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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Mendelssohn - Complete Symphonies
“Ashkenazy makes the climax of the Adagio [in the Scottish] dramatically urgent rather than sombrely massive, and conducts perhaps the most ferocious finale on disc, steely trumpets to the fore. The generous acoustic of the Jesus-Christi-Kirche gives a lovely shine to the strings.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2009 | | | (Sorry, download not available in your country) | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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Bonus DVD There are few symphonies more admired than these. The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sebastian Lang-Lessing has recorded the complete cycle of all five masterpieces, which has evolved out of his Mendelssohn Festival held in Tasmania in 2007. Three years in the making, Lang-Lessing champions Mendelssohn because he deeply admires his orchestration: “It is inspirational.” | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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“Karajan’s splendid performances…in which the greatness of this music is never in doubt” Gramophone Magazine | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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Conductor Christoph Poppen is the new principal conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, having taken over from Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. The first collaboration of orchestra and conductor are these wonderful recordings of Mendelssohn’s great symphonies. These are very well known pieces and need no introduction except to say that as always the playing by the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie is first rate and world class. | | | (also available to download from $30.75) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Mendelssohn: Complete Symphonies
On these critically acclaimed recordings the Vienna Philharmonic and von Dohnányi play Mendelssohn's effortlessly melodic orchestral works, as well as the symphonies. Also includes a cantata and overtures. "'Performances which are fresh and direct" The Penguin Guide To CDs New booklet essay by Colin Anderson. | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Mendelssohn: Symphonies & Overtures
“It is in the choral Second Symphony that the advantage of the wide-ranging digital sound comes out most strikingly, in clarifying the big tuttis with choir, at the same time providing extra weight of sound, notably in the way that pedal notes on the organ come over in a rich and realistic way. As to interpretation, Abbado in the first instrumental movement conveys a keener sense of joy with a wide expressive range. The yearning 6/8 movement is the more haunting too at Abbado's much slower speed, and though Abbado's slower speed for the Andante religioso brings obvious dangers of sweetness and sentimentality, he manages to avoid them completely with his warm but unmannered phrasing. Again, in the choral finale Abbado's speeds tend to be a degree more relaxed and the sense of joyful release is all the keener. His three soloists are very fine and their tonal beauty and natural feeling for words and phrasing are a delight. So too is the singing of the London Symphony Chorus, particularly beautiful in the chorale, 'Nun danket alle Gott'. Abbado's expansiveness and his more luminous choral sound has one forgetting the obvious shortcomings of the work with its unavoidable element of Victorian blandness.
It is that avoidance of Victorian blandness which is striking in Abbado's accounts of Nos 1 and 5. In No 1 he is tough and biting, slower and simpler in the second movement, returning to a tough, dark manner for the Minuet and finale.
This is a performance which has one marvelling that Mendelssohn could have ever have countenanced the idea of the Octet Scherzo as substitute, a piece so different in mood. The first movement of the Reformation finds Abbado in dramatic mood, and crisper and again quicker in the second movement Allegro vivace. (For individual comments on the Scottish and Italian symphonies see following review.) As for the overtures they too bring fresh and attractive performances, very fast and fleet in the fairy music of A Midsummer NightsDream and with the contrast between first and second subjects of The Hebrides underlined.
This was one of Abbado's biggest recording projects with the orchestra of which he was music director, and remains a richly rewarding legacy.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Mendelssohn: Complete Symphonies
Wolfgang Sawallisch is without doubt one of the world’s greatest interpreters and champions of Mendelssohn. His cycle of the 5 symphonies was recorded for Philips in 1987, and has been absent from the catalogue for several years. This Brilliant release marks a welcome return for his sensitive and deeply felt performances.The Amsterdam Sinfonietta’s cycle of the string symphonies is highly rated, and was released initially on BIS. Mendelssohn’s 5 symphonies include two of the most popular works in the repertoire, the 3rd ‘Scottish’ and the 4th ‘Italian’. ?? The ‘Scottish’ owes its creation to a lengthy stay in theUK the composer made in the late 1820s, which inspired Mendelssohn to compose a vivid programmatic work. The ‘Italian’ depicts an altogether warmer and sunnier part of the world, and is the result of Mendelssohn’s extended tour of the country in the 1830s. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta’s cycle of the string symphonies is highly rated, and was released initially on BIS. ‘All the performances are superb, and they are extremely well recorded……the Amsterdam Sinfonietta plays magnificently throughout’ (Classics Today) ‘So devoted a reading [of the Second Symphony] will afford much comfort and joy to all believing Mendelssohnians, and may well make converts among others’ (The Musical Times) “This is a bracing yet sensitive performance...Sawallisch yields to no-one in the infectious bounce of the Scherzo, or the flowing, unaffected eloquence of the Adagio [of the Scottish]” Gramophone Magazine, December 2009 | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Mendelssohn: The Complete Symphonies, String Symphonies & Concertos
Mendelssohn: | Symphonies Nos. 1-5 Judith Howarth (soprano), Jennifer Larmore (mezzo-soprano) & Christoph Prégardien (tenor) Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Choir, KorVest (Bergen Vocal Ensemble); The Danish National Vocal Ensemble/DR, Andrew Litton Ruy Blas Overture, Op. 95 Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton String Symphonies Nos. 1-13 (complete) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Scherzo from Octet, Op. 20 Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Concerto in D minor for violin and strings (second version) arr. for orchestra Isabelle van Keulen (violin) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 original 1844 version Isabelle van Keulen (violin) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Piano Concerto in A minor Ronald Brautigam (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 Ronald Brautigam (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 40 Ronald Brautigam (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Concerto in D minor for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra Ronald Brautigam (piano) & Isabelle van Keulen (violin) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Capriccio Brillant in B minor Op. 22 Ronald Brautigam (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Rondo brillant in E flat major, Op. 29 Ronald Brautigam (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Serenade and Allegro giocoso, Op. 43, for piano and orchestra Ronald Brautigam (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Concerto in E major for Two Pianos and Orchestra Roland Pöntinen (piano) & Love Derwinger (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz Concerto in A flat major for Two Pianos and Orchestra Roland Pöntinen (piano) & Love Derwinger (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz |
BIS presents a boxed set of Felix Mendelssohn’s complete symphonies, string symphonies and concertos. The symphonies were recorded in 2007 and 2008 by Andrew Litton and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and were warmly received by the reviewers when they were first released. The 12 string symphonies give us the background to the symphonies for full orchestra, written by a boy not yet fifteen. The recordings are from the Amsterdam Sinfonietta conducted by Lev Markiz. A further four discs offer all of the eight concertos that Mendelssohn composed. These include the youthful works with string orchestra accompaniment (concertos for violin, piano, violin and piano, and for two pianos), as well as the mature works for violin, piano and full orchestra, performed here by Isabelle van Keulen and Ronald Brautigam. | | | (also available to download from $50.50) | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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