Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major The Great - Křenek: Static and Ecstatic

The Cleveland Orchestra’s own label, which enterprisingly often links the old and the new, strikes gold here. Schubert’s beautifully proportioned and classically conceived *Symphony No. 9 in C Major, “The Great”* is stylishly performed by this astonishingly polished ensemble. The woodwind playing is superb: elegant, songful, and exquisitely controlled. It was recorded live in March 2020, the final time the orchestra played together before lockdown. The *Křenek* (1971-72), also recorded live, is scored for a smaller ensemble and over 10 short movements explores a language that hearkens back to the Second Viennese School. Beautifully unfolded, it has a crystalline purity that Welser-Möst etches with forensic detail.