COMPOSERS: Schubert
LABELS: Erato Ultima
WORKS: Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished); Symphony No. 9 (Great); Mass in E flat, D950
PERFORMER: Vocal soloists; Lyon Opera Orchestra/John Eliot Gardiner, Romande Chamber Choir, Lucerne Pro Arte Choir, Suisse Romande Orchestra/Armin Jordan
CATALOGUE NO: 0630-18960-2 1988
Gardiner focuses on the lyrical and volcanic contrasts in Schubert’s Unfinished and Great C major Symphonies, exploiting the Lyon Opera Orchestra’s theatrical experience. His omission of repeats and keen perception of Schubert’s motivic threads inform a compelling sense of large-scale structure in the Great, while his total commitment to drama in the Unfinished generates an intensity far beyond the routine. Finally, Jordan’s generally effective account of the E flat Mass is sadly impaired by woolly recording that masks much detail. Nicholas Rast
Schubert: Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished); Symphony No. 9 (Great); Mass in E flat, D950
Gardiner focuses on the lyrical and volcanic contrasts in Schubert’s Unfinished and Great C major Symphonies, exploiting the Lyon Opera Orchestra’s theatrical experience. His omission of repeats and keen perception of Schubert’s motivic threads inform a compelling sense of large-scale structure in the Great, while his total commitment to drama in the Unfinished generates an intensity far beyond the routine. Finally, Jordan’s generally effective account of the E flat Mass is sadly impaired by woolly recording that masks much detail. Nicholas Rast
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:39 pm