Berliner Philharmoniker & Sir Simon Rattle - Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 (2014) [Hi-Res]

For Simon Rattle, Robert Schumann is "the echt Romantic". And in fact, the exuberance of the period, its passion and its melancholy can be heard with unique intensity in Schumann's music to this day. For the Berliner Philharmoniker, Schumann's symphonies have always been part of their core repertoire. The 1953 Wilhelm Furtwängler recording in particular has attained cult status. And so it only stands to reason that the Berliner Philharmoniker should launch their Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings label with a cycle of the four Schumann symphonies.

The works have accompanied the orchestra throughout 2013 – in Berlin and on tour in Europe and Asia. The Berlin Tagesspiegel, wrote of a "defining moment", while the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung praised the "truly sensational quality." Another special feature of this recording from the Philharmonie is the decision to use the early version of the Fourth Symphony from 1841, whose appeal for Simon Rattle lies in its extra "lightness, grace and beauty" compared to the established later version. The presentation of the product, its packaging and special features, go far beyond what standard CDs offer.