Naxos’s critically acclaimed series of Franz Schmidt’s lush late Romantic symphonies culminates with this new recording of his heartbreaking Symphony No. 4, conceived as a requiem for his daughter Emma. The Variations on a Hussar’s Song, while recalling similar works by Brahms and Reger nonetheless showcases Schmidt’s sensitive handling of large orchestral forces. Symphonies No. 1 (8.570828), No. 2 (8.570589) and No. 3 (8.572119) are also available in what BBC Music magazine has praised as a ‘consistently impressive cycle of Schmidt symphonies’.