Search - Mozart, Beecham, London Philharmonic Orchestra :: Symphonies 29 31 & 34

Pioneering recordings of symphonic Mozart

sphaerenklang | UK | 08/13/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Beecham was one of the first conductors of the modern era to take Mozart seriously as a composer of symphonies and these are among his earliest Mozart recordings. As far as sound quality goes they are showing their age only slightly, Dutton Labs have done a thorough job of "cleaning up" the surface noise. The result is clear and detailed, but lacks some depth and atmosphere. The performances certainly don't lack depth: most of Beecham's interpretations would not sound old-fashioned heard in the concert hall today, and exemplify his demand "The maximum of virility with the maximum of delicacy". The finales in particular are not just fast but exhilarating, showing that orchestral technique cannot have improved that much since the 30s. However, Beecham takes inexplicably slow tempos for two movements of no. 29, with slightly plodding results, so this is not the disc to buy for that particular work. Still, this is a fascinating example of how a great conductor can revive little-known music and find good interpretations by instinct alone.The recording can be ordered from Dutton Labs' website if you want to cut out the middleman."