By PB112842
26-Jan-2011

MENDELSSOHN SYMPHONIES, NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC / DIMITRI MITROPOULOS  

As a boy of 15 years of age (I am now 64), I had this recording of the Mendelssohn Symphonies 3 and 5 with the New York Philharmonic under Dimitri Mitropoulos on LP.

When I transferred to tapes and then to CDs, these wonderful performances were lost. Later performances that I purchased by Abbado and Sawallisch did not, for me, 'cut the mustard' and I felt they were dull, pedestrian and uninteresting.

The New York Philharmonic clearly was not in the late fifties in the same class as the Berlin Philharmonic or Vienna Philharmonic. However, this recording clearly shows their dedication to Mitropoulos as a conductor and he produces from them performances that are both passionate and exciting. There are a couple of moments of ensemble, particularly one trumpet entry. Never mind, these are performances that I thought would be lost to me forever and I will never return to Abbado or Sawallish for these symphonies again.

Thank you, thank you Naxos you have made my year!
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