Great Symphonies (2014)

ICA Classics' five-CD box set, Great Symphonies, has the appearance of a substantial introduction to the most important symphonies in western music, but close inspection reveals it to be a mixed bag. There are indeed essential symphonies included here, specifically six: Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, "Eroica," and his Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral," Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Schumann's Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Brahms' Symphony No. 4 in E minor, and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 in A major, ... Read More

ICA Classics' five-CD box set, Great Symphonies, has the appearance of a substantial introduction to the most important symphonies in western music, but close inspection reveals it to be a mixed bag. There are indeed essential symphonies included here, specifically six: Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, "Eroica," and his Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral," Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Schumann's Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Brahms' Symphony No. 4 in E minor, and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 in A major, "Italian." The rest of the program works against the theme, though, since Mussorgsky's A Night on the Bare Mountain, Prokofiev's Suite from The Love for Three Oranges, Debussy's Martyrdom of St. Sebastian and La Mer, and Smetana's Overture to The Bartered Bride are not part of the symphonic repertoire. But even more questionable than the use of filler pieces is the vintage of the recordings, which were made between 1953 and 1981. Despite a claim that they are "expertly remastered,"... Read Less