--- product_id: 56543478 title: "Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4" brand: "schumann, robertsawallisch, wolfgangstaatskapelle dresden" price: "£77.99" currency: GBP in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/56543478-schumann-symphonies-nos-1-4 store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 **Brand:** schumann, robertsawallisch, wolfgangstaatskapelle dresden **Price:** £77.99 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 by schumann, robertsawallisch, wolfgangstaatskapelle dresden - **How much does it cost?** £77.99 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/56543478-schumann-symphonies-nos-1-4) ## Best For - schumann, robertsawallisch, wolfgangstaatskapelle dresden enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted schumann, robertsawallisch, wolfgangstaatskapelle dresden brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 ## Images ![Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41E9MVrrKCL.jpg) ![Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1-4 - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Tyqo8KpGL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Incandescent and undoubtedly 'great' Schumann discs *by I***S on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2013* This set of recordings from 1972 has been in my collection for forty years now and this latest set of remastered discs is certainly worth acquiring as the recordings have never sounded better and originally sounded far from clear, even if always thrilling. The original sound was too generous in its acoustics and produced somewhat 'swimmy sounds' where detail got submerged in the venue. This has now been completely rectified and is no longer a problem.The performances themselves have a remarkable sweep and exhilaration apparent from first note to last. This may have something to do with the circumstances of their making. The orchestra and conductor were originally booked to record Wagner's Rienzi but at the last moment two singers pulled out and that recording had to be abandoned. It was decided to use the booked time slot to make a recording of this set of Schumann. The orchestra was already very familiar with Schumann's work with a history of that link going back to the time when Schumann lived in Dresden. The change of direction for the recording sessions must have introduced an element of freshness and spontaneity with little opportunity to over-rehearse. The result, as one American reviewer put it, was 'Sawallisch's white-hot direction nails you to the wall.'This is one of those sets where absolutely everything seems to be perfect. Schumann's symphonies have an inner glow and compulsion in these performances that leaves most of the competition far behind. others may, and certainly do, bring other values to these works but for sheer excitement, verve, spontaneity and incandescence, these discs are in a class of their own.I would suggest that, no matter now many other recordings collectors have of these works, this set appropriately listed as one of the Great Recordings of the Century, is a 'must have' set. For those who are yet to buy their first or only copy of these works, this set has to be considered as one of the very best to put on the short-list. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Salieri *by S***I on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 August 2012* This CD box set is one of the "Great Recordings of the Century" series and that really says it all. Despite many recordings of all 4 Symphonies, the performances by Sawallisch and the Dresden Staatskapelle have never been bettered, and I venture to suggest they never will be. So, if you do not know the works, or perhaps rate them as inferior to, say, Schubert or Brahms, why should you buy them? After all, Schumann has not exactly in the past had a good press as a Symphonist or as an Orchestrator.These performances will completely convert you and make you wonder why you never realised how superb the Symphonies were. A great deal of this is down to Sawallisch, whose obvious love of the works, and careful study of the scores, led him to view them afresh and create enormously energetic, vital and powerfully emotional interpretations: he misses nothing and his readings are wonderfully clear and transparent; he sweeps us along irresistably, but there is tenderness as well as power. The playing of the Staatskapelle is superb - Dresden was, after all Schumann's home for 6 years, and has strong links with his music. Clearly, Sawallisch's enthusiasm for these works has permeated through to his Orchestra. and they respond superbly.What especially can you look for amid so many highlights? My suggestions are (a) the tender 2nd movement of the 4th Symphony, with its (rare) violin solo, and the magnificent build-up to the same Symphony's finale. The 4th Symphony was revised by Schumann, and this terrific passage replaced a somewhat naff original: (b) the sheer exuberance of the 3rd Symphony's first movement (in a key - E Flat - where the strings are not usually known to soar!), and some magisterial horn playing, which the Dresden Players clearly relish: just listen to the them in the middle of the first movement, when they re-introduce the main theme! - also the "Cathedral Scene" 4th movement with like magisterial brass playing: the first entry of the trombones occurs here, but thereafter they are silent until thhe end of the finale.(c) the awakening of Spring in the 1st Symphony after the arresting introductory fanfare (nearly a disaster at the work's first performance, since Schumann had originally written the fanfare a third lower, so it sounded as if Spring had a bad cold - well, we all get it wrong sometimes!), and (d) the immense and powerful energy of the 2nd Symphony's first movement development section, and subsequent surge to the movement's strong ending: then the nervous Scherzo with incredibly fast string writing, plus the same work's dark and intensely moving slow movement.If I have to signal out a favourite, it would have to be Symphony No. 2, written at a time when Schumann was undergoing a black period, and, as he himself said, he only began to recover in the finale, and that finale is not itself a complete victory. The work is restless, striving to succeed: it is the most emotional of all four - perhaps a prelude to the dark ending of the composer's life? Who can say? Don't delay, order your CD NOW, and find your own favourite moments. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Symphonies to own *by A***L on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 February 2015* Why did Wolfgang Sawallisch love these performances and this recording of the Schumann Symphonies? One reason is the lovely acoustic of the Lukaskirche, Dresden. Another is the superlative playing of the Staatskapelle Dresden. And for me, a really good job that has been done in digital remastering at Abbey Road Studios by Ian Jones. The word great is bandied about too often - but there is no doubt about the stature of these 'great recordings of the century.' There are so many brilliant moments that I might over- hype, that I will draw attention to just one- the introduction to the first movement of the second symphony. The eerie, restless tension is judged to perfection. These Schumann masterpieces are in performances to own and to live with. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/56543478-schumann-symphonies-nos-1-4](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/56543478-schumann-symphonies-nos-1-4) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-16*