Album

Among top-tier classical composers, Franz Schubert may well have left the most impressive showing in terms of sheer productivity within his rather limited range of time; though active only about 18 years, Schubert produced some 1,100 works—one does not know when he must have slept; perhaps he didn't. In the budget category, Decca has produced the five-CD set Ultimate Schubert, which contains just 11 works—one one-hundredth of his output—in decent, mostly older, stereo recordings. The performances chosen are excellent ones; here we have the Great C major symphony with the Vienna Philharmonic under István Kertész, the Quartetto Italiano in the "Death and the Maiden" Quartet, and Clifford Curzon in a selection of piano music. That's all very nice, but something described as "ultimate" and pertaining to Franz Schubert must at least contain something of his vocal music; he is probably the "ultimate" composer of lieder, and one cannot grasp his style at even a basic level without at least considering some of his art songs. Moreover, it is not as if Decca has no recordings of Schubert lieder in its catalog from which to choose. Although the discs are well filled, CD 4 contains just Schubert's C major quintet and quartet movement in C minor, adding up to just short of 60 minutes; the inclusion of two or three lied would've really added some value in the otherwise blank remainder. In addition, one wonders why the whole of the Rosamunde music was included; the overture, certainly, is among Schubert's best-known orchestral works, but the rest of the incidental music is rather third-tier in comparison with other possible options, such as the Symphony No. 3, the Sonata D. 960, not to mention some lieder.

If the artists here are appealing—certainly the Beaux Arts Trio, Kertész, and Curzon would be—and one does not already have them in performances of these works, then Ultimate Schubert might be an option; certainly the asking price is none too dear for a five-disc set. Nevertheless, as a basic guide to what's the best and most important music of Schubert, which Ultimate Schubert seems to want to be as it is subtitled "the essential masterpieces," it cannot be recommended as such. While his instrumental music is superb, Schubert's melodic voice is found in the lied and it is the driving force behind his more ambitious projects. In Ultimate Schubert, Decca has managed to provide the cart without the horse.

© Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 5
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Rosamunde, Fürstin von Cypern, D.797, Op.26 (incidental music) Work 54:33 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Choir Chorus/Choir, Bernard Haitink Conductor, Aafje Heynis Contralto
1	1.Overture ('Die Zauberharfe Overture')	9:52			$1.49
2	2.Ent'racte 1	7:40			$1.49
3	5.Romanze 'Der Vollmond strahlt auf Bergeshöh'n'	3:22			$0.99
4	6.Chorus of Spirits	2:46			$0.99
5	4.Ent'racte 2	3:25			$0.99
6	3.Ballet Music 1	7:35			$1.49
7	8.Shepherd's Melody	1:20			$0.49
8	9.Shepherds' Chorus	3:31			$0.99
9	7.Ent'racte 3	7:01			$1.49
10	10.Hunters' Chorus	1:49			$0.49
11	11.Ballet Music 2	6:12			$0.99
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Symphony No.8 in B-, D.759 ('Unfinished') Work 25:41 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Orchestra, Bernard Haitink Conductor
12	1.Allegro moderato	14:18			$2.49
13	2.Andante con moto	11:23			$1.99
CD 2 of 5
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Symphony No.5 in Bb, D.485 Work 27:36 Istvan Kertesz Conductor, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.Allegro	6:50			$0.99
2	2.Andante con moto	9:56			$1.49
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro molto	5:11			$0.99
4	4.Allegro vivace	5:39			$0.99
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Symphony No.9 in C, D.944 ('Great') Work 50:15 Istvan Kertesz Conductor, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
5	1.Andante. Allegro ma non troppo	13:33			$2.49
6	2.Andante con moto	13:50			$2.49
7	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	11:08			$1.99
8	4.Finale: Allegro vivace	11:44			$1.99
CD 3 of 5
Franz Peter Schubert Composer String Quartet No.14 in D-, D.810 ('Death and the Maiden') Work 38:22 Quartetto Italiano String Quartet
1	1.Allegro	11:35			$1.99
2	2.Andante con moto	14:12			$2.49
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro molto. Trio	3:38			$0.99
4	4.Presto	8:57			$1.49
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Piano Quintet in A, D.667, Op.posth.114 ('The Trout') Work 39:12 Bernard Greenhouse Cello, Beaux Arts Trio Ensemble, Isidore Cohen Violin, Menahem Pressler Piano, Samuel Rhodes Viola, Georg Maximilian Hortnagel Double Bass
5	1.Allegro vivace	13:51			$2.49
6	2.Andante	6:41			$0.99
7	3.Scherzo: Presto	4:04			$0.99
8	4.Theme: Andantino and 5 Variations. Allegretto	8:00			$1.49
9	5.Finale: Allegro giusto	6:36			$0.99
CD 4 of 5
Franz Peter Schubert Composer String Quintet in C, D.956, Op.posth.163 Work 49:28 Weller Quartet String Quartet, Dietfried Gürtler Cello
1	1.Allegro ma non troppo	14:15			$2.49
2	2.Adagio	15:10			$2.49
3	3.Scherzo: Presto. Trio: Andante sostenuto	10:44			$1.99
4	4.Finale: Allegretto	9:19			$1.49
Franz Peter Schubert Composer String Quartet in C-, D.703 ('Quartett-Satz') Work Weller Quartet String Quartet
5	String Quartet in C-, D.703 ('Quartett-Satz')	9:49			$1.49
CD 5 of 5
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Piano Sonata No.17 in D, D.850, Op.53 ('Gasteiner') Work 35:38 Clifford Curzon Piano
1	1.Allegro vivace	6:34			$0.99
2	2.Con moto	13:02			$2.49
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	8:07			$1.49
4	4.Rondo: Allegro moderato	7:55			$1.49
Franz Peter Schubert Composer 4 Impromptus, D.899, Op.90 Work 12:44 Clifford Curzon Piano
5	No.3 in Gb: Andante	5:15			$0.99
6	No.4 in Ab: Allegretto	7:29			$1.49
Franz Peter Schubert Composer 6 Moments musicaux, D.780, Op.94 Work 27:40 Clifford Curzon Piano
7	No.1 in C: Moderato	5:06			$0.99
8	No.2 in Ab: Andantino	6:36			$0.99
9	No.3 in F-: Allegro moderato ('Air russe')	1:53			$0.49
10	No.4 in C#-: Moderato	4:17			$0.99
11	No.5 in F-: Allegro vivace	2:10			$0.99
12	No.6 in Ab: Allegretto	7:38			$1.49