Bal 8.02.20/13.6.20 - Mozart: Symphony no. 39 in E flat K.543

[Stanfordian]

A few years ago at Semperoper Dresden I reported from a performance of Mozart's Symphonies 39, 40 & 41 'Jupiter' played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim. It was quite superb concert and I remember thinking that I couldn't imagine these works being played better.

[visualnickmos]

I enjoy Neville Marriner's Mozart complete symphonies with his usual band ; one amongst several of my fav. Mozart interpreters, which include Krips, Kubelik, C. Davis, and Klemperer - the remastered EMI recordings are IMVVHO, beautifully highly spirited.

[Master Jacques]

Pinnock took over from Hogwood for me in the late symphonies, and does me fine still: intelligent, clean - and of course no messing about.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I enjoy Neville Marriner's Mozart complete symphonies with his usual band ; one amongst several of my fav. Mozart interpreters, which include Krips, Kubelik, C. Davis, and Klemperer - the remastered EMI recordings are IMVVHO, beautifully highly spirited.

Marriner is superb in no. 39 - probably my favourite stereo version.

[jayne lee wilson]

MOZART 39 Oot18thC/BRUGGEN
(CDs - Decca Japan 1996 (rec.1988) and Glossa 2014 (rec. 2010)).

So warm, atmospheric, exploratory - the sense of a performance being created as one listens….. it took only a few minutes for me to hear the superior expressive range of Bruggen’s later Mozart 39 (rec. 2010 as part of the live trilogy in Rotterdam) compared to his still very fine but somewhat stricter, cooler earlier (1988) one, very good though that is by most standards. The later version feels more relaxed, and yet - every note really matters. The effortlessness of deep wisdom and maturity; perhaps even a sense of mortality amid the joyfulness.

Better sound and playing too - revealing all those expressive details that make a familiar work come to life in truly creative hands. Those strings really radiate joy and exhilaration as few performances can, with resilience, richness and tonal depth: the andante has a remarkable glow, a luminosity about it. There’s even time for playful clarinet ornaments in the trio. So cantabile throughout, yet not lacking poise or articulation: just ever so gently understated in that magical old Bruggen way. You feel you could listen to this for ever, in the Elysian Fields.

(The controversial ending in 2010? A sudden diminuendo on the very last bar - just at the very end, not first time around… enigmatic for sure; but whatever you think - and it certainly will make you think - like Harnoncourt in his last recordings, Bruggen had earned his creative rights long since.)

A truly great 39th, and another trilogy-recording to join CMW/Harnoncourt and ACO/Tognetti among the very best.

[gurnemanz]

A few years ago at Semperoper Dresden I reported from a performance of Mozart's Symphonies 39, 40 & 41 'Jupiter' played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim. It was quite superb concert and I remember thinking that I couldn't imagine these works being played better.

Re Dresden, I was reminded of my LP version of this symphony which I bought in Leipzig well over 40 years ago (East German Eterna label). Elegantly done in good sound by that fine Mozartian, Otmar Suitner, and Dresden Staatskspelle. I've just renewed acquaintance with it many years later by listening on Spoty. On Alpie's list and available on CD (and Vinyl!) from Berlin Classics.

[silvestrione]

I enjoy Neville Marriner's Mozart complete symphonies with his usual band ; one amongst several of my fav. Mozart interpreters, which include Krips, Kubelik, C. Davis, and Klemperer - the remastered EMI recordings are IMVVHO, beautifully highly spirited.

Yes, I have that fine box of Klemperer remastered.

My first recording was Barenboim with the ECO, surprisingly good still I think (surprisingly because it's one of Barenboim's first recordings as a conductor, though that doesn't follow, the relationship with the ECO was well-established from his Mozart concerto recordings done as pianist/conductor).

[LeMartinPecheur]

Very surprised and pleased that Alpie's list includes the Glyndebourne/ Gui version, even if download only. It was one of my dad's mono LPs which I started listening to in my teens, then his only WAM symphony (coupled with Haydn 95, his only etc etc).

The Gui is now on my shelves, Dad having no more use for it for the usual reason

A few more versions of my own added since though - Hogwood, Beecham, SCO/Mackerras at least.

Rather less thrilled if the BPO/ Karajans in Alpie's list include his 70s HMV version, a later Dad purchase which I've not kept on my shelves!

Just remembered that I have the HMV complete WAM symphonies box by Tate. He never seems to get much mention on these boards or any, IIRC, on this thread - is there a reason? Alpie says he's still available, and I would guess plenty of people bought that box, if only for the sake of 'completeness' (he plays 51 of the 41, but nothing of 'No 37' alas).

Revisiting the LP racks also revealed a 39 by LSO/ C Davis

[jayne lee wilson]

Since the issue of interpretive freedom and creativity often reappears in BaL discussions of familiar classics, I thought I'd quote this, from a letter Bruckner wrote to Artur Nikisch about the premiere of his 7th:
"In the score, many important, frequent tempo changes are not marked"...

Then later, to Weingartner during rehearsals for the 8th:
"Please freely modify the tempi (as necessary for clarity).."

Let us therefore mention the fact, for it seems to us worthy of record...
(EP again....)

Hope to try the Maag di Padova e del Veneto later....

[pastoralguy]

Bump

[Bryn]

Ah well, I suppose it was inevitable that this would be a cheap BaL for many of us here. Entirely agree with Kenyon re the final repeat.

[Master Jacques]

Excellent BaL from Nick Kenyon, as expected - full of practical sense and clear examples to support his expert opinions. Very interesting to hear that he has absolutely no truck with the fashionable and tendentious notion that the last three symphonies make some sort of gigantic "trilogy", as if Mozart was an avatar for Wagner.

I don't suppose that many of us here would quibble too much with his final choices, of Mackerras/SCO and Jacobs. BaL's reputation (temporarily) restored this morning!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Ah well, I suppose it was inevitable that this would be a cheap BaL for many of us here. Entirely agree with Kenyon re the final repeat.

Not so cheap if you haven’t got the Jacobs which is full price on Amazon . The timps on Jacobs sounded a bit muddy on my admittedly old speakers - though some lovely woodwind. I think I’ll stick with Mackerras. Unusually I followed this BAL on the Barenreiter score. The andante really is a masterpiece- could spend a week studying it. I was also wondering ( knowing very little about string playing ) whether the opening violin theme of the last movement which starts with two staccato notes , two slurred notes and then four staccato notes is really playable like that? And at that speed ?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't suppose that many of us here would quibble too much with his final choices, of Mackerras/SCO and Jacobs. BaL's reputation (temporarily) restored this morning!

No indeed! A well though out BaL and final decision.

I'm not sure that the idea of 39-41 being a gigantic trilogy is "fashionable" - more the musings of one man.

[Master Jacques]

No indeed! A well though out BaL and final decision.

I'm not sure that the idea of 39-41 being a gigantic trilogy is "fashionable" - more the musings of one man.

One highly influential one, though - and as Kenyon said, others tread in his footsteps! It's the kind of thing to appeal to arch-romantics, I suppose, and pretty harmless as these things go.