Search - Felix [1] Mendelssohn, David Zinman, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra :: Mendelssohn: Scottish, Italian, Reformation Symphonies; A Midsummer Night's Dream

Five stars for Sym. 5 and Midsummer!

Gregory M. Zinkl | Chicago, IL | 04/05/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Reformation Symphony is a work that I hazard many people have not heard often. It is a beautiful, tumultous work. In my opinion, the first movement begins with a low, deep whisper that sets the mood for the fury of the movement to follow, with basses, celli and violas singing beautifully. Brass fanfares in the distance help foreshadow. Then come what must've been that nagging doubts and conflict Luther felt in the brass chorales, followed by a whisper of the "Dresden Amen" (V -> I). After a violent outburst by all, the orchestra launches into the furious main part of I, punctuated by quiet episodes. The second mov't is quite a contrast: a playful scherzo. But the third movement, for all it's simplicity, is heart melting. An aria for the violins, accompanied by trudging lower strings, the violins lament. Soon this lamentation is taken up by woodwinds, then followed by beautiful interplay, which quietly disappears into the fourth movement, which uses "A Mighty Fortress", introduced by flute, soon decorated by violas. The remainder of the movement is that of triumph.Usually I refrain from describing a piece in such detail, but in this case, I feel that I have described Zinman and the Rochester Philharmonic's amazing interpretation. I've heard a lot of 5's--Bernstein, von Karajan, and Flor, but they just can't hold a candle to Zinman, excellent orchestras and all. There's fire and delicacy. The playing is excellent, the engineering not top-drawer, but still pretty good.The other joy on this disc is the oft-played Midsummer Night's Dream excerpts. Just excellent!Symphony 4 is the next best thing, but somehow the spirit is not as sunny as I like. The orchestra definitely has the chops for this virtuosic work, but I really love Sinopoli (of all people!) with the Philharmonia on DG.Finally, the Scotch is worth listening to only if you've never heard the piece. As an American Record Guide reviewer noted, Zinman has a tendency to slow down--way down. It kills it, even if it is well played.But for the price, this is excellent value overall, but don't be misled: the performance of the Reformation is alone worth the price!"

David Zinman Conducts Mendelssohn

Robin Friedman | Washington, D.C. United States | 12/03/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The American conductor David Zinman is best-known to most listeners for his period-style recordings of Beethoven's orchestral works, including the symphonies, concertos, overtures, and Missa Solemnis with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich on the budget-priced Arte Nova label. But Zinman has had a long career in recordings and as a conductor. From 1974 -- 1985 Zinman served as the music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1979 and 1980, he and the Rochester Philharmonic recorded Mendelssohn's symphonies 3,4, and 5 together with the Midsummer Night's Dream for Vox, a venerable budget-priced label. This two-CD set thus features Zinman at an earlier stage of his career conducting a regional orchestra and it lacks the period style for which Zinman has become known. It offers an excellent introduction to Mendelssohn's most famous orchestral works (with the exception of the violin concerto).



Mendelssohn's music tends to be light, lively, well-crafted and lyrical. These are not symphonies in Beethoven's style, but they are lovely to hear. At his best, in the third and fourth symphonies, Mendelssohn brought a unique voice to the form. There are many recordings of these works, but this set has the virtue in addition, to hearing early Zinman, of gathering these works together in an inexpensive package.



Mendelssohn's music for A Midsummer Night's Dream is among his most famous. He wrote the overture, a concert version of Shakespeare's play, when he was only 17 and returned to compose the incidental music 17 years later. The "Wedding March" with which this work concludes, will be familiar to everyone. In its energy, songfulness, clarity, and humor, this work is an everlasting delight.



Mendelssohn composed five symphonies as an adult, of which the 3d, 4th, and 5th are included here. The symphony no. 5 in D minor, the "Reformation" was actually the second Mendelssohn composed (1832). It was written to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Lutheran Augusburg Confession and features a finale based upon Luther's hymn, "A mighty fortress is our God." This is rather an uneven symphony, particularly in the opening movement and in the use of the hymn at the end. But there are lovely movements in the typically Mendelssohnian scherzo and in the slow third movement.



The symphony no. 3 in A minor "Scottish" and the symphony no. 4 in A major, "Italian" commemorate many trips of Mendelssohn to the namesake countries, but for most listeners the appeal of these works has little to do with their nicknames. They are much less programmatic than the "Reformation" symphony or than Mendelssohn's second symphony, a chorale work called "Lobgesang" modelled on Beethoven's Ninth. The Italian was the third in composition of the symphonies (1833) while the Scotch ((1842) was the last.



The Italian is a lively, happy work with a singing first movement of contrasting themes and instrumentation. The two middle movements are both slow in tempo, with a famous Italianate theme in the second movement and a more reflective, minuet-like movement as the third. There is a lovely extended passage for horns in the trio section of the third movement. The finale is scherzo-like in the form of an Italian dance called the saltarella.



The "Scottish" symphony is more serious in character and, unlike my fellow Amazon reviewer of this CD. I found Zinman did well with this work. The work is in four movements, to be played without pause. It opens with a lengthy, slow introduction followed by a lively allegro. (The introductory material returns briefly at the end of the movement.) The second movement is a running scherzo of the type Mendelssohn made famous (as in the Midsummer Night's Dream and in the Reformation symphony). The adagio is songlike and serious with an unmistakable pizzicato accompanyment for the strings. The finale features two contrasting themes and a lengthy peroration for brass at the close. Both the Italian and Scottish symphonies will reward repeated hearings. They are well-played by Zinman and the Rochester Philharmonic.



The CD includes unusually detailed program notes, especially for a budget disk, by producer Judith Sherman. This CD will appeal most to listeners who want an overview of Mendelssohn and to listeners interested in the recorded output of David Zinman.



Robin Friedman"