Conductor
Pablo Heras-Casado
and the
Freiburger Barockorchester
have established a mutually beneficial relationship, mounting a number of successful tours and a growing catalog of quality recordings. Here,
Heras-Casado
Freiburger
group offer readings of two
Schubert
symphonies seeking to accentuate the stylistic difference between the Haydnesque
Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, D. 485
, and the forward-looking
Symphony No. 7, D. 759 ("Unfinished")
. There is no shortage of recordings of these symphonies, but there are good reasons to give this one a listen. The
excels with the
Symphony No. 5
, and this reading of the
"Unfinished"
will find many welcoming ears. Listener mileage will vary, naturally, depending on individual attitudes regarding the interpretation of these symphonies, but they are both played well and worth hearing. The
group has a considerable audience already, and these familiar works may be a good entry point to those less familiar with the group or who have any level of interest in the sound of a period-instrument ensemble performing this music.
keeps a brisk pace throughout, and the orchestra deftly follows. Another attraction here is the sound from the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden, which is ideally captured by
Harmonia Mundi
's engineers, especially for those who have an affinity for a strong cello-and-double-bass-ensemble sound. ~ Keith Finke