of three instruments per section allows us to obtain that organ sonority that was later to define the Bruckner rchestra, whereas the woodwind, in the early symphonies, sound like a pastoral group. When all is said and done, the key word for all this music is melancholy, even at the height of virtuosity – and goodness knows that these works, more ideal than practical, remain behind their apparent simplicity very risky to bring off in performance. Schubert wrote with genius for the orchestra, but his thought, much more than that of Mozart or Beethoven, was situated outside reality, in the tumultuous imagination of a young – sometimes very young – man, at the frontiers of the possible.’

Reviews

March 2013

Minkowski takes a surprisingly conventional view of these pieces, though his performances, recorded 'live' in Vienna's Konzerthaus, are none the worse for that...impressive performances, greatly aided by the skilful playing of Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble and their admirable first oboe...This set can take its place among the very best of Schubert Symphony cycles.

Early Music Review December 2012

One need hear only the beautifully balanced and weighted wind chords at the opening of the Symphony No. 3 to be aware that this set is going to have exceptional qualities. And so it proves … a performance that is utterly compelling from first to last note … an exceptional set

18th November 2012

these pieces gain most from the transparent textures, woody woodwinds and natural, alfresco-sounding brass.

20th December 2012

the performances of the earlier works are lithe, energised and generally transparent – the Mozartian freshness of the Fifth is beautifully judged, for instance. The treatment of the final two symphonies is less convincing, however.

2nd February 2013

[Minkowski] never treats the first six as a series of dry warm-up exercises...Period timbres lend the former a huskier, more subdued tone, the narrow-bore trombones adding plenty of colour...this C Major doesn’t feel like too much of a good thing, despite Schubert’s exhaustive repeats. Minkowski’s unforced geniality in the Scherzo’s trio is a joy. Amazing stuff, and beautifully recorded in a glowing acoustic.

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Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 1-9

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