Stanislaw Skrowaczewski leads a brisk and bracing account of Symphony No. 1 (similar to Zinman’s Tonhalle Orchestra recording), an approach that posits Schumann as an heir to Haydn and Beethoven rather than a prototype of Brahms (or in some hands, Bruckner). Light orchestral textures and penetrating ensemble clarity give Skrowaczewski’s version a freshness and vitality that’s so necessary in this music–even the usually pedestrian slow movement sounds genuinely moving.
Skrowaczewski adopts the opposite approach to Symphony No. 4–at least in the first two movements, where he takes the Langsam marking quite seriously, while his idea of Lebhaft is a moderate allegro. However the pace picks up in the scherzo, and after the finale’s slow introduction (where Skrowaczewski’s wonderfully layered build-up is reminiscent of Wagner) the main material launches at unbridled speed. It’s an unconventional but persuasive and ultimately satisfying performance.
The Deutsche Radio Philharmonie possesses neither the razor-sharp precision of the Cleveland Orchestra for Szell (this is readily apparent in the first movement’s finale) nor the velvety-smooth string sound of the Vienna Philharmonic for Bernstein, but it makes up for it in the players’ enthusiasm and bravura. The recording is set in a large, spacious acoustic that nonetheless relays plenty of instrumental detail. A stimulating disc!