Paul Paray’s Schumann performances are exactly what you would expect, coming from this source. They’re bright, clear, peppy, neat, and elegant, without a trace of German heaviness. Paray makes an excellent case for Schumann’s original orchestrations, as do most of the best Schumann interpreters. His performance of the “Rhenish” is particularly outstanding, a reading of such propulsive energy that even the first movement’s non-developing development section achieves a degree of inevitability. In fact, the only drawback in this entire set is the 4th Symphony, which unfortunately exists only in limited mono sound. Otherwise, this is a splendid reissue in every way, and yet another tribute to this still underrated conductor.
