Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D major, D200

“Zinman brings such a musicianly personality to everything he touches: phrasing and articulation are completely natural, without a trace of the overemphatic leanness of period instrument performance, but equally avoiding the lugubriousness of 20th century tradition...he captures the wit and lilt of the Third Symphony, in a way that makes it sound like a young cousin of Haydn’s ultra-civilised London symphonies.” Financial Times, 18th August 2012 ****

“Zinman and his expert band give predictably athletic, tightly disciplined performances of two contrasting early Schubert Symphonies...With sparing string vibrato, crisp, no-nonsense tempi and valveless trumpets and horns, the performances have a period feel.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2012

“Zinman presents these two very different symphonies engagingly. There’s sensitivity to their flowing lines, a welcome lack of affectation in Symphony 3 and an intelligent clarification of the ambivalence of Symphony 4. It’s just a pity he hasn’t quite managed Abbado’s capability of creating really thrilling finales.” MusicWeb International, March 2013

“Listening to these sprightly performances under Zinman — 76 years old, but hardly veteran-sounding — one has to concur with Dvorak’s astonishment that the young Schubert could express himself with such “deep pathos”.” Sunday Times, 12th August 2012

“There's certainly a lightness and litheness to the way that he and the orchestra launch into the opening movement of the D major Third, though the textures are still fairly dense, without any of the transparency that period instruments would bring to this music. The performance of the Fourth, in C minor, goes for broke and ratchets up the tragic intensity as much as it can.” The Guardian, 15th August 2012 ***

“The Fourth Symphony quickly sheds the gloom of its opening Adagio, and, though Zinman is too smooth an operator to capture its breakneck audacity, it’s a handsome, rewarding performance.” The Independent, 14th October 2012 ****

“Top-notch period playing from this youthful German ensemble...They display real zest and grace, bringing out Rossinian charm in the earlier work and a burnished incisiveness in the Unfinished.” Classical Music, August 2012 ****

“If you like early Schubert lean of tone and impetuous of spirit, you should enjoy the Potsdam Kammerakademie in this most sportive of his symphonies...But with alert woodwind (always clearly audible in the tuttis) and scything valveless brass pitted against a small string band of around 20, the Potsdamers vividly catch the music's coursing youthful energy.” Gramophone Magazine, October 2012

“The weighty approach works most convincingly in the Tragic Symphony.” BBC Music Magazine, October 2011 ***

“vital, well-styled” Gramophone Magazine (Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2)

“Mehta secures neat, articulate, musically fluent performances from his Israeli orchestra and the Decca engineers reproduce them with admirable lucidity and absence of fuss” Gramophone Magazine (Symphonies Nos. 4 & 8)

“Mehta directs a performance well inside the Viennese tradition … crisply pointed readings admirably suited to these youthful inspirations.” Gramophone Magazine (Symphony No. 3)