Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gerard Schwarz, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra :: Mozart: Symphony Nos. 40 & 41

Schwarz, the L.A. Chamber Orchestra, and Mozart

Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 11/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gerard Schwarz leads the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in this superb 1981 recording of the final two symphonies of Mozart, the great G Minor 40th and the bold C Major 41st, known as the "Jupiter" symphony.Both symphonies, along with No. 39, were composed in very rapid succession in a two-month period by Mozart during the summer of 1788. Although no one has ever ascertained what prompted Mozart to compose these symphonies, the simple fact is that these turned out to be among the most significant of their type ever. Schwarz and his L.A. Chamber Orchestra demonstrate this very clearly here, with a precision that is perhaps exceeded on record only by George Szell's own 1960s recordings with his Cleveland Orchestra.In contrast to other recordings which place the 40th first, this one starts off with the bold, sharp chords of the "Jupiter." Schwarz and the orchestra handle the first three movements with style, flair, and drama; but it is in the final movement, in which Mozart weaves several different themes into a fugue, where the orchestra is at its most precise--especially given the fact that the movement is among the trickiest of all symphonic movements in history. In the somber 40th symphony, which excludes the trumpets/timpani fanfares of the "Jupiter", the orchestra's performance exudes the right atmosphere of tragedy and sadness, but also of grace and mystery. The combination of strings and woodwinds is brilliantly handled.Ever since its inception in 1969, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra has always excelled at Mozart; and this recording is proof of that. It is, of course, not the large-scale "big band" type one sees from middle European conductors like Szell or Karajan, or even Americans like Bernstein, but it is recommended all the same."