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Review by Luukas January 21, 2015 (3 of 6 found this review helpful)
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This disc launches Sir Eliot Gardiner's new Mendelssohn cycle with London Symphony Orchestra. This is at the same time LSO Live's second Blu-ray Audio release - Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique" with Gergiev was the first - and the results are again awesome.
I have Andrew Litton's interpretation of Mendelssohn's Third Symphony (BIS), and it wasn't dull; actually it got five stars from BBC Music Magazine. But this thrilling live performance from Barbican is much better.
Gardiner is real Mendelssohnian, he really understands this music. The Hebrides Overture is nicely done: London Symphony Orchestra's sound is clear, and Jonathan Stokes' clever engineering captures Barbican Hall's spatial feeling effectively.
Schumann's Piano Concerto in a minor is also very good: Pires is excellent pianist, and especially the slow movement is lovely. She and Gardiner are good musician partners, and they listen each others.
"Scottish" Symphony is this disc's real culmination and this team's real touchstone. But Gardiner is victorious, everything is fantastic! The slow movement's beautiful melody is unforgettable, and Gardiner reaches its passionate feeling very well. The electric finale drowns finally its triumphant melody.
I'm looking forward the next releases...
- Overall results:
¤ Performance: ****1/2
¤ Recording: *****
¤ Packaging: ****1/2
¤ Booklet notes: ****1/2
¤ Discs layout: *****
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