Berliner Philharmoniker at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Conducted by Daniel Barenboim. EUROARTS, 2015.

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in F major, Op. 93

Schumann Concert Piece for Four Horns and Orchestra

Liszt Symphonic Poem No. 3 "Les Preludes"

Wagner Ride of the Valkyries

This disc is a re-issue of an earlier release on TDK and also Arthaus of a concert held in 1998. The program is most notable for the inclusion of Schumann’s concerto for 4 horns, a rarely performed piece as a result of its extreme demands on the four players. The concert opens with Beethoven’s eighth symphony, closes with the Ride of the Valkyries with the penultimate piece being Les Preludes by Liszt.

The symphony is given a ‘traditional’ performance in so far as orchestral size is concerned and overall interpretation. The only real acknowledgement of current ‘period’ practice is the airy tempo adopted for the scherzando which is kept texturally light. Apart from the performance being rather large scale in terms of numbers of players, there is nothing here to upset ‘period’ enthusiasts and plenty to please traditionalists.

The jewel in the crown of this concert is the Schumann concerto for four horns which is given a sparkling performance which could also be described as both absorbing and thrilling. In this piece the top two horns, expertly played by Dale Clevenger of Chicago renown and the Berlin’s own Stefan Dohr, work as a pair and carry the main physical and musical weight. The lower two parts, which also operate as a pair, are equally well played by Ignacio Garcia and Geog Schreckenberger. Both pairs of players are well matched tonally and all four make for a well balanced team of impeccable technical expertise. Barenboim made a recording of this work years ago with the Chicago orchestra for DGG but this has more excitement and a far more open recording with greater bloom.

Equally, Liszt’s Les Preludes is given a more expansive sound than that accorded to Karajan’s famous recording on DGG. This suits Barenboim’s natural affinity with the Romantic period and is a fine performance that rises convincingly to its conclusion. The Ride of the Valkyrie brings the concert to a rousing conclusion and is paced at a faster gallop than that adopted in Barenboim’s complete opera performance.

The recording was made under the direction of Paul Smaczny who brings his usual sensitivity and observation to bear by reliably focusing on all the key musical features of the music with accurate camera work that provides detail without being distracting or invasive. The recording was originally marketed by TDK, a disc that was eventually given to a friend for technical reasons. Those reasons do not apply to this Euroarts presentation as the picture seems more satisfying than I recall and the sound offers good stereo. Reprocessed surround sound is not available. This is an example of excellent pre-HD recording quality and should be no bar to any except those who cannot be satisfied by anything other than the latest HD recordings.

This then, is a very worthwhile re-issue of a fine concert which includes an especially fine version of the Schumann 4 horn concerto