Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard - Franz Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3-5 (2013)

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Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard - Franz Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3-5 (2013)

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Thomas Dausgaard's recordings with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra of three of Franz Schubert's middle symphonies are displays of authentic period practice in state-of-the-art reproduction, and it's a winning combination. The watchword here is clarity, because these symphonies are models of Classical form and precision, with orchestral writing that is utterly transparent and ideally balanced, so the music is only enhanced by the spacious multichannel recording and direct stream digital processing. The Swedish Chamber Orchestra offers pristine string sonorities, and the winds have the distinctive and slightly pungent timbres of the 18th and early 19th century instruments Schubert knew. Dausgaard's interpretations are clearheaded and meticulous, and it's obvious that his musicians respond to his cogent direction with energy and enthusiasm. BIS recorded these performances on different occasions between 2009 and 2011 in the Örebro Concert Hall in Sweden, so in spite of the breaks between sessions, there is consistently superb sound quality, thanks to the first-rate engineering team and the unchanging venue. Highly recommended.

Review by Blair Sanderson, Allmusic.com

Thomas Dausgaard’s Schubert symphony cycle picks up right where it left off with the previous volume, which is to say, at a very high standard of excellence. These are fleet, exciting, fiercely played readings, and the music thrives under this treatment. Hard-stick timpani, strong rhythmic accents and a very flexible approach to string vibrato are the hallmarks. You won’t hear much vibrato in some of the rapid passages of the Tragic Symphony, but in that one especially the violins become very expressive throughout the slow movement.

I’ve been a fan of many of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra recordings with Dausgaard. They’re probably one of the best chamber orchestras in the world, thrillingly precise and full of character. Also they’re not afraid to grab you by the collar and get in your face. Their spunky fire-and-brimstone take on Beethoven’s Third is one of the few interpretations that really demonstrates how revolutionary and shocking the work must have been. I think it predates the very similar Paavo Järvi album on RCA.

The SCO/Dausgaard Schubert Sixth was glorious, and their “Unfinished” restored the allegro to a speed not burdened by excessive morbidity or faux-profundity. If you know those performances, or if you appreciate the new chamber orchestra style that accounts for period practice, this is an easy recommendation. Indeed, the only let-down so far has been the Great C Major, curiously unsatisfying; try Charles Mackerras and the Philharmonia instead. You may disagree if you like your Fifth Symphony to be unyieldingly pastoral and easygoing: the tempos are, again, faster than usual, and some may think there is too great a sacrifice of charm.

I’ve been listening to these new albums more frequently than Harnoncourt’s benchmark Concertgebouw cycle, which sacrifices some excitement for a tiny — though bigger in No. 5 — gain in refinement and class. BIS’s sonics on the new CD are up to their usual high standards. The recording really packs a punch at climaxes, especially given the aggressive Swedish brass, so brace yourself. This is Schubert that’s really cookin’.

Review by Brian Reinhart, MusicWeb-International.com

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Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard - Franz Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3-5 (2013)

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Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard - Franz Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3-5 (2013)

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Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard - Franz Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3-5 (2013)

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