Audite annoyingly numbers “The Great” Symphony in C major “No. 8” instead of the more common No. 9. This may confuse prospective buyers, which is a pity because this is a gorgeous Schubert CD, with both works full of life, freshness, and drama. In the Third, Kubelik offers a perfectly proportioned, shapely reading with ideal tempos (in the second-movement Allegretto particularly) and a lovely interplay of strings and winds. The Ninth is just as fine. Kubelik keeps the music flowing purposefully forward in the opening movement despite his affectionate treatment of the lyrical second subject (wonderful woodwinds here, and throughout). The march-like Andante is swift, with a cataclysmic climax; the scherzo has great energy and ruggedness, and the fleet-footed finale goes like the wind. Only that dumb decrescendo on the very last chord diminishes what by any standard is a significant interpretive achievement. Beautifully restored sonics in both CD and SACD formats offer plenty of warmth, with really good balances between brass, strings, and winds, alongside just a touch of 1960s and ’70s opacity. A very enjoyable and musicianly pair of performances, definitely worth preserving and issuing.
