There have been many great recordings of Schubert's Eighth and Ninth symphonies -- one thinks immediately of the awe-inspiring
Furtwängler, the heartwarming
Walter, and the hard-driving
Toscanini -- and there have been some great recordings of Schubert's six earlier symphonies -- one thinks immediately of the glorious
Böhm, the luminous
Kleiber, and the fabulous
Abbado -- but while this set of all eight symphonies -- Schubert never did more than sketch a seventh -- with
Frans Brüggen conducting the
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century may not match the greatest recordings of the greatest works, it often comes very, very close.
Brüggen may have first made his mark as an incredibly talented recorder player, but by the time he made these recordings in the early '90s, he had long since proved himself as a highly skillful conductor, and he is never less than completely in control of the music. Better yet,
Brüggen was always a deeply understanding interpreter and his performances here have all the requisite Schubertian qualities of tender intimacy, intense lyricism, extreme drama, and unrelenting energy. But even better, the
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century is more than merely the superb early instrument ensemble
Brüggen is directing; it is the superb ensemble of superlative individuals that has as much to say about the music as the conductor. Either as soloists or as a unit, the
Orchestra's phrasing, molding, and shaping are cogent, creative, and compelling -- and entirely its own. While there will always be room on the shelf for
Furtwängler,
Walter, and
Toscanini, not to mention
Böhm,
Kleiber, and
Abbado, this set will be mandatory listening for anyone who loves Schubert's symphonies, especially in Philips' crisp and colorful sound.