Bucharest Symphony Orchestra & John Axelrod - Schumann 41/51 (2023)

The Bucharest Symphony and Principal Conductor John Axelrod present a unique recording of both versions of Schumann's 4th Symphony: the original version, composed and premiered in 1841 and published nearly 50 years later with the help of Johannes Brahms, and the revised 1851 version, completed three years before his untimely death, and defended and protected by his widow, Clara Schumann. The recording brings both side by side to show the different facets of Schumann’s character, as he himself put it: ‘Florestan the wild’ and ‘Eusebius the mild’. Principal Conductor of the Bucharest Symphony since 2022, John Axelrod explains that the focus of this project is to ‘delve deeply into Robert Schumann’s life, his love, and his long struggle with mental health. These two publications, one written during a manic creative year and the other in the depths of his emotional despair, provide for me the most telling representation of this radical romantic. I hope to share this musical discovery with my fellow musicians, our audience and listeners. Ultimately, we may learn something new about this extraordinary man.

Tracklist
01. Schumann: I. Andante con moto – Allegro di molto
02. Schumann: II. Romanza: Andante
03. Schumann: III. Scherzo: Presto
04. Schumann: IV. Largo – Finale. Allegro vivace
05. Schumann: I. Ziemlich langsam – Lebhaft
06. Schumann: II. Romanze: Ziemlich langsam
07. Schumann: III. Scherzo: Lebhaft
08. Schumann: IV. Langsam – Lebhaft