Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4

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In his recordings of the symphonic repertoire, Philippe Herreweghe has sometimes alternated between conducting period instruments ensembles and conventional modern orchestras, and his interpretations seem to depend on the capabilities and comparative sizes of the groups he leads. For example, Herreweghe recorded all four of Robert Schumann's symphonies for Harmonia Mundi with the Orchestre des Champs-Élyssées, a chamber orchestra noted for playing vintage instruments with an ear to recreating the orchestral palettes of the Classical and Romantic eras. For this 2019 Phi release of Schumann's Symphony No. 2 in C major and the Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Herreweghe leads the full-sized Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, drawing out a fairly homogenized ensemble sound with none of the distinctive sonorities and techniques of historically informed performances. This, of course, is the conductor’s prerogative, and as a practical matter, many large symphony orchestras cannot manage the changes in instrumentation required for a convincing period reading. That said, mainstream recordings of the Second and the Fourth are common, so with this disc, Herreweghe is covering familiar ground. He could have served historical interests and piqued the curiosity of his early music fans by playing Schumann’s original 1841 version of Symphony No. 4, which is an interesting option that few conductors take. As it is, he opted for the revised score of 1851 with its myriad doublings and tidied-up form, shorn of the little quirks that make the earlier version a refreshing alternative. Taken altogether, this CD presents solid performances of these two symphonies, just not the revelations many listeners might expect from Herreweghe.

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