Christoph Eschenbach - Schumann: The Complete Symphonies, Die Braut von Messina (1999)

Admirers of Eschenbach's Bruckner and Mahler recordings will find much to please them here, for he's got Schumann's style down pat. This is especially true in lyric sections like the Romanza of the Symphony No. 4, although some of the slow movements could be more effective with greater intensity. Eschenbach's overall approach is very much in the traditional German manner. That means you won't get the energy that Leonard Bernstein brought to this music or the transparency and detail heard in George Szell's set. The engineering adds to the impression of thick sonorities that dampen the music's power. But Eschenbach's sturdy Schumann is definitely worth hearing for his stylish phrasing and numerous insights. The "Sturm und Drang" overture is a welcome bonus, a short but effective piece we don't hear very often. --Dan Davis