Search - Scottish Chamber Orchestra :: Mozart Symphonies 38 Through 41

Invigorating new performances

Roderick Keech | Australia | 03/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How many times have these works been recorded ? Far too many to easily count is the answer. Yet here, in beautiful SACD Stereo (apologies, I am a self-confessed stereophile), are invigorating new performances of works that have been recorded by all the best orchestras and conductors over the last 50 years.



There are three striking things about this release:



1. The magnificent playing of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra,

2. The inspired and thrilling conducting of Sir Charles Mackerras,and

3. The suburb Linn recording.



Linn, in a amazingly clever marketing move, issue all new releases on multi-format discs, so it doesn't matter what sort of equipment you have, you can play them and have them sound excellent. They are Direct Stream Digital recordings in both multi-channel and stereo SACD format, and HDCD as well. I know of no other record label being so generous (and clever). They are also very competitively priced.



Ultimately, it is the fresh interpretations of these works that will make you want to not only buy this set, but play these Symphonies again and again, with a new ear. Mackerras is truly one of the greatest conductors of Mozart. Here is a wonderful example of inspired partnership between orchestra, conductor and record company.



Thoroughly recommended."

Very good, but a note of caution

P. Hope | Worcestershire | 02/03/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This set has garnered near-universal praise from the critics, and most of it is well-deserved. Mackerras is an experienced Mozartian, and these lively and beautifully shaped performances have a life-affirming quality that is hard to resist. He uses a hybrid orchestra with modern woodwind and strings, albeit using vibrato sparingly, and period brass. His tempi are generally swift, and they work well on the whole (with the possible exception of the minuet in the G Minor, where the fast pace seems to deprive the movement of some of its darker quality).



There are, however, a couple of points you might like to consider before buying. First, Mackerras takes all of the repeats. Whether that's really necessary these days is debatable. The original purpose of repeating a section of music was so that listeners could absorb it fully when hearing it for the first time. Now that we can replay the music again and again, part of the purpose of these repeats has gone. Whether or not it's worth playing a repeat arguably depends more now on whether it helps to create a sense of balance within and between movements. Playing the repeats in the finale of the Jupiter symphony somehow seems absolutely right to me, given the complexity of the piece and the importance of the finale to the work as a whole, but in other places I'm not so sure.



If this sounds like nit-picking, you're probably right. I wouldn't let the inclusion or exclusion of repeats be a deciding factor in buying this set. But I am more put off by the balance between the SCO's period brass and the rest of the orchestra. Put simply, the brass tend to dominate on occasions, with a blaring sound that swamps everything else. It's particularly apparent in the first movements of the Prague and Jupiter symphonies. Some listeners may find that it spoils the experience. It's not even as if it's a natural consequence of using period brass. Trevor Pinnock, in his all-period-instrument recordings with the English Concert, achieves what seems to me to be a much better balance, and his interpretations match these in communicating the joy of Mozart's inspiration.



In short, if you're happy to hear a raucous-sounding brass section, this is an excellent set. Otherwise, you might prefer to look elsewhere."

Wonderful treasure from Mozart and Mackerras

James L. Nuckels | Dallas TX USA | 08/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a great treasure Mozart has left us with these four symphonies. Bruno Walter's Columbia recording with the Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York of symphony 41 has been a favorite since the fifties. Now I can also enjoy Mackerras' leading wonderful performances of four symphonies in detailed and spacious sound recordings. As an amateur instrumental play I must not comment above my pay grade, but these tempos seem just right. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra plays with great precision and musical feeling. Wonderful detail from all sections of the orchestra is brought out appropriately to contribute to the whole.

A particular pleasure in these performances is the great delicacy of playing from the musicians without loss of any dynamic range or emphasis required by the composer or the conductor. Heartily recommended."