I own these recordings in a box along with Schubert and Schumann symphonies/concertos. I’m glad that you praise these Mendelssohn symphonies under Bernstein so highly. I also find these recordings great.
Dave-I have the "Italian Symphony", Mendelssohn's Symphony Number 4 conducted by William Steinberg with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and it was outstanding! recording by Steinberg that went with ease and sunny to listen to. The Nazis banned Mendelssohn when they ruled Germany, and that hurt Mendelssohn. Dave, thanks in saying that both Bernstein and Ormandy were great conductors. They add so much to the enjoyment of classical music.
I love these recordings. I marginally prefer Dohnanyi's with Vienna, if only for better sound quality (I find the DG to be slightly dry). Dohnanyi's 3 & 4 were also issued together on CD. But I wouldn't be without the Bernstein.
The Mendelssohn symphonies are one of those examples where one could throw a dart while blindfolded at a mountain of performances and you'd be lucky to hit a bad one.
I call such music "pizza/sex" music. It's like sex and pizza. When either are good, they are really good. When either are bad, well, it's still enjoyable.
The Mendelssohn symphony recordings are pizza/sex music.
The transition to the coda, where the clarinets and bassoon play over a soft pedal in the strings, in the finale of the Scottish symphony is, like the transition to the second movement in the violin concerto, magical. I despise the use of the word "magical" to describe music because marketers use such words indescrimately. But with Mendelssohn it just seems right.
The Adagio of the Scottish Symphony always makes me think of Sullivan, especially the arching curve of the cadential theme at each appearance, and then at the end when it turns to the major. Gorgeous.
As a duo, Bernstein is tough to beat! Separately, I like Dohnanyi on the 3rd, since in the adagio, he brings out the percussion to maintain weight while keeping pace to generate lift on the ascents. (Everyone else, including Bernstein, struggles with this.) On the 4th, Szell is my desert island choice — crisp, speedy, clean articulations, uniform note lengths, laser-like intonation, a peppy Italian pace, fluid phrasing, etc.
I'd like to nominate the superb Weiner Philharmoniker/Zubin Mehta recording of Franz Schmidt's deeply moving Fourth Symphony on Decca for this series. An all-too-rare example of a recording of an unsung masterwork given a thoroughly committed performance by a "big name" conductor and orchestra.
Without any doubt a great coupling! Though, THE greatest recording EVER of Mendelsohn's Scottish Symphony is Peter Maag's with the London Symphony Orchestra on Decca, released 1961, and rereleased umptenth times since…..and with good reason! Victor Carr, Jr., on Classicstoday, gave Maag's recording one of his rare 10-ratings in an enthusiastic review of the Scottish and it's disc-companions!
I have a few of the recordings he made with the Israel Philharmonic and they are all quite good…I enjoy his "Le Sacre" from 1986 with that orchestra very much.
I love this record. The Israel Phil can sometimes sound a bit scrappy, but not here.
Bernstein was great in classical repertoire. As you have noted in other videos, his Haydn was among the best ever. His Mozart Symphonies and Requiem are among my favorite ever. His Schubert was great. And many of his compositions have a classical period elan about them. I think the combination of his bouncing around a lot on the podium and his very sloooow late recordings undermined his reputation for being a great interpreter of the classical period. But to me, he was among the greatest in this stuff.
Yes — a marvelous Italian by Bernstein. Etched forever in my memory is the recording with the Marlboro Festival Orchestra and Casals. Astonishing young performers — many of whom became soloists or the most outstanding chamber musicians of their era — under the baton of someone they idolized, infusing his vision with unmatched vitality and tenderness. Sony, oh Sony — you MUST release these again!!!
Thanks for pointing out that Sullivan was inspired by the coda in the finale of the Scottish Symphony when he composed "Away, away! Yes, yes, we go!" in "The Pirates of Penzance," but he didn't stop there. Each of the four movements of the Italian Symphony is quoted in other G&S operas. 1: The opening theme is heard in "Iolanthe" when the Fairy Queen sings "Oh, amorous dove!" and is even more apparent when Sullivan quotes it in 6/8 during the overture. 2. The main theme is heard when Dick Deadeye sings "Kind Captain, I've important information" in "H.M.S. Pinafore." 3. The main theme is heard when Hilarion and chorus sing "Expressive glances…O dainty triolet" in "Princess Ida." 4. The five crashing chords that begin the finale also begin the song "My boy, you may take it from me" sung by Robin in "Ruddigore."
So many interesting comments! Thanks. I'm embarrassed that I had to look up "otiose".
I own these recordings in a box along with Schubert and Schumann symphonies/concertos. I’m glad that you praise these Mendelssohn symphonies under Bernstein so highly. I also find these recordings great.
Good late Bernstein. Those Romantic composers dared to go out of their geographical positioning. Would it still happen today?
My favourite recordings of Mendelssohn’s symphonies according to Dave’s suggestions: 1 and 2 Von Dohnanyi/VPO; 3-5 Munch/BSO and 4 Abbado BPO
Dave-I have the "Italian Symphony", Mendelssohn's Symphony Number 4 conducted by William Steinberg with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and it was outstanding! recording by Steinberg that went with ease and sunny to listen to. The Nazis banned Mendelssohn when they ruled Germany, and that hurt Mendelssohn. Dave, thanks in saying that both Bernstein and Ormandy were great conductors. They add so much to the enjoyment of classical music.
I love these recordings. I marginally prefer Dohnanyi's with Vienna, if only for better sound quality (I find the DG to be slightly dry). Dohnanyi's 3 & 4 were also issued together on CD. But I wouldn't be without the Bernstein.
The Mendelssohn symphonies are one of those examples where one could throw a dart while blindfolded at a mountain of performances and you'd be lucky to hit a bad one.
I call such music "pizza/sex" music. It's like sex and pizza. When either are good, they are really good. When either are bad, well, it's still enjoyable.
The Mendelssohn symphony recordings are pizza/sex music.
The transition to the coda, where the clarinets and bassoon play over a soft pedal in the strings, in the finale of the Scottish symphony is, like the transition to the second movement in the violin concerto, magical. I despise the use of the word "magical" to describe music because marketers use such words indescrimately. But with Mendelssohn it just seems right.
The Adagio of the Scottish Symphony always makes me think of Sullivan, especially the arching curve of the cadential theme at each appearance, and then at the end when it turns to the major. Gorgeous.
As a duo, Bernstein is tough to beat! Separately, I like Dohnanyi on the 3rd, since in the adagio, he brings out the percussion to maintain weight while keeping pace to generate lift on the ascents. (Everyone else, including Bernstein, struggles with this.) On the 4th, Szell is my desert island choice — crisp, speedy, clean articulations, uniform note lengths, laser-like intonation, a peppy Italian pace, fluid phrasing, etc.
I'd like to nominate the superb Weiner Philharmoniker/Zubin Mehta recording of Franz Schmidt's deeply moving Fourth Symphony on Decca for this series. An all-too-rare example of a recording of an unsung masterwork given a thoroughly committed performance by a "big name" conductor and orchestra.
Without any doubt a great coupling!
Though, THE greatest recording EVER of Mendelsohn's Scottish Symphony is Peter Maag's with the London Symphony Orchestra on Decca, released 1961, and rereleased umptenth times since…..and with good reason! Victor Carr, Jr., on Classicstoday, gave Maag's recording one of his rare 10-ratings in an enthusiastic review of the Scottish and it's disc-companions!
I have a few of the recordings he made with the Israel Philharmonic and they are all quite good…I enjoy his "Le Sacre" from 1986 with that orchestra very much.
Interestingly, one of the first things Bernstein ever conducted was a summer camp production of… “The Pirates of Penzance”!
I love this record. The Israel Phil can sometimes sound a bit scrappy, but not here.
Bernstein was great in classical repertoire. As you have noted in other videos, his Haydn was among the best ever. His Mozart Symphonies and Requiem are among my favorite ever. His Schubert was great. And many of his compositions have a classical period elan about them. I think the combination of his bouncing around a lot on the podium and his very sloooow late recordings undermined his reputation for being a great interpreter of the classical period. But to me, he was among the greatest in this stuff.
Yes — a marvelous Italian by Bernstein. Etched forever in my memory is the recording with the Marlboro Festival Orchestra and Casals. Astonishing young performers — many of whom became soloists or the most outstanding chamber musicians of their era — under the baton of someone they idolized, infusing his vision with unmatched vitality and tenderness. Sony, oh Sony — you MUST release these again!!!
Thanks for pointing out that Sullivan was inspired by the coda in the finale of the Scottish Symphony when he composed "Away, away! Yes, yes, we go!" in "The Pirates of Penzance," but he didn't stop there. Each of the four movements of the Italian Symphony is quoted in other G&S operas. 1: The opening theme is heard in "Iolanthe" when the Fairy Queen sings "Oh, amorous dove!" and is even more apparent when Sullivan quotes it in 6/8 during the overture. 2. The main theme is heard when Dick Deadeye sings "Kind Captain, I've important information" in "H.M.S. Pinafore." 3. The main theme is heard when Hilarion and chorus sing "Expressive glances…O dainty triolet" in "Princess Ida." 4. The five crashing chords that begin the finale also begin the song "My boy, you may take it from me" sung by Robin in "Ruddigore."
I have played the Major General in Pirates many times but did not know of this link. Thank you so much.
Klemperer's Italian is swift and songful. I thought that it might be worthy of the EVAH status.
Dave, these recordings were made in the Fredric Mann Auditorium, which has very dry acoustics. How is the recorded sound?