Schumann / Gendron / Lipatti / Osr / Ansermet Schumann: Sym Nos 1 & 2 / Pno Cto / Clo Cto CD

The Decca ansermet legacy on eloquence continues to garner the highest plaudits from publications all around the world and the latest batch presents the maestro's recordings of four key austro-German romantics: Schubert, Weber, Mendelssohn and Schumann. This 2-CD set brings together all of ansermet's Schumann recordings for Decca. Ansermet's Schumann is generally unforced and relaxed, with all but the piano and cello concertos making their first international appearance on CD. In the piano concerto - a live radio broadcast recording with lipatti, newly remastered for this release - lipatti seems to drive the orchestra to new levels of excitement. As with many of the (relatively few) concertante works ansermet recorded, the soloists are drawn from the orchestra - as is the case with Edmund Leloir, principal horn of the osr from 1952-77, for the adagio and allegro, originally for horn and piano and, for this recording, orchestrated by ansermet. Maurice gendron, soloist in the cello concerto, was one of jacqueline du pr?'s teachers. The Schumann concerto was one of his specialties; he frequently played it when he was invited to appear with orchestras.

1. Symphony No. 1 in B Flat Major ('Spring'), Op. 38: 1. Andante Un Poco Maestoso - Allegro Molto Vivace 2. Symphony No. 1 in B Flat Major ('Spring'), Op. 38: 2. Larghetto 3. Symphony No. 1 in B Flat Major ('Spring'), Op. 38: 3. Scherzo (Molto Vivace) 4. Symphony No. 1 in B Flat Major ('Spring'), Op. 38: 4. Allegro Animato E Grazioso 5. Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: 1. Sostenuto Assai - Un Poco Pi? Vivace - Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Con Fuoco 6. Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: 2. Scherzo (Allegro Vivace) 7. Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: 3. Adagio Espressivo 8. Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61: 4. Allegro Molto Vivace 9. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54: 1. Allegro Affettuoso 10. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54: 2. Intermezzo (Andantino Grazioso) 11. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54: 3. Allegro Vivace 12. Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129: 1. Nicht Zu Schnell 13. Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129: 2. Langsam 14. Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129: 3. Sehr Lebhaft 15. Adagio ; Allegro for Horn (Or Violin or Cello) ; Piano in a Flat Major, Op. 70 16. Manfred, Overture ; Incidental Music, Op. 115