Schumann: Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish” & Overture from Manfred

This pair of landmark 1950s Columbia recordings captures the meteoric rise of Carlo Maria Giulini as a master of both choral and symphonic repertoire. In 1953, fresh off his Scala triumphs, he led the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in a dramatic, incandescent reading of Cherubini’s Requiem in C minor, setting a gold standard for classical severity and spiritual depth. Five years later in 1958, Giulini explored Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony through Mahler’s re-orchestration, illuminating the score with rare structural clarity and noble Italianate warmth.