Volume 2 in a series tagged “Complete Overtures,” this release contains music that, save for the familiar Rosamunde Overture and the two “in the Italian style,” is comparatively unfamiliar. In general, if not always, comprising top-drawer Schubert, it nonetheless abounds in traits that stamp his genius: an exceptional gift for melody, a prevailing lyric buoyancy, and occasional ventures—especially in some slow introductions—that offer haunting harmonic excursions into dark areas.
All of these traits emerge in these fine performances, at once unmannered, animated but unhurried, and benefitting from transparent orchestral textures and a sonority that is never too weighty. Certainly for those who care about Schubert (which should encompass at least 99 percent of our readership), this is a disc well worth acquiring, especially at its bargain price. The sound throughout is first-rate. --Fanfare, November 2009
"As this second volume of overtures shows, there really is quite a bit of little-known Schubert orchestral music. Perhaps the biggest discovery for many listeners will be the turbulent Overture in E minor, but there are more than a few substantial pieces here. The two Overtures in the Italian Style are delightful, and so true to their models, and all of the music here is very well played and recorded. Christian Benda and the Prague Sinfonia deliver a particularly vivacious account of the Rosamunde Overture, just the opposite of the thick and heavy “German” approach that we so often hear, while Fierabras also has plenty of energy. The sonics capture the players very naturally, with nicely present woodwinds and excellent balances between brass and strings. No qualms here: Go for it." --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com, March 2010
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