Zinman, ever ready to turn tradition on its head, stresses its Classical lineage, outgunning even such period practitioners as Mackerras and Norrington...in athletic swiftness and textural transparency. The Zurichers' string sonority is slender without being dessicated, phrasing is crisp and clear-cut, with Schubert's accents sharply pointed.

There's plenty to like about his approach including light, airy textures and an obvious relish of some of the works' drama. There are also some unusual features to this recording, not least the added ornamentation of the oboe and clarinet parts in the second movement which I found delightful...Zinman's way with the 'Unfinished' may be a shade too objective and cool-headed for my taste, but he's a musician whose recordings are always worth hearing.

a beautifully warm and serene performance under David Zinman, with little touches of ornamentation in the solo clarinet part.

relish the Tonhalle Orchestra’s zesty, tradition-challenging performance under David Zinman, who treats the symphony as a turbulent tone-poem. The thrust of the first movement; the cheeky ornamentation of the second movement’s woodwind themes: all this will be hotly debated.

Zinman's Mahler and Beethoven cycles with the Tonhalle exemplify the "third way" in historically informed performance practice. The trend continues in his ongoing Schubert cycle. The haze of foreboding is absent, the tempi brisk, with judicious decoration of the oboe and clarinet solos in the second movement.

razor-sharp articulation and plenty of rhythmic zip, coupled with a more refulgent orchestral sonority than you’d get with a period band...The music bubbles with dry wit, and you can hear how it must have influenced Mahler...Stylish, entertaining playing, and richly recorded too.