More than an object of desire

The Berlin Philharmonic introduced its in-house record label in the summer of 2014 with an attractively packaged box-set of Schumann’s symphonies, but it has taken almost a full year for the label to follow up on the promise of that initial release. However their newest offering, a substantial box featuring Schubert’s eight numbered symphonies, the two late Latin masses, and the relatively obscure opera Alfonso und Estrella, all conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, was very much worth the wait. 

Mr Harnoncourt has, in various interviews, made no secret of his affinity for Schubert, and his 1992 recordings of the symphonies with the Royal Concertgebouw are still highly regarded. In the booklet notes that accompany this new Berlin set, Mr Harnoncourt has continued in his role as apologist, making claims for the dramatic value of the neglected…