Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2

Chronique

No one, it might seem, is recording the standard symphonic repertoire at a faster pace than David Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. Following their exemplary recordings of the complete symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, Gustav Mahler, and Johannes Brahms, Zinman and the Swiss orchestra have embarked on a cycle of Franz Schubert's symphonies that is of the same high quality as their previous accomplishments. This volume of the Symphony No. 1 in D major, D. 82, and the Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, D. 125, introduces listeners to the Classical side of this Viennese master, for his early works reflected the world of Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and his idol, Ludwig van Beethoven. The music is played with vigor and elegance, and even though this isn't a period performance in the strictest sense, there are enough historically informed features to satisfy aficionados of authentic practices. Indeed, the brightness of the orchestra's tone, the glossiness of the strings, and the distinctive woodwind and brass colors put the music in the historically informed category, despite the use of modern instruments. One might be disappointed that these recordings are just DDD, and not hybrid SACDs of the extraordinary depth and breadth heard in the Mahler set, but RCA's sound is excellent by any standard and quite exciting to hear, even on conventional equipment.

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