Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Orchestra: Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Conductor: Herbert Blomstedt
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: BR Klassik
Catalogue: 900164
Release: 2018
Size: 750 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550
01. I. Molto allegro
02. II. Andante
03. III. Menuetto. Allegretto – Trio
04. IV. Allegro assai
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K551 ‘Jupiter’
05. I. Allegro vivace
06. II. Andante cantabile
07. III. Menuetto. Allegretto – Trio
08. IV. Molto allegro
The symphonies in G minor, K. 550 (no. 40), and C Major, K. 551 (no. 41, also known as ‘The Jupiter’) are the ones that most represent Mozart’s symphonic legacy to later generations of musicians. As early as 1800, the popular ‘Great’ G minor Symphony was praised as the ‘painting of a passion-stricken soul’. Like its big sister, the ‘Jupiter’ Symphony in C Major, it numbers among the most-played works in classical music and has been immortalized in countless recordings. Nevertheless, these symphonies – probably the most profound ones before Beethoven – reveal themselves as something quite new in every interpretation. ‘Mozart placed all the dark sides of human existence into his G minor Symphony’, says Herbert Blomstedt, adding that its ‘passion’ continues to fascinate him.
The eminent Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt, a close associate and regular guest conductor of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted the G minor Symphony in concerts on January 31 and February 1, 2013 and the ‘Jupiter’ Symphony on December 21 and 22, 2017 in the Herkulessaal of Munich’s Residenz.
This 2018 BR Klassik release by Herbert Blomstedt and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra appears to be yet another mainstream rendition of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor and the Symphony No. 41 in C major, “Jupiter,” but in this time of historically informed performances on period instruments, it’s almost a novelty. In these live performances, Blomstedt doesn’t make any overt attempts at following 18th century practices, nor does he scale down the ensemble to the size of a Classical orchestra, and the only aspects of historical interpretation that are obvious are the fairly brisk tempos and the taking of repeats, which are comparatively small concessions to authenticity. Beyond that, little separates Blomstedt’s readings from many recordings from the mid-20th century, which predated the movement for early music scholarship, and listeners who grew up hearing Mozart played by modern symphony orchestras will take to this album readily. However, Blomstedt avoids the over-blending and bland homogeneity of many older performances and instead strives for distinctive tone colors, particularly in the woodwinds, and transparency of the counterpoint, which is essential in Mozart. Because so much attention is paid to conveying the music with absolute clarity, listeners from the traditionalist and revisionist camps can find much to appreciate in Blomstedt’s meticulous and intensely focused performances.