Schumann with a "Spring"

To call a perfomance "well made" might seem like a half-hearted compliment but in the case of Thomas Dausgaard's account of the Spring Symphony it's only part of the story, albeit a very important part. Clarity is a given with this particular band (their coupling of Symphonies Nos 2 and 4 has already proved that) and here the same impressions of transparency, watertight ensemble, dovetailed phrasing and buoyant rhythms pertain. The first movement is kept on its toes and "in tempo", and likewise the Scherzo where the Trios are skilfully integrated into the rest of the movement, the first of them opening, unusually, to a gently brushed legato. The Larghetto is streamlined without sounding cold, the important horn and pizzicato string parts always crystal-clear, whereas the finale's prime virtue is its judicious pacing, especially the idyllic horn passage just after the halfway point, and the symphony's closing pages, which are thrillingly played. 

Dausgaard's understanding of tempo relations is even better demonstrated in the "Zwickau" movement of an early G minor symphony. I'm reminded of early Schubert and Bruckner in that rays of light are crossed with moments of darkness, for example the unresolved bassoon motif that closes the exposition, very imaginative (and 
unsettling), and so is the return of the stern introduction towards the end of the movement. 

The Mendelssohnian Overture, Schertzo and Finale is again beautifully shaped, the introduction unusually pensive, the ensuing Allegro full of life (and I love the antiphonal switching between violin desks at 3 '05"), the Scherzo crisp but unhurried. The two relatively late overtures again benefit from smaller-than-usual orchestral forces and perceptive direction, Dausgaard generating bags of energy while allowing textures to breathe. So all we need now is an equally compelling Rhenish Symphony to round off the cycle. The recorded sound is superb.