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The commonly held perception is that Robert Schumann fell short as an orchestrator, and that other composers were needed to redeem his efforts – Shostakovich, who rescored the Cello Concerto, and Gustav Mahler, who attended to the symphonies.
Look beneath the surface and things are rather different. Mahler was a fervent admirer of Schumann's symphonies, and his changes to the score were done out of affection for his own use as a conductor. On hearing the results his verdict was so positive that he instructed wife Alma to have them published, which they were soon after his death.
Mahler performed the symphonies frequently, and while he made a few alterations to the scoring itself his editing really came into its own with the dynamics and tempo markings.
In this respect he completed several hundred 'edits' to the second symphony, and in a performance beautifully realized by Riccardo Chailly and the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the fruits of his labour are revealed. Chailly pays close attention to these dynamic nuances, and the first movement is lithe and dramatic as a result.
The Gewandhaus sound is noticeably more lean than the Concertgebouw, with whom Chailly recorded the symphonies for Decca in the 1990s, and the string sound is truly sumptuous in the slow movement. The scurrying scherzo also benefits from Mahler's retouching, its opening more satisfying in its dynamic shaping. Chailly gets right to the heart of this, and the performance comes to a triumphant conclusion with an affirmative finale.
The tight Leipzig sound also suits the fourth symphony well. Here Mahler paid similar attention to dynamics but also imbued the horn and brass parts with extra, more dramatic material – and it comes off handsomely here. With repeats omitted in first and last movements (another Mahler revision) Chailly takes the lead in a performance of drama and energy.
After a rather foreboding introduction the first movement leaps forward, timpani snapping at the orchestra's heels. Under Chailly the transformation into the major key theme is a joyous one, the rhythms crisp and the overall sound bright.
As a welcome extra the Genoveva overture works well, this underperformed music making a charming melodic impact, fitting in tonally on the back of the second symphony. It completes a fascinating disc, whose booklet notes offer ample insight into one composer's respectful view of another.
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