Schubert: Symphony No. 9 (CD review)

Gunter Wand, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.  Profil PHO6014.

Just a month before receiving this 1993 live Profil recording from Gunter Wand and the Munich Philharmonic, I reviewed Sir Colin Davis's 1996 live recording of Schubert's Ninth with the Staatskapelle, Dresden, also from Profil. So, Profil seems to be on a live Schubert Ninth kick from the Nineties. Not that I'm complaining; both recordings are quite nice.

Indeed, the two recordings are more than nice, and you could hardly go wrong with either of them. I mean, unless you had them side by side as I did, you could hardly tell them apart. Davis's disc is slightly warmer in tone, and Davis plays the symphony at a marginally faster tempo. Otherwise, contrasts, lyricism, lilt, solemnity, joy, and excitement abound in equal measures in both performances.

If you remember, the Great C major Symphony was something of a change of pace for Schubert; it was bigger, broader, and moodier than anything he had done before, his earlier symphonies, including the "Unfinished," comparatively gentle and light. 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. In Schubert's own day, people deemed it unplayable, unfortunately, and Schubert would never hear it performed.

Like Davis, Wand plays up both the weighty and the lyrical elements of the work. The interpretation is relaxed yet serious. He plays up the sprightly parts while maintaining a weighty decorum. Unlike Davis, however, Wand takes a more measured, almost solemn approach to the second movement Andante, which, nevertheless, provides a good juxtaposition with the energetic Scherzo that follows. By the time Wand reaches the big finale, the boisterous Allegro vivace, he is as rousing as any conductor of any age.

Also like Davis's recording, I doubt I would have identified it as live except for the unfortunate eruption of applause at its conclusion. The sound for Wand is not quite so velvety smooth as for Davis, nor does it have as comforting a bass, but it is clear and fairly clean. As I say, you can't go wrong with Gunter Wand in the Schubert Ninth, especially as he has recorded it several times before, and this one is as good as the best.

JJP