Audition: Schumann - Symphony No. 2, VPO/Bernstein/DG r1986

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Audition: Schumann - Symphony No. 2

VPO/Bernstein/DG 1986

This symphony was one of Bernstein‘s earliest classical recordings in New York.  I suspect given this symphony’s reputation and many tricky problems, it was a test of the young conductor’s ambition and mettle. 

He’d recorded it in America in June 1954 in NY for Decca, the orchestra was described as the New York Stadium Symphony Orchestra (a pseudonym for the NYPO). Then later in 1960 with the legit New York Philharmonic as part of his CBS cycle. Finally in 1985 it was recorded (with a suspiciously quiet audience) recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, live, on Deutsche Grammophon. The orchestra it should have been a walk in the park but it isn’t, it seems to be a trial for him again.

Bernstein walks the very difficult line between the lyrical and martial elements of the work and occasionally the periods of over-orchestration by Schumann don’t help.  Generally, the conductor ends up as an apologist, stuck between the rampant genius of the German composer and the American’s struggle to make the symphony achieve some glory which had alluded many.

The DG VPO recordings in the 1980s were a tad too bright – great for the Vienna winds but occasionally losing some string detail and, occasionally too much string detail.

The opening is neat and quiet and a bit flat. The bassoon is prominent, the strings are gorgeous as you might expect. The transition out of the introduction into the first movement body is somehow manufactured and I suspect Bernstein was still practicing that 30 years after his first attempt. 

The first movement proper flows nicely though the occasional demands for emphasis fall a bit flat. Moreover, the transition to the Allegro involves some horrible slowing. The Orchestra also seem to be lagging,  arthritic strings before letter C sound mushy. But the brass, especially before the exposition, are superfluous, slowing at letter D. It gets ugly again at letter E but then in a moment of clarity, the crescendo is fine but  what follows is occasionally awful.  It feels like hard work. 

Schumann’s Scherzo is a runaway train. Bernstein wisely doesn’t play the repeats. The Vienna strings are completely with him. At these speeds, it’s exciting but light touch. The Trio is glorious and thrilling at times, especially in the coda.

The Adagio is also in a good place musically but the horns are (by design?) very quiet. But as it turns out in consecutive pages Bernstein is too slow too jerky and shockingly for this music static bordering on extremely static (bar 84 for example). More twiddling ensues, the molto adagio just to manner certainly a tad Brucknerian.  I think the Allegro Moto Vivace has claimed many losses.  Bernstein emphasises a sort of martial quality – I’m not sure I like it. 

There’s nothing here to counter the music’s drop into mania. Bernstein is great here and the VPO respond very well. It must be exhausting. Bernstein is just pressing on to the conclusion. He doesn’t press too much keeping a tad of classical decorum but one senses he’s glad to get to the end.  No  huge slip ups but lots of coasting. Few flubs and some liberties.

Performance 7 out of 10

Interpretation 6 out of 10

Recording 7 out of 10.