Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 "Great"

Album review

As a champion of late Romantic and early 20th century repertoire, Mariss Jansons has established a fine reputation for his lucid interpretations and strong performances with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, expertly recorded by BR Klassik. Yet his dedication to works of this period has led to a dearth of recordings of Classical and early Romantic symphonies, apart from a Beethoven cycle that was released in 2013, so the 2018 release of Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 9 in C major, "The Great," may signify a major shift in this direction. In his live reading, recorded in February 2018, Jansons treats Schubert's final symphony with a mix of mainstream and historically informed ideas, employing a modern orchestra and maintaining a big ensemble sound, but observing brisk tempos, clean textures, and taking all repeats, thereby pushing the timing to just over an hour. Of course, Jansons might have been justified in skipping those repeats if his framing of the work countered its expansiveness, which almost approaches the running time of late Romantic symphonies. Yet when one considers Robert Schumann's famous praise for the symphony's "heavenly length," drawing it out to its fullest possible duration might be viewed as an aesthetic necessity. Schubert's Ninth should be regarded as a monumental work, cast in the large sonata forms he explored toward the end of his life, and Jansons' concern for the work's trajectory, momentum, and balance requires the suspension of conventional time constraints. While this recording may not strike every listener as revelatory, others may consider it to be one of Jansons' most exciting and even transcendent performances and look forward to more Schubert from him, delivered with the same care and passion. Highly recommended.

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