Customer Reviews

Major Symphonies 13-36 38-41 50-52

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have lived with the Wordworth's discs (Naxos) for several years and although the symphonies are played and recorded well, they are more serviceable then performances of real distinction. I never really enjoyed his performances of # 40 & 41. So my choice was Mackerras on Telarc or Tate on EMI. I sampled many movements from the Mackerras set and found them too brisk and breathless. There is more to Mozart than metronome markings and fleet acrobatics. I opted for the Tate set and from what I have heard so far, I am glad I did. Tate's performances are wonderfully crisp in the outer movements and unhurried in the slow movements. He does caress the music but with out ever being sentimental or over "romanticing" as the big band performances of the 60's (Karajan et al). Tate has the essence of these works and the performances sound and feel perfect. These performances point the listener to the music, to Mozart, and not to an idiosyncratic conductoring style. This is wonderful music played with all the joy, drama, humor, and eloquence that these works contain. There is great clarity in these performances but also the needed weight that the later symphonies require. Excellant disks.

This is a nearly complete survey of the Mozart symphonies and is a collection of all the recordings Tate made with the English Chamber Orchestra for EMI. However the indiviual discs were sold at full price while you now get the whole lot at less than bargain price per disc!

This really is a steal. The sound is outstanding and the playing is a joy - uncluttered details and polished ensemble are the hallmarks of every performance. Although modern instruments are used there is the unmistakable clarity one associates with period chamber ensembles but without the jarring abrasive tonal quality of period instrumemts that preclude prolonged listening. Tate is also quite generous with the repeats in the outer movements of the symphonies. Buy it!

This is a superb set of 31 of the most important of the Mozart symphonies- it is not a complete set in that many of the earliest ones are not included.

That being said, the performances by Tate and the English Chamber Orchestra of the major Mozart symphonies are superbly done, with all the nuances and subtleties one could want in a Mozart performance. The chamber orchestra setting brings out all of the instrumental voices, the sound quality is excellent, and pacing is just right. I've found many other performances to be too rushed, or too slow. Of particular note in this set are #29,31,34,36,38,and 40. But all the perfomances capture the essence of Mozart's magnificent music.

Highly recommended at a bargain price!

Years ago I bought the Uchida/Tate Mozart piano concerto box set, and just loved it. I have always appreciated Tates command of the orchestra in that set.

So, when I saw that he had recorded a box set of the symphonies for EMI, I jumped at it. I am glad I did.

Tates tempos are crisp and lively in the outer movements, his slow movements have elegance and grace without being too sentimental.

The clarity of texture and timbre color (particularly in the woodwinds) all point to a conductor who understands Mozart. This is not just another conductor who has a set of Mozart symphonies, this is a guy who has a gift for Mozart!!

Kudos to EMI for issuing this set!

Jeffrey Tate has got it! He is almost as good as my favourite Mozart conductor, Neville Marriner, with the ASMF. Tate maintains a good pace throughout although a few symphonies do lack the brightness that Marriner always has. Overall, no complaints on Tate's interpretation of Mozart. Try to buy the set with the complete symphonies (Symphonies 1-51) -- it's out there but, since I couldn't find it on Amazon.com, I am writing my review on this smaller set instead.

While it is true that there are some very nice performances in this set, it is no bargain at the price at which it is being offered as I write this review. At this writing there are a couple of copies left of the same recordings, at less than half the price of this set, with 19 additional Mozart symphonies, including the first ten. As Tate does an even better job with the early symphonies than the late ones, the bargain represented by *this* set Mozart: 51 Symphonies is all the sweeter. I also advise you to avoid the Tate/ECO CDs containing only the late symphonies; it is these in which Tate and the ECO are least successful. The thing that would be nice would be to be able to buy a set consisting of Tate/ECO playing only the first 30 Mozart symphonies; but given the current low price of the complete set of 51, one would not expect such a compilation to be any cheaper. See my very lengthy review of the 51-symphony set under its listing.