hmm... these somewhat 'pioneering' recordings ( Derek Solomons/ 'The Authentic Orchestra') OUGHT to be recommendable but the sad truth is that they aren't!
Derek Solomons is/ was a wonderful 'animateur' and of course a fine violinist who many years ago single-handedly got several recording companies interested in an 'authentic' Haydn Symphonies cycle ( namely 'Saga' and then 'CBS' during the period 1980-1986)) and then proceeded to record for those labels about 75% of the Haydn symphonies before the greedy, mean-spirited (although probably cash-strapped) CBS pulled the plug on the project.
Derek Solomons then (as far as I know) approached the 'emerging' Collins label in the late 1980s and recorded a Rossini Overtures CD ( very good actually, IMHO, and now rather under-rated) and Schumann symphonies 1 and 4.
Apart from the fact that he - lovely guy that he was - was about the 'least-interventionist' conductor that I have ever played for, the other factor that I think blighted the recording was that he insisted on the orchestral layout being exactly the same as the old Gewandhaus /Mendelssohn seating where the 1st violins were on the conductor's RIGHT with of course their sound being projected inwards, and the 2nd violins on the conductor's LEFT.
Derek Solomons is/ was a wonderful 'animateur' and of course a fine violinist who many years ago single-handedly got several recording companies interested in an 'authentic' Haydn Symphonies cycle ( namely 'Saga' and then 'CBS' during the period 1980-1986)) and then proceeded to record for those labels about 75% of the Haydn symphonies before the greedy, mean-spirited (although probably cash-strapped) CBS pulled the plug on the project.
Derek Solomons then (as far as I know) approached the 'emerging' Collins label in the late 1980s and recorded a Rossini Overtures CD ( very good actually, IMHO, and now rather under-rated) and Schumann symphonies 1 and 4.
Apart from the fact that he - lovely guy that he was - was about the 'least-interventionist' conductor that I have ever played for, the other factor that I think blighted the recording was that he insisted on the orchestral layout being exactly the same as the old Gewandhaus /Mendelssohn seating where the 1st violins were on the conductor's RIGHT with of course their sound being projected inwards, and the 2nd violins on the conductor's LEFT.
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