“Let there be no doubt, Franz Schmidt’s Fourth (1933) is one of the finest of 20th-century symphonies”, the Gramophone magazine wrote about the last of the four symphonies by the Austrian composer Franz Schmidt (1874-1939). When I was I Czechoslovakia, in the early 1990’s, I discovered the symphony cycle by conductor L'udovít Rajter on the Opus label (cheaper than a bottle of milk) and was mesmerized by the music. The recording by Franz Welser-Most and the London Philharmonic orchestra is even better and received a Gramophone award in 1995.
“I could go on, but this is the finest of the Tennstedt cycle and one of the superlative Mahler performances on record.” said the Gramophone magazine in 1987 about this CD. The recording by Tennstedt won also the Gramophone award that year. After the initial praise, the recording seems to be a bit forgotten. A fine rediscovery on Spotify.
Hope you will enjoy these works as well!
Franz Schmidt (1874-1939)
Track 01-04 Symphony no 4 in C major (1932-3)
Track 05-11 Variations on a Husar song (1930-1)
London Symphony Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Track 12-29 Symphony no 8 in Eb major, “Symphonie der Tausend” (1906-7)
Elizabeth Connell (Soprano I),
Edith Wiens (Soprano II),
Felicity Lott (Soprano),
Trudeliese Schmidt (Alt I),
Nadine Denize (Alt II),
Richard Versalle (Tenor), J
orma Hynninen (Bariton),
Hans Sotin (Bass),
Tiffin School Boys' Choir,
London Philharmonic Choir,
David Hill (Organ),
London Philharmonic Orchestra,
Klaus Tennstedt, conductor
(Webplayer link)
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