Schubert: Symphony No. 9.(Sound recording review)

Schubert: Symphony No. 9. Sir Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden. Profil PHO6038.

For Schubert, the Great C-major Symphony was something of a change-in size, scope, and mood. He was always just a little behind his contemporary, Beethoven, and tried hard not to imitate him, Schubert's earlier symphonies, including the "Unfinished," comparatively light, gentle, flowing pieces. The C-major gives way to a more massive structure and more serious themes, yet it contains a wealth of memorable tunes one after another, giving it the advantage of being open to varied interpretations. Of course, in Schubert's own day it was deemed unplayable, and Schubert would never hear it performed.

Davis plays up both the weighty and the lyrical elements of the work. Simultaneously, he maintains a direct connection with the composer's earlier symphonies in his sprightly, buoyant manner, yet he takes a big, dramatic approach at the same time. It's kind of like having your cake and eating it, too-leisurely, relaxed, sprightly, and serious. Like much of Schubert's music, the Ninth can be viewed lightly and cheerfully, and such conductors as George Szell (Sony), George Solti (Decca), and more recently Simon Rattle (EMI) have treated it as such. Yet the ...