Search - Mozart, Solti, Chicago Sym Orch :: Mozart: The 4 Great Symphonies [Netherlands]

Curiously not very well known

Wyote | Seoul | 07/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm surprised these recordings aren't more famous. Neither the Gramophone 2008 nor Penguin 2009 guides say anything about them. I'm the first reviewer here on Amazon. But as far as I can tell nothing is wrong with them at all.



Now that doesn't mean too much. There are a lot of people who know more about classical music than I do. I invite them to listen to these recordings and share their thoughts. Was this just marketed badly? Is something wrong with them? I look forward to their insight!



For myself, I like these recordings about as well as any. But for people who don't plan to buy half a dozen versions of these symphonies (that's what I'm up to so far), probably a better alternative than these recordings is Bernstein's. If you're only after the 40th and 41st, you can get a pretty good deal on them: Mozart: Symphonies 40 & 41 / Bernstein.



However, that album is also available as part of a larger set of Bernstein's Mozart recordings for DG, which I'd recommend:Mozart: The late Symphonies; Great Mass in C minor; Requiem [Box Set]. Of course it's more expensive, but you get a lot of very good music with it, including very good recordings of the Requiem and the "Great" Mass in C minor, as well as the Clarinet Concerto, the 15th Piano Concerto, and several other symphonies: 25, 29, 35, 36, 38, and 39. So I think it's clear that the box set is a good deal in the end. You can spend many hours with it, getting your money's worth.



I should also mention that some well-informed people highly recommend Bohm's recordings of these symphonies, and you might try them too: Mozart: Symphonien Nos. 35-41. I enjoy the Bohm very well, but I have a slight preference for both Bernstein's and Solti's.



I don't know how highly the experts would rate the Naxos edition by Wordsworth: Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 40 & 41 "Jupiter", but I enjoy it very much as well, and if you're looking for some diversity I think you might enjoy it. (The only reviewer of this final recording seems to know what s/he's talking about, and says it's good for classical music beginners, and my experience agrees. It was one of my first recordings.)"