Schumann: Konzertstück for four horns, Op. 86

The musical expression of German Romanticism is the theme of this disc. The trajectory of Schumann’s Konzertstück, Op. 86, written for four horns and orchestra, goes from heroism to introspection. Two of his Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13, were orchestrated by no less a figure than Tchaikovsky, while Albert Parlow orchestrated four of Brahms’ most exciting Hungarian Dances. Mendelsssohn’s Overture to his Ballad Opera Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde (Song and Stranger) embodies classical virtues. Anton Webern’s Langsamer Satz for string quartet has been vibrantly orchestrated by Gerard Schwarz. Hans Pfitzner, one of the last representatives of the movement, is represented by his concise, melodic Symphony in C major.

Gerhard Oppitz recreates Schumann’s unique romantic world in exemplary fashion, flawlessly mastering the technical demands. He has a very personal passion for Schumann’s compositions and is accompanied by an orchestra ideally suited to his vision, the Bamberger Symphoniker.

Robert Schumann the symphonist still stands in the shadow of Schumann the composer for piano and voice (the fate of Schumann the opera composer is no different). The idea that an orchestra with a great tradition of performing the Romantic repertoire should have good reason to play Schumann’s orchestral works gladly and regularly – even offering cycles of them – is something that the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Fabio Luisi have put into practice, to their credit. The conductor and his orchestra meet all the orchestral challenges that Schumann places before them. They play with the greatest of technical subtlety and beauty of tone, from the spirited First, the 'Spring' Symphony, via the muted atmosphere of the Second, then the Third, 'Rhenish', with its rich palette of moods and impressions, to the fantasy of the Fourth Schumann’s art of climax and the conclusive manner of his repetitions are here heard just as clearly as are his deft combinations of Romantic colours and shadings. Thus the fourth movement of the Rhenish is accorded the sacred tone that is appropriate to it, just as the 'Romanze' in the Fourth Symphony is played as if it were a lover’s serenade. Fabio Luisi furthermore masters the tempo shifts and capricious quirks in Schumann’s fast movements. Here, the Vienna Symphonic plays with dizzying brilliance – and all is achieved 'live', without the safety net of the studio.

To complement the symphonies, the present recording also includes the Konzertstück for 4 Horns Op. 86, a powerful, vital work that stands in close proximity to the 'Rhenish', and which was composed during one of Schumann’s most productive periods. Schumann utilises the form of the Konzertstück to explore those spaces between the 'competitive' aspect inherent in a concertante work and the ensemble aspect of soloists and orchestra playing together as a symphonic ensemble. At the same time, the composer explores the possibilities of the modern valve instruments that themselves present further technical subtleties (and hurdles too). This work was long regarded as near-unplayable, but it is a matter of course that the horn players of the Vienna Symphony here play it with complete, sovereign command.

On arriving in the USA and taking up his functions at the head of the Conservatory in September 1892, Antonin Dvorák threw himself into the study of Amerindian music and the songs of Stephen Foster; but the true revelation came from the songs of the Black population, which enthralled him.

His 9th symphony, “From the New World”, was clearly inspired by these songs, although the title should be understood as designating a work sent from the United States to his friends who had remained in Europe. This new recording features a rare performance of the symphony on instruments of the period by the specialist orchestra Le Chambre Philharminique directed by the internationally renowned conductor Emmanuel Krivine.

The three movements of the Konzertstück form a true concertante work, in which Schumann strives to exploit the resources of the modern horn. But he never allows virtuosity to stifle the musical discourse. The first movement, heroic in tone, is marked Lebhaft (lively). The short Romanze foreshadows the solemn Maestoso of the ‘Rhenish’ Symphony (1850), and moves without a break into the radiant finale, marked Sehr lebhaft (very lively) and dominated by rapid virtuoso runs, which reverts to the epic atmosphere of the work’s opening.

La Chambre Philharmonique, created under the aegis of Emmanuel Krivine, is the result of a utopian ideal. A new type of orchestra, composed of musicians from the greatest European ensembles all motivated by the same desire to make music, La Chambre Philharmonique places pleasure and discovery at the heart of its musical adventure. Since its debut at La Folle Journée in Nantes (2004), La Chambre Philharmonique has met with keen interest wherever it has played. The ensemble has worked with prestigious soloists such as Andreas Staier, Emanuel Ax, Christophe Coin, and Véronique Gens. The orchestra recorded Mozart’s C minor Mass with the Accentus Chamber Choir, Sandrine Piau, Anne-Lise Sollied, Paul Agnew, and Frédéric Caton for Naïve in 2005, and subsequently toured this programme widely in 2006. The second recording of La Chambre Philharmonique and Emmanuel Krivine, devoted to Mendelssohn (2007), won numerous awards in the press.