"Historically, Robert Schumann was one of the most important composers of the 19th century", says Daniel Barenboim in an interview about his new recording of the composer's complete symphonies. It is for this reason that now, a few years after the very successful Brahms symphony cycle, Schumann's works performed at the Berlin State Opera as well as the Berlin Philharmonic with the Staatskapelle Berlin have also been recorded.

The rousing, dynamic, yet highly differentiated and concentrated performance is not only an impressive plea for Schumann's symphonies, but also reaffirms Daniel Barenboim's commitment to them, which he made in an interview with the New York Times in 2004: "Let's not fool ourselves: If Brahms had not existed, we would be much poorer, though the history of music would have been more or less the same. But Beethoven and Schumann have made Wagner and Mahler a reality."

Tracklist

CD1

Symphony No. 1 in B flat major “Spring” op. 38

1. Andante un poco maestoso – Allegro molto vivace    

2. Larghetto                    

3. Scherzo. Molto vivace                          

4. Allegro animato e grazioso

Symphony No. 2 in C major op. 61

1. Sostenuto assai – Allegro ma non troppo       

2. Scherzo. Allegro vivace          

3. Adagio espressivo                   

4. Allegro molto vivace

CD 2

Symphony No. 3 in E flat major “Rhenish” op. 97

1. Lebhaft                       

2. Scherzo. Sehr mäßig

3. Nicht schnell                            

4. Feierlich                      

5. Lebhaft                       

Symphony No. 4 in D minor op. 120

1. Ziemlich langsam – Lebhaft  

2. Romanze. Ziemlich langsam 

3. Scherzo                       

4. Langsam – Lebhaft – Presto