Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 & Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major

Full-blooded Romanticism takes centre stage in this exclusive Vienna Philharmonic album, recorded live at the city’s Musikverein in September 2022. Martha Argerich brings sensitivity and passion to Robert Schumann’s A minor Piano Concerto, while the Vienna Philharmonic, under Zubin Mehta’s thrilling direction, performs Austrian composer Anton Bruckner’s homage to nature, the “Romantic” Symphony No. 4. Schumann’s Piano Concerto, completed in 1845, may not be the most virtuosic of the great warhorses, but it is certainly one of the most lyrical and melodically rich, with a beautifully crafted dialogue between piano and orchestra sustained throughout the work. This is a concerto that looks back to Beethoven, but also forward to Brahms whose Second Piano Concerto also has equal weight on soloist and orchestra. In the opening bars, Argerich thunders forth, leading to the tender opening theme, which she plays with scintillating control while eliciting a bell-like tone from the piano. This is a typically thrilling and engaging performance from the Argentine pianist, leading the orchestra from the front, while conscious of the work’s chamber qualities as she blends and weaves her sound in and out of the orchestral textures. “Martha Argerich is one of my favourite artists because she’s not so much playing the piano—she is just pure music,” Christoph Wimmer, one of the Vienna Philharmonic’s principal double-bass players, tells Apple Music Classical. “Music flows out of all of her body, and it’s just magic. Her playing is what I would call completely effortless.” When Bruckner named his Symphony No. 4 the “Romantic”, he was referring to the Romanticism of the Austrian countryside rather than anything overtly heroic. As Wimmer says, the opening movement “doesn’t start with a big bang, but rather a really soft tremolo in the strings. Then a single principal horn starts with a melody, and then a very long increase in tension, in colour and in volume. And only after two minutes do we have the first climax.” Bruckner’s countryside is one of Alpine heights and lush foothills, punctuated by the call of the hunting horn and the triplet rhythms of the Ländler, a traditional Austrian dance. As if to highlight the mountainous terrain, Bruckner takes us to awesome heights in the slow movement, delaying the summit until two thirds of the way in. In the final movement, he creates one of the most breathtaking conclusions to any symphony he wrote. Conductor Zubin Mehta realises Bruckner’s vision, conjuring awesome sonic contrasts between prayer-like calm and incredible forces of crackling energy. Listen to the final two tracks of this album to enjoy Christoph Wimmer’s commentary on this wonderful concert.