Since their release in 1972, these recordings have been highly regarded for their transparent orchestral textures, thus overcoming the frequent criticism that Schumann's orchestration of these symphonies was clumsily dense. The performances are superb. Sawallisch has a mastery of orchestral dynamics which is crucial to successfully performing these works. Much of Schumann's musical vocabulary and emotional expressiveness in these four symphonies is due to the extreme and unexpected transformations in their dynamics, especially in his symphonies nos. 2 and 3.