Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Robert Schumann, Dimitri Mitropoulos :: Schumann: Sinfonie No. 2; Prokofjew: Sinfonie No. 5

A treasured album!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 10/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After the immediate release of this unknown performance, I decided to acquire it because something deep inside was suggesting me I was in the right way. This Concert (August 21 1954) constituted the first appearance of Mitropoulus in Salzburg thanks the goodwill and recommendation of Wilhelm Fürtwangler. So having nothing to loose I bet and I won with this marvelous album.



Let's start with Schumann's Symphony No. 2. You will find it extremely austere and mysterious with that Mahlerian approach, I mean a Post Romantic breath and that vision enriches the score with formidable results. The increasing tension never obscures the sublime expression and dark poetry that nourishes the well know Third movement. The frenetic and fantastic Fourth Movement is not a crazy parade of orgiastic sounds; on the contrary Mitropoulus knew to extract all the best of this outstanding Orchestra in those ages; the horns and strings are sublime.



The Prokoviev 's Fifth is admirable in formal construction and conception. It posesses that wild and delirious touch; that careves in relief once more the well known nickname through the yeras: "The Russian Eroica."



Believe me when I tell you; this recording will become an obligated reference and a cult recording in the next months, recommended for all those true music lovers. Mitropoulus -in general terms- was always a very clever conductor with impressive domain of the expression and tune.



Go for this record before it vanishes from the market. You will be absolutely rewarded with these colossal and historical performances.

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