- Symphony No. 2 and Overtures.
The Schumann “Second” is one of my great favorites, because I learned to perform it with the first orchestra I ever joined many years ago.
This recording is an intimate rendition of the Schumann Second, a work that Claudio Abbado is eager to reveal as a collection of beauty and brilliant ideas.
While many versions of the Second explore musical power and scale, Abbado goes the opposite way: The performance by the “Orchester Mozart” (Abbado’s all-star ensemble from Italy) is purposely understated, subtle, and chamber music-like.
The result is clean, clear, lighter, and impeccably phrased. There is a pleasant feeling that carries the music forward.
We get to hear the following:
Schumann:
- Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61
- Manfred Overture, Op. 115
- Genoveva Overture
Performed by the Orchestra Mozart, Claudio Abbado conducting.
BBC Music Magazine wrote:
“Right from the slow introduction’s mysterious opening bars, this is a compelling account of the C major Second Symphony, imbued with Abbado’s characteristic attention to detail, and the sharply pointed rhythms he obtains from his augmented Orchestra Mozart.”
Here is a short extract of some of the pieces from this recording:
Tags: Robert Schumann, Symphony #2, Claudio Abbado, Orchester Mozart, Manfred Overture, Op. 115, Genoveva Overture
