Mendelssohn - Symphonies 1 & 2 etc. - Dohnanyi, Vienna PO

Mendelssohn - Symphonies 1 & 2 etc. - Dohnanyi, Vienna PO
Symphonic | Eac, Ape, cue | log, cover | 2 CD, 527 MB
May 11, 1999 | Decca | RapidShare

Christoph von Dohnanyi and the Vienna Philharmonic truly deliver fantastic readings of these two lesser known symphonies by Felix Mendelssohn. The Vienna Philharmonic (as always) is well balanced, very transparent, and well rehearsed; they play incisively and with total conviction. Dohnanyi conducts the symphonies tightly, and that taught quality makes these recordings very exciting. My only complaint would be that, at times, the orchestra sounds a bit small. Still, overall, a wonderful compilation by London Decca.--Amazon

This CD wasn't totally good. There were several instances where Dohnanyi's penchant for speed annoyed me, particularly in the trio of the Minuet of the first symphony, which lost a lot of its "mystical" quality in this recording. This is minor, however, when one takes into account the clarity and power of this interpretation. Of particular note is the almost explosive accent Dohnanyi gets from the VPO in many spots--the end of the first movement of the First symphony, for example, comes off with almost hammerblow-style anger, where before it was a fairly normal conclusion. (Speaking of conclusions, you can hear EVERY instrument in the last movement of the First, including brass and winds... I've only ever heard the strings being prominent there!) As well, the end of the second symphony ("Lobe dem Herrn!") is so glorious that I have to play it ten or twelve consecutive times every time I listen to that particular movement. Overall, while these symphonies seem a little choppy at times, that's a small price to pay for accurate tempi, a solid musical interpretation, and an energy that brings them to life.--Amazon


CD Content

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi

Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, cantata for chorus & orchestra, Op. 60
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
with Margarita Lilova, Alfred Sramek, Tom Krause, Horst R. Laubenthal
Conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi

Symphony No. 2 in B flat major ("Lobgesang", "Hymn of Praise"), Op. 52
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
with Josef Bock, Sona Ghazarian, Edita Gruberova, Werner Krenn
Conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi