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DonKC wrote:Mendelssohn Symphony # 5 in D "Reformation"
Dmitri Mitropoulos "The Philharmonic Symphony of New York"

CD copy of a Philips LP recorded 1953. Coupled with the Symphony # 3 "Scottish"

Brisk and energetic, pretty good sound for the era.

I am not a big Mendelssohn fan, or of the mid 19th century Germans in general (exception is Schubert). But for some reason I kind of like the "Reformation".

Don, have you tried this set?



It is splendid!

<It is splendid!>

It certainly is, Abbado is one of the few who has the magic Mendelssohn touch.

And by the way dear Seán, when I described the Dresden Staatskapelle in the Euryanthe as "vintage" I really meant it, in the grim days of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik the playing of both the Dresden Staatskapelle and the Gewandhaus Orchester was very special, maybe because at the time they used only local musicians, the Dresdners stayed in Dresden and the Leipzigers in Leipzig, they procured a highly individual sound and at the same time very polished and accomplished, probably because of the fierce competition with the West and especially with their cousins of the Berlin Philharmonic.
The Gewandhaus visited Mexico under Masur in 1978. I asked a violinist what was the main difference between them and the Berlin Philharmonic and he said: they play on old violins and drive new cars...we drive old cars and play on new violins :-)
No matter how grim, they didn´t lose their sense of humor.

Jose Echenique wrote:<It is splendid!>

It certainly is, Abbado is one of the few who has the magic Mendelssohn touch.

I love Abbado's work, he is the greatest conductor alive today.

And by the way dear Seán, when I described the Dresden Staatskapelle in the Euryanthe as "vintage" I really meant it, in the grim days of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik the playing of both the Dresden Staatskapelle and the Gewandhaus Orchester was very special, maybe because at the time they used only local musicians, the Dresdners stayed in Dresden and the Leipzigers in Leipzig, they procured a highly individual sound and at the same time very polished and accomplished, probably because of the fierce competition with the West and especially with their cousins of the Berlin Philharmonic.
The Gewandhaus visited Mexico under Masur in 1978. I asked a violinist what was the main difference between them and the Berlin Philharmonic and he said: they play on old violins and drive new cars...we drive old cars and play on new violins :-)
No matter how grim, they didn´t lose their sense of humor.

Ah sorry Pepe, I was in work and responded in indecent haste. when I read your comment I thought you meant "period instruments", silly of me. I love the sound of the old Dresden Staatskapelle, they really were special, Blomstedt's Beethoven cycle with the Dresden orchestra is a case in point.

Seán wrote:

DonKC wrote:Mendelssohn Symphony # 5 in D "Reformation"
Dmitri Mitropoulos "The Philharmonic Symphony of New York"

CD copy of a Philips LP recorded 1953. Coupled with the Symphony # 3 "Scottish"

Brisk and energetic, pretty good sound for the era.

I am not a big Mendelssohn fan, or of the mid 19th century Germans in general (exception is Schubert). But for some reason I kind of like the "Reformation".

Don, have you tried this set?



It is splendid!

Yes, I do not own it, I have little Mendelsshon really, but have heard the 4th and 5th from this set. I can not get through the bloated, boring Lobegesang at all and have not heard Abbado's 1st. Like the Mitropoulos recording, Abbado is not fussy and prissy like some performances and gets at the romantic heart of the music.

I wonder when, if ever, the symphonies will be renumbered in their composition order? Probably never, but it did happen to Dvorak and somewhat to Schubert.

Listening to 4 and 5 from above set on Spotify as I do some paperwork.

DonKC wrote:Listening to 4 and 5 from above set on Spotify as I do some paperwork.

Good for you Don.

I found this to be a really good version of this monumental work....





The Beethoven Violin Concerto does not come up here very often?!?!

Some exciting and energetic music....





....the Frank Violin Sonata is a particular favourite of mine.

fergus wrote:The Beethoven Violin Concerto does not come up here very often?!?!

Interesting observation, Fergus.

Speaking personally, I have always found the LvB VC & Brahms VC to be the two towering achievements of the genre; head and shoulders above the rest. I say that, with a deep love for those by Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Nielsen & Elgar among others of course... but the LvB & Brahms are structural giants for me.

It is true I have not played one in some while, but I have played versions by Menuhin, Grumiaux & Janine Jansen in living memory!