Schubert: Symphonies 4 & 5

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Roger Norrington has a reputation for scrupulously following historic performance practices by consistently observing the instrumentation, playing styles, tempos, and even the orchestral seating arrangements that can be known of a given time period. As a result of his obsessive attention to these aspects of Classical and Romantic performances, his readings often seem more technically accomplished than deeply expressive, and his treatment of the music can, at its worst, be clinical and chilly. Even so, Norrington's interpretations of the Classical repertoire have yielded many successes, and his performances of Franz Schubert's Symphonies No. 4 and No. 5 are among his better recordings with the SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. These works are cast in the mold and style of Mozart's symphonies, and Schubert's lyrical music is still constrained by the norms of Classical form, so Norrington's intellectuality and emotional reserve work well here. The orchestra has the characteristic sonorities of a Classical orchestra -- strings played without vibrato, woodwinds offering distinctive colors, and horns sounding slightly rustic -- so the music is executed with great polish and authentic style. In terms of expression, these performances are slightly dry, though they are far from sterile, and Norrington even lets the orchestra show some humor, which is plainly evident in the finale of the Fifth and in the Menuetto of the Fourth.
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