Carlos Kleiber - Schubert: Symphonies No.3 & No. 8

Maestro Carlos Kleiber conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of Franz Schubert's Unfinished Symphonies No. 3 and 8. Carlos Kleiber's recordings are rare events, almost invariably worth the wait. This performance of the Unfinished is typical: Direct, unfussy, superbly played, and unflaggingly intense. It certainly doesn't hurt to have the Vienna Philharmonic as an eager participant in the process, contributing their customary warmth and inbred sense of style.

The delightful Third Symphony gets taken out for a charming workout, with the second movement zipping along at a controversially fast speed. At midprice, this reissue offers excellent value, and it's particularly nice to have the Unfinished featured as the major work. As Kleiber shows, it deserves the attention. High-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players). Japanese pressing.