Schubert: Rosamunde, D797: Ballet Music No. 2

Like Beethoven and Bruckner, Schubert wrote nine symphonies, of which the first six were written between 1813 and 1818. The Symphony No.5 (1816) was not performed until 1846, eighteen years after the death of the composer. Schubert wrote it when he was not yet twenty, and it shows the extent to which he had taken in what his older contemporaries were doing (the melodic richness is reminiscent of Mozart), while at the same time developing his own personal style. A light and transparent Allegro is followed by a pastoral Andante con moto and an elegant Menuetto. The symphony ends with a vivacious finale that recalls the style of Haydn.

The Symphony No.8 also goes by the name of the “Unfinished” Symphony. Schubert began work on it in 1822, but for a long time it was assumed that he did not complete it, as only two movements were known for certain to have survived: an Allegro moderato dominated by a sombre theme in which elation and tenderness rub shoulders with tragedy, and a serene and mysterious Andante con moto. Several attempts have been made to reconstruct the remainder of the symphony, one of the most notable being that by the Schubert expert Brian Newbould.

The 1916-19 period saw Fritz Kreisler at his peak as an artist, although the shadow cast by America’s entrance to World War one in 1917 forced him to cancel numerous concerts. The improved fidelity possible by 1916 saw Kreisler making substitutes of his earlier American recordings, including his own Liebesfreud.

Amongst an abundance of technical marvels, Kreisler’s superb ‘parlando’ bowing is demonstrated in Granados’s Spanish Dance. The string quartet recordings include a fine Andante cantabile by Tchaikovsky, and persuasive performances with small orchestra in 1917 include Beautiful Ohio which would later be adopted as the state’s official song. After the Armistice, Kreisler was able to return to the studio in 1919 for showcase works such as Valdez’s Sérénade du Tzigane.

This ongoing series of the complete Fritz Kreisler recordings generates new interest with each release. Our highest standards of audio restoration and remastering make these volumes the reference for these historic recordings, with comments such as ‘the results are incredible’ (ClassicsToday.com on Vol 3, 8110922) encouraging seasoned collectors and inquisitive newcomers alike.

Ward Marston, producer and audio restoration engineer

Monteux conducted many great orchestras. He was born in Paris and studied at the Paris Conservatoire but later became an American citizen. These performances were recorded in Vienna in 1957.

Volume 1 of this new Naxos edition of Wilhelm Furtwängler’s pre-1940s recordings includes an account of J.S. Bach’s third Brandenburg Concerto that is lightyears away from the ‘historically informed’ norm of today, yet eloquent, deeply-felt and with a real sense of light and shade.

The two Mozart opera overtures are typically dramatic and intense, while in the ever-popular Eine kleine Nachtmusik Furtwängler caresses the melodies, allowing rhythms to stand proud and making effective use of dynamic contrasts.

The Overture to Schubert’s Rosamunde is especially weighty in Furtwängler’s hands, while the B flat Entr’acte is tender and warmly expressed, and the G major Ballet Music puckish and witty.