Search - Cesar Franck, Felix [1] Mendelssohn, Lorin Maazel :: Franck: Symphonie D-moll; Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 / Maazel

Santa Fe Listener has it

Wayne A. | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 09/22/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The abuse hurled at this recording has always surprised me. I liked it when it came out and years later after finally picking up this CD reissue I like it still. The reviewer "Santa Fe Listener" pegs it perfectly so read his excellent review. It's not your usual Franck or Mendelssohn but it's certainly not incompetent or ill-conceived. The Franck sounds like, say, more contemporary film music and the Mendelssohn isn't as routine as a lot of performances of Mendelssohn. These are two once-cherished composers who pretty much flat-lined through the latter half of 20th Century; as "Santa Fe" points out, Maazel tried to envigorate them.



What bothers me most about this unsupervised editor-less reviewing that transpires here in Amazonia is this notion, alluded to in far too many reviews, that the job of all us amateurs (and, by definition, we is) is to find the "ideal recording." Really, pick through all this writing and see how often we stray from a civilized and sensible "my personal favorite is..." to a rather childish "BEST TANNHAUSER EVER!!!" One of the numberless joys of classical music is learning how many different interpretations can be pulled from a single score; another is how a second-rate orchestra, filled with enthusiasm, can sometimes top the Berlin Philharmonic; another is how an ancient recording in flawed sound can often have more heart and soul than any modern performance; and yet another is how letter-perfect attention to a score is not always the same thing as understanding."

No, really, there are good things to say here

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/11/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have lived wit5h the famed Monteux/CSO recording of the Franck without wanting any other...I must admit, the slithery chromatics and hummable tunes in this symphony wore off pretty long ago. But Mazzel has decided to be fresh-sounding and edgy. It's not your grandmother's Franck D minor, and this is a piece that died out on the concert stage about that long ago. Maazel makes it propulsive and more than a bit gritty. It's a velvet cushion touched with sandpaper and worth hearing.



The same goes for Mendelssohn, who epitomizes Protestant respectability and appealed greatly to Queen Victoria. Maazel, this time with a virtuoso orchestra, tries to make the Reformaiton a piece in the mode of Schumann's Rhenish symphony--a flrry of strings, quick pacing, and romantic trust are the guidelines in this performance, with lots of Schumannesque surges in the dynamics and tempi. It's very much a young turk's reading, and frankly I liked it a lot."

A Legendary (and Overrated) Reformation

Ex-OCTC2 | Villanova, PA | 05/16/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This recording of Mendelssohn's often criticized Reformation Symphony was recorded by a very young Lorin Maazel. It was unavailable for many years and was often cited by critics as a benchmark. Sorry, gentlemen, but I disagree. The intonation problems noted above are here and I find no special insights. In fact, the finale is brutal, hasty and lacking any grandeur. The earlier movements are passable but contain nothing especially noteworthy.For a sublime Reformation that could trick you into thinking this is a really great work, search for the Munch/Boston Symphony recording of the same vintage. Please, BMG, bring that one back!The Franck Symphony has all the faults of the finale of the Mendelssohn, in spades. This is a rushed, totally unfeeling rendition, in a wholly separate universe from the other worldly, "Pater Seraphicus" portrait of Franck etched by some other misguided interpreters.For a far finer Franck in this price range, try the Monteux/Chicago Symphony on BMG. Ormandy's Sony recording is also worth a listen."