Paavo Jarvi / Schumann: The Symphonies/ Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Schumann
I am a big fan of Schumann’s symphonies. So much so that when I saw this limited set come up recently, I decided to jump on it despite its rather hefty investment. Its 5 LPs with a book that I haven’t tackled yet, all in a lucite case to slip into and protect.
Schumann’s critics, especially in the early 20th century would call him clumsy, especially with orchestration. But he’s been reconsidered to the point where perhaps its better understood that he was trying to break the rules of what came before, though like everyone else, measuring himself up to Beethoven. Just up my alley.
He did his rule breaking not just with orchestration, but with form too. As Leonard Bernstein said, before Schumann a symphony was a suite of separate movements which complemented each other but could played in isolation.[my summation as best I remember it] Symphony No. 4 in particular shows that off almost as one big movement.
Here on the turntable is Symphony No. 2 - my favorite. It seems hard to believe now, but when he wrote this he was deep in the study of Bach whose music had gone forgotten for many years (!!!???!!!). Schumann loved his polyphony and tried to incorporate it. That isn’t to say that he made a Bach piece, he just learned and incorporated.
Schumann was also a well known and respected critic of his time. He practically “discovered” Brahms and was a huge champion of Chopin. Again, right up my alley.
I am pleased with this absolutely gorgeous set. I don’t know why they decided on red vinyl - but it sounds excellent so there is no issue there. They could have cleaned the stray “vinyl hairs” off the edges, but there aren’t any other issues like non-fill or warping, et al.
Its gonna be a day full of Schumann.