Günter Wand did not accord Schumann the same prominence in his repertoire that he did Beethoven, Schubert, Bruckner, and Brahms. In any event, there are very good performances that reveal Wand’s typically sound, richly expressive strings, firm bass lines, solid timpani, and judiciously balanced brass. It is in fact a very Brahmsian sonority, and therein lies the problem in comparison with, say, Levine’s texturally lighter but more emotionally intense account of the Fourth Symphony recently released on RCA’s 24/96 series. Wand’s ensemble sound tends to be a bit heavy, his emotional temperature a degree or two lower, the strings cover the winds a bit too thickly, and rhythmic acuity doesn’t rise to the level that the Philadelphians give Levine.
Schumann needs this extra clarity, and he gets it from Bernstein, Szell, Barenboim, Sawallisch, and Zinman, even if the plush sounds that Wand gets from his orchestra detract from his interpretations only in direct comparison with the finest of the competition. That said, these are certainly enjoyable performances, particularly the Rhenish Symphony, which has more forward momentum than the Fourth and exhibits particularly successful outer movements. The sonics are also very full and faithfully reproduce Wand’s way with the music. In short, these are intensely musical, wholly characteristic performances by a great conductor of music in the German tradition–but respectable as they are, they don’t quite rise to the level of the very best.
