Review: Zinman's "Great Symphony" Edition (Deleted of Course) 

As much as I appreciate Dave's insight, wit and profound knowledge, I couldn't help thinking that today's offering was considerably enhanced by co-host Mildred.

Thank you for giving Zinman the attention (and appreciation) he deserves.

Interestingly, I sang with my college choir in Rochester, New York when he was the music Director there back in 1979, and they performed Brahms Requiem. He was a fantastic conductor! One very humorous thing that happened. Is that in the climax of the sixth movement, when the tempo Increased, he accidentally let go of his baton, and it went flying through the air!

Zinman's Strauss is some of the most underrated in the catalogue. Years ago I was at a record store that was closing down and liquidating their stock, and I was able to snag the Strauss Box for $15. Couldn't believe how fresh he makes Strauss sound where so many make him sound soupy and heavy.

I enjoyed Mr. Zinman when living in Baltimore. I agree a Baltimore box would be nice, too.

Thanks for this. A number of the Beethoven recordings, including the symphonies, the very fine piano concertos, overtures and triple concerto, are in the green 60 cd Sony RCA Atrte Nova Beethoven box.

I know the early Schuberts are sort of written off as mere *juvenalia* to take up space on the 3 o clock hour of some classical radio station but the Zinman recordings of them are really fresh, I frequently listen to his versions of #1 #2 and #5 ... his particularly driving Schubert 2 in particular sounds almost violent in spots. Exciting!

I like these "underdog" boxes. I've had this one for quite some time and I return to it rather often. I recently bought the Gerard Schwarz box (which you recommended) for the amazing diversity of content. And last year I bought the big Idil Biret box. Again an amazing breadth of repertoire. No real "however!" performances in there, but I do tend to listen to them. I have some difficulty in judging the quality, because for some reason I like them, while at the same time I can name sometimes quite a lot of better versions of each work. I'd be interested to know how you judge these cd's.

This was informative as I wasn't too aware of him other than the Barber disc. Zinman's Barber disc is a treasure.

In the Eroica, Zinman takes an unusual liberty in the last movement: bars 60-75 are played by a solo string quartet rather than the full section. He also adds an ADDITIONAL repeat in the scherzo (that nobody else does) and if I recall correctly he has the oboe player add *ornaments* in the slow section of the finale. It's all needlessly "creative" in a piece that doesn't need it.

I love this set. I think David Zinman is a much under-recognized conductor, even if he's not without recognition. I'm not a big Beethoven symphonies fan or collector but I do love this version. IIRC the 9th symphony is 46 minutes! I recall the Strauss works being terrific, too.

Zinman is truly underrated , but I would take many of his recordings over many others 👍

Still waiting for a box with all his recordings for Philips ....

I still find his cycle of Beethoven piano concertos, with bronfman at the piano, the greatest of the last 30 years!

I like the jackets it’s got the portraits of the composer on them

Zinman´s recording of Beethoven's symphonies 1&2 are my favorite recordings of these two particularly symphonies, despites so many other recordings of those symphonies in my collection (Toscanini twice, Karajan (all his 4 cycles), Szell, Bruno Walter, Wand... but for 1 & 2, I go with Zinman

I bought this box in 2016 for 45 EUR an I enjoy it a lot. The only gripe I have is the packaging, it wastes some shelf space by using a box that is considerably wider than neccessary. The discs themselves are in nice cardboard sleeves. It is a very nice box.

Zinman’s strongest performances for me are the Elgar recordings with Baltimore, would love to see his BSO telarc recordings boxed up. Thanks for giving him the credit he deserves.

His Baltimore Schumann cycle is still available. Do you know these performances?

Thank you for this review, Dave! Can you recommend a good Symbolist or Modernist pianist that composed moody/atmospheric, melancholy pieces? Something perhaps in a Late Romantic spirit, and perhaps lesser known? Sorry for the vague specificity.

I used to have the Beethoven cycle in a smaller box, but did not keep it. After listening a few times the emphasis on speed became annoying. The trio of the 7th Symphony scherzo sounded downright silly, like a children's nursery rhyme tune. It was like Toscanini on methamphetamines. I was disappointed, because I have heard other things by Zinmin that I really enjoyed, especially his disc of newer cello concertos with Yo Yo Ma and the Philadelphia orchestra (pieces by Danielpour, Rouse, and Kirchner)

why dont you play clips

After Zinman's Schumann, everybody else's sound a bit, well.... galumphing - including Sawallisch....

Mildred certainly doesn't give much attention to Zinman or is it your presentation? 😂

growing up and as i progressed into more advance schools and bands I notice how tempos were different for same tunes, popular at concerts and it always bothereed me. In addition the solo part was given out to different instruments.. my examples of tempo and solo changes as I grew up was in Bugler"s Holiday and Fiddle Faddle and I have noticed recently in Scheherazade. For that matter Van Morrison I like his music very much from album to live one wondered is that the same song...

Maybe Mildred is mystified as to why you’re talking to yourself David? Or perhaps she’s annoyed that you’re not paying attention to her.