His wife loved it, but it was initially a flop with the public: Robert Schumann originally wrote his Symphony No. 4 in D Minor op. 120 as a birthday present for his wife. The later revised version, which delighted audiences, can be heard here in a recording from July 27, 2015, with Hungarian conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy and his Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. The concert took place at the renowned Verbier Festival in the Swiss Alps.
(00:00) I. Ziemlich langsam – Lebhaft
(08:52) II. Romanze: Ziemlich langsam
(12:55) III. Scherzo: Lebhaft
(18:30) IV. Langsam – Lebhaft
VERBIER FESTIVAL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
GÁBOR TAKÁCS-NAGY | Conductor
Robert Schumann worked on two symphonies in 1841. First, his so-called "Spring Symphony," and immediately afterwards, his second symphony, which was later listed in his catalog of works as his fourth symphony. Composed in D Minor op. 120, the newlywed Schumann composed the symphony for his wife Clara Wieck Schumann’s birthday, but then thoroughly revised it ten years later and only then published it as Symphony No. 4.
Which version is better was a point of contention even during Schumann's lifetime. Robert Schumann premiered the first version in December 1841 under the title "Symphonic Fantasy for Large Orchestra," but the audience was not exactly enthusiastic – the work was a flop.
Schumann divided the symphony into individual movements according to the classical principle of a symphony. However, they were supposed to follow each other immediately, without pauses. In addition, certain motifs were used repeatedly over multiple movements. This made the work seem like a "symphony in one movement". This was new and unfamiliar to the audience.
Clara Wieck-Schumann was also a well-known pianist and composer in her day. She liked her husband's birthday present. "This is another work crafted from the depths of the soul," she wrote. The composer and longtime friend of the family, Johannes Brahms, also liked the lighter and more upbeat original version. Other composers, such as Gustav Mahler, later returned to the score to "correct" it to their liking.
In his revised version, Schumann reorchestrated some parts and added more instruments. He also repeated motifs more often and slowed down the tempo – although this is of course also up to each respective conductor's interpretation.
For this concerto, Gábor Takács-Nagy chose the second version, which is indeed slower at the beginning than other recordings, before accelerating even more as it progresses. You can tell which version it is by the movement markings, as Schumann used the Italian titles in the first version, while reformulating them in German in the second.
The Hungarian conductor and violinist Gábor Takács-Nagy turned to chamber music while still a student. With the Takács Quartet (1975-1992), he has worked with such stars as Lord Menuhin, Sir Georg Solti, Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Paul Tortelier, Gidon Kremer, and András Schiff. In 2002, Gábor Takács-Nagy turned to conducting. In 2007, he became director of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (VFKO), which performs annually at the Verbier Festival and has toured extensively throughout Europe and Asia.
The Verbier Festival is one of the world’s most prestigious classical music events. The quality of participating artists is matched by the originality of the program. The festival is held from late July to early August in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland.
© 2015 EuroArts Music International/Idéale Audience
Watch more concerts in your personal concert hall:
• LISTEN AND WATCH - your personal concert hall
and find more great symphonies here:
• SYMPHONIES
Subscribe to DW Classical Music:
/ dwclassicalmusic
#robertschumann #Symphony #symphonyorchestra
Информация по комментариям в разработке