Norrington/Radio Sinf Orch - Robert Schumann: Complete Symphonies

Robert Schumann�s� four symphonies represent the highs and lows of the composer�s life unlike any�other of his works. They were composed between 1840 (shortly after his marriage to Clara Schumann) and 1853 (at which point his mental health problems were becoming apparent). They were a leap into the unknown for the young composer, at least�as far as�the first symphony is concerned;�previously he�had focused on piano and Lied repertoire. In the�following�years, Schumann�s life was a series of short, carefree episodes that alternated with considerably longer periods� marked by pressing worries � recognition often gave way to criticism and rejection. These were the composer�s personal circumstances when writing the four symphonies. Roger Norrington�s� artistic credo is the faithful rendition of a composer�s intentions,�made�all the more important� here� when considering� both� Schumann�s background and� the epoch in which he lived and worked. During Norrington�s thirteen years as chief conductor of the former Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (which merged with its sister orchestra from Baden-Baden to form the SWR Symphonieorchester in 2016), he adhered to historically informed performance practice, applying the characteristics of period style to the modern symphony orchestra.