Schubert: Symphonies Nos.3 & 4 'Tragic'

In his first recording for harmonia mundi Pablo Heras-Casado gives us two of Schubert's six symphonies performed with Freiburger Barockorchester. The carefree Third of 1815 ends with a Rossinian tarantella whilst the darker Fourth (1816) looks more towards Beethoven. The subtitle 'Tragic' came from the 19-year-old composer himself but perhaps the real tragedy is that this symphony, like all his others, was never played in public in his lifetime. A second album, featuring Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Mendelssohn's Symphony No.2, "Lobgesang", follows in March 2014. Meanwhile Deutsche Grammophon's Archiv Produktion – which recently welcomed Heras-Casado as an "Archiv Ambassador" – has announced an album celebrating legendary castrato singer Farinelli. Pablo Heras-Casado enjoys an unusually varied conducting career, encompassing the great symphonic and operatic repertoire, historically-informed performance and cutting-edge contemporary scores. In 2011 he was announced Principal Conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke's in New York, beginning a four-year term including an annual concert season at Carnegie Hall. In 2013/14 Heras-Casado debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig – as well as at the Metropolitan Opera, where he conducts Verdi's 'Rigoletto'. He will also tour with Freiburger Barockorchester and guest-conduct a series of concert and opera performances at the Mariinsky Theatre.