Search - Franz Joseph Haydn, Felix [1] Mendelssohn, Paul Paray :: Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 / Midsummer Night's Dream

The Perfect Sound Of Orchestra

Rachel Garret | Beverly Hills | 01/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream is incomplete on this recording (offering only the highlights- Overture, Scherzo, Nocturne and Wedding March) this is the best orchestration of that particular piece of music. Many conductors have interpreted the score, naturally, at a slower tempo and in a more concert-like style. Particularily striking about Paul Paray's conducting of the Midsummer Night's Dream music is his accurate perfection of detail, coloration and faster pace. Faster is not always better, but in this case, there is an exception which makes the music leap with joy, passion, beauty and Shakespearean spirit. The music comes alive and it is dramatic, we feel, finally, the fact that this music was originally, incidental music for Shakespeare's brilliant comedy about fairies and love-struck humans involved in trysts and adventures in a forest. It is stripped away from its concert style and given its rightful place.The Reformation Symphony of Mendelssohn is beautifully delivered. It is a compliment to the Midsummer Night's Dream music and a perfect portrait of Mendelssohn's best work. The Reformation Symphony, is of course his finest symphony. The orchestration is superb at Paul Paray's hand. The individual instruments shine with glory, the strings are as if they were a chorus. One almost expects Mendelssohn to have written a choral movement as Beethoven did in his Ninth Symphony. Paul Paray was as remarkable and perfectionist as Arturo Toscanini. His French background enabled him to gloss the symphonic and orchestral masterpieces he conducted with pure elegance. The Miracle Symphony of Franz Joseph Haydn is a classical work, entitled so because Haydn may have been describing miracles in music, something semi-religious, something majestic, a tribute to the patrons he was sponsored by, who were themselves devout Catholics. The symphony is incredible, a truly outstanding piece of music in the Classical Era. It is not hard to understand why Mozart would admire Haydn and even imitate some of his stylings and improve upon them. The Miracle Symphony is just one example. Haydn is considered the father of the symphony, the first true composer to dedicate so much of his works on symphonic music. He is even credited to have written the first symphony. Among his great works are "The Oxford Symphony" "The Clock Symphony" "The Queen's Symphony" and the "London Symphony". In this recording, we get the best of Mendelssohn and of Haydn, true great masters of the orchestra, while treated superbly to the pure beauty and depth and meaning of the works by a fine conductor."