Schubert Symphonies 4 & 5
This is a wonderful album. I have to admit to not being a great fan of Schubert symphonies as most conductors go a bit too heavy on the Viennese charm and do not stress their classicism enough. These performances put that right by simply giving us what Schubert wrote and the result is all the better for it. Norrington doesn't try to turn these into full-blown Romantic works (the so-called 'Tragic' is really only a bit agitated) and his tempos are perfectly judged, with the one possible exception of the minuet from the 5th, which is just a bit too fast for comfort. All the repeats are observed and the orchestral playing is excellent.
