Symphony No. 4 in D minor
Robert Schumann
Leonard Bernstein / Vienna Philharmonic
Mid-1980sTop choice for the complete set. Bernstein delivers 'the full romanticism'—it's 'very expressive, very passionate, beautifully played, very exciting.' He perfectly sets the individual mood for each symphony, especially the drama of the fourth.
Wolfgang Sawallisch / Staatskapelle Dresden
1972 Very good sound quality.A famous cycle and a good complement to Bernstein. It has a 'real sense of rhythmic vitality,' and is 'a little bit swifter, a little bit more transparent.' The 'beauty of the writing' comes across strongly.
Wilhelm Furtwängler / Berlin Philharmonic
1953 Very well recorded mono.A famous single version, 'universally praised.' It 'sounds very spontaneous, very raw, very dramatic,' as if done in one take. The slow movement is 'gorgeous,' like 'one big, long arc'.