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Naxos provides a great budget recording of Schubert Symphonies 3 and 6 with the Failoni Chamber Orchestra under Michael Halasz.

The recording job is warm, clear and natural, and strings and winds have nice impact when needed in these smaller scaled, more Classical works of Schubert.

There are other recordings of these works, especially Beecham/Royal Philharmonic (EMI), which are the best on disc, and unlikely to ever be surpassed. Halasz won't erase memories of Beecham, but he is very good and doesn't rush through important moments or passages, especially in the slow movements. The Failoni, a Budapest ensemble, are very fine, and serve Schubert's music very well.

The big difference between this and Beecham is the size of the orchestra: the Failoni are a large chamber orchestra, and smaller than Beecham's Royal Philharmonic. But Halasz takes more repeats, and his Minuets are faster paced than Beecham's. (Some listeners dislike this practice, to others it does not matter.) Halasz, however, is MUCH TO BE PREFERRED over Goodman/Hanover Band (Nimbus - period instruments) and Abbado/Chamber Orchestra of Europe (DG - modern instruments). You really cannot go wrong with Halasz, unless you MUST have Beecham.

dank aan originele poster!