This is music that is very close to Robin Ticciati's heart; he describes Schumann as one of his favourite composers and has often spoken about how important poetry, colour and story are to Schumann's music.

Symphony No 1 ('Spring') blazes and sparkles with joy, Symphony No 2 finds its way carefully through to the safe haven of its final movement, while the much-loved Symphony No 3 (‘Rhenish') moves with huge ease and assurance to a resonant and joyful conclusion. Symphony No 4 is radical in the way each movement attacks the start of the next movement with barely a pause, and in its minute-and-a-half-long, shimmering and horn-call-filled transition to the finale. Under Ticciati and the SCO it is magnificent, the radical, soaring, disturbing and exhilarating symphony Schumann intended.

The SCO's smaller forces bring a lightness of touch and a clarity to the counterpoint; under Ticciati they achieve a sense of movement that no previous recording has.

A 24-bit 192 kHz studio master for this album is available from the Linn Records website.