2012 Great Romantic Symphonies 10CD Box Sets Naxos Records naxos.com / Review The word ‘symphony’ is used to describe an extended orchestral composition in Western classical music. By the eighteenth century the Italianate opera sinfonia—musical interludes between operas or concertos—had assumed the structure of three contrasting movements, and it is this form that is often considered as the direct forerunner of the orchestral symphony. With the rise of established professional orchestras, the symphony assumed a more prominent place in concert life between 1790 and 1820 until it eventually came to be regarded by many as the yardstick by which one would measure a composer’s achievement. The nineteenth century brought various changes to the symphonic form. Although both inspired by Beethoven, Berlioz’s experiments with instrumental colour and orchestral size are a world away from the colossal symphonies of Brahms. Composers such as Mahler and Bruckner pushed the traditional symphonic landscapes to their limits, in sharp contrast to the uplifting Classically based symphonies of Mendelssohn and Schubert. The nationalistic flavours apparent in the programme symphonies of Schumann, Strauss and Dvořák exemplify the way in which the symphonic form flourished in the Romantic era, whilst the visceral impact of the Gallic panache is typified by the symphonies of Franck and Saint-Saëns. CD01 Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9 Franz Schubert (1797–1828) Symphony No 8 in B minor 'Unfinished' D 759 Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra / Conductor Michael Halasz -------- Symphony No 9 in C major 'Great' D 944 Budapest Failoni Chamber Orchestra / Conductor Michael Halasz CD02 Brahms: Symphony No. 1 / Schumann: Symphony No. 1 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Symphony No 1 in C minor, Op 68 Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra / Conductor Alexander Rahbari -------- Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Symphony No 1 in B flat major, Op 38 'Spring' Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Antoni Wit CD03 Brahms: Symphony No. 4 / Schumann: Symphony No. 4 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Symphony No 4 in E minor, Op 98 Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra / Conductor Alexander Rahbari -------- Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Symphony No 4 in D minor, Op 120 Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Antoni Wit CD04 Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Symphony No 3 in A minor, Op 56 'Scottish' • Symphony No 4 in A major, Op 90 'Italian' Ireland National Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Reinhard Seifried CD05 Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique / Benvenuto Cellini / Roman Carnival Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) Symphonie Fantastique, Op 14 • Overtures: Benvenuto Celini & Roman Carnival San Diego Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Yoav Talmi CD06 Mahler Symphony No. 1 Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Symphony No 1 in D major 'Titan' Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Michael Halasz CD07 Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) Symphony No 4 in E flat major 'Romantic' Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Conductor Georg Tintner CD08 Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 / Franck: Symphony in D Minor Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) Symphony No 3 in C minor, Op 78 'Organ Symphony' Imrich Szabo - organ • Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Stephen Gunzenhauser -------- César Franck (1822-1890) Symphony in D minor Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra / Conductor Roberto Benzi CD09 Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 / Symphonic Variations Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) Symphony No 9 in E minor, Op 95 'From the New World' • Symphonic Variations, Op 78 Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra / Conductor Stephen Gunzenhauser CD10 Strauss: Alpine Symphony / Don Juan Richard Strauss (1864-1949) Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, TrV 233 Weimar Staatskapelle / Conductor Antoni Wit -------- Don Juan, Op. 20, TrV 156 Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra / Conductor Zdenek Kosler