Donald Satz wrote:

>Chandos has just released a disc of Schumann's Rhenish Symphony (no.3) and
>Des Sangers Fluch performed by the Danish National Radio Choir and Symphony
>Orchestra conducted by Michael Schonwandt.
>
>Of course, Schumann's third symphony is frequently recorded.  To the best
>of my knowledge, this is the first recording of Des Sangers Fluch (The
>Minstrel's Curse).  ...

There is (was?)an attractive 2-disc set of the four Schumann Ballads on
EMI, CMS 7 69453 2, recorded in 1984-85, never issued in the US as far as
I know.

Two are conducted by Berhnard Klee, and two by Heinz Wallberg; the
Duesseldorf Symphoniker and Civic Chorus perform, soloists include Edda
Moser, Walter Berry and Josef Protschka.  I enjoyed the music very much
and was delighted to find this set in a discount bin some years ago,
having heard "Das Glueck von Edenhall" on a BBC broadcast in the mid-1970s.

What has fascinated me since that first encounter is that the language
of Mahler's "Klagende Lied" seems to be somewhat indebted to the Schumann
Ballads.  This makes me wonder if there is a body of such pieces by lesser
composers of the latter 19th century by which Mahler was influenced, or
whether he specifically knew those of Schumann.  I haven't seen this
discussed.  Any takers?

Best wishes- Joel Lazar