Schubert: Symphony No. 9 "The Great"

1	Symphony no 9 in C major,
2	Symphony no 9 in C major,
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Schubert: Symphony No. 9 "The Great"
1.	Symphony No. 9 in C major ("The Great"), D. 944 57:42
	Composed by Franz Schubert
	Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
	Conducted by Simon Rattle

Barnes & Noble

The length of Franz Schubert's Ninth Symphony -- more expansive than any other between Beethoven and Bruckner -- may indeed be "heavenly," as Robert Schumann claimed, but only in the hands of the right conductor and orchestra. Somewhat incredibly, Simon Rattle hasn't recorded any works by Schubert until now, but working with the Berlin Philharmonic -- which has lent its richly glowing tone to the composer's works countless times before -- must have put him in the right mind-set, because this Ninth merits the symphony's familiar nickname, "The Great." Recorded live (like most of the steady stream of Rattle's albums from Berlin) this Schubert begins by unfolding at an apparently leisurely pace, but Rattle soon starts playing the dramatic cards that maintain a gripping flow of tension and release for the better part of an hour. The Andante reaches special expressive heights, and the Beethovenian spirit of the Scherzo receives its due emphasis, in preparation for the stirring Finale. No less than the orchestra's performance, the recorded sound here is extremely fine; the disc offers all the excitement of a live performance, but with never a lapse in sonic quality to give its origins away. Virtually all the great conductors have preserved on record their thoughts on Schubert's "Great" C-Major Symphony; it's only fitting that Rattle has done so, and it's gratifying that the results are so thoroughly successful. Scott Paulin

All Music Guide

Here is an example of the sort of thing that used to drive the classical market in the past century, but in the current one is becoming an endangered species -- a standard, done by a major orchestra, with a famous conductor for a major label. In this case, it is Franz Schubert's "Symphony No. 9 The Great," as recorded by the Berlin Philharmonic, under the direction of Simon Rattle. One can be thankful that EMI, with its daunting overhead and uneasy partnership with Time Warner, is still interested in making these kinds of recordings, as other "majors" have long ago given up the chase, relying on back catalog for "new" orchestral issues. Indeed, it is against back catalog that Rattle is mostly competing here; although recorded monaurally more than 50 years ago, the Schubert "Ninth" led by Arturo Toscanini remains an excellent option for the symphony, as do versions by Günter Wand, Sir Charles Mackerras, Bruno Weil, Eugen Jochum, Karl Böhm, and Claudio Abbado. Wand, in particular, made a specialty of "The Great."

So how does this Rattle effort compare to the parade of conductors who have done it in the past? It is lightweight, and Rattle takes seriously the idea that "The Great" is "the last great classical symphony" as expressed in the liner note by Richard Osborne. Textures are feathery, and in this respect Rattle is closest to Weil in his interpretation, except that his tempi are not as brisk as Weil's and reflect standard choices. Through utilizing a smaller group drawn from the Berlin Philharmonic rather than the whole band, Rattle has produced a recording that is a little skimpy on the low end -- timpani rolls purr rather than rumble, and the low brass seems a little sour from time to time. While it is not a bad Schubert "Ninth," consumers might have a similar experience in purchasing a budget version of the same; it is not a very emotionally moving performance. The very argument that "The Great" is "the last great classical symphony" is restrictive; stylistically this symphony could go either way, but tends to favor a more Romantic interpretation and at least a little more weight than here. That's one of the reasons that the weightiness of Toscanini's recording is still viable; when the kettledrums enter against the string tremolandi and trombones in the first movement, the effect is electrifying, and nothing on this polite and careful Rattle recording comes anywhere near to delivering that kind of excitement. Uncle Dave Lewis

Gramophone

What emerges from [Rattle's] relatively relaxed approach is an extra sense of joy in Schubert's inspiration, with rhythms lifted infectiously.... With full, warm sound, this is a first-rate recommendation. Edward Greenfield