Schumann: Scenes from Goethe's Faust (2CD)

A first recording for the Naxos catalogue, Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe’s Faust is acknowledged by many as one of his finest scores. Goethe’s Faust exerted a powerful influence on Romantic composers, offering Robert Schumann a number of unforgettable scenes drawn mainly from the mystical second part of the epic poem which he incorporated into this immensely moving large-scale cantata. Opening with the first love scene between Gretchen and Faust and concluding with the climactic scene of Faust’s redemption, Schumann created a sweeping panorama of dramatic episodes with Mephistopheles’ trickery ultimately overcome as legions of celestial beings bear Faust’s soul to heaven. Conducted by Naxos stalwart Antoni Wit, who has already recorded the four symphonies and Piano Concerto for the label, it is a memorable addition to the catalogue.