Customer Reviews

Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If I were asked to give one word to describe this superlative performance, I would rest on the word "magical." And rightly so. Ozawa realy gives us an evocative performance of Mendelssohn's charming music, and the first few seconds of the first track are enough to cunjore up the mood of Shakespeare's brilliant play, although I am certain that the whole hour on this disc does so just as nicely. The overture presents every character and theme well, and the orchestra dazzles here, with the magical opening and closing wind chords and fairy music. This is followed by the suite of incidental music that underscores the play, where every number is given their due. The Scherzo, Intermezzo and Nocturne all manage to keep in mind the setting of the enchanted wood, and the Wedding March has a certain jubilant thrust that I have never felt before. What is more, it can set the music in the right context and make it sound fresh, new and enjoyable. Ozawa is well-partnered by Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade as the two faries, and they sing well in their duet and the finale, with the support of the female section of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. And Judi Dench is the unique selling point, with her excellent, expertly-done narration, bringing Shakespeare's words to life and adding to the strength of the links of the melodramas. While she speaks with an eloquent and elegant simplicity, she can vary the mood of the words, and they match the music well. I am sure her experience with Shakespeare is paying off here. To top it all off, the sound is atmospheric and beautifully bloomed and balanced, and it should be one of the best DG recordings that were made in Boston. Overall, if you are looking for a Dream that contains everything that needs to bring Shakespeare's play to life in Mendelssohn's shimmering music, then this is sure to be a true first choice.

The narrator on this disc is Judi Dench and she is absolutely priceless to hear. She is a big reason why this is such a great disc, but it is also lovingly recorded, played, and sung. Von Stade is radiant and Battle's light, clear voice is also beautiful. Ozawa and the BSO help this music evoke images of Shakespeare, certainly what Mendelssohn had in mind don't you think?

After playing this in the pit orchestra for the San Diego City ballet, I just had to have a recording of this gorgeous ballet music. Boston and Seiji do a stupendous job bringing the magic alive on this CD, stirring up images of the mischevious Puck and graceful faeries. Judi Dench does excellent narration with clear, perfect diction. Battle's sweet and sparkling soprano is complemented by von Stade's deeper and equally beautiful mezzo, even though they are only featured during the No. 3 Song with Chorus. Fun, light-hearted music and a great addition to any classical collection.

Kathleen and Fredericka are so wonderful as a duet!! And I was so surprised to find the narrator to be one the actress that we enjoy so much on PBS...beautiful speaking voice.

A colorful rendition of Shakespeare's lyrical play, Midsummer's Night Dream into Mendelssohn's incredible, breath-taking score that complimented each other. To complete this transition is the incredible effort-worthwhile conducting by Mr. Seiji Ozawa. The concept of bringing Shakespeare 's work to life was attempted successfully by Felix Mendelssohn's score. But the essence of the work would have to have a noticeable effect with Mr. Ozawa's dramatic conducting which is comparable to the late Mr. Bernstein's. The lovely Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade accompanies the orchestra performing along with the stirring narration provided by famed Judi Dench. I must warn you once you listened to it, you'd be hooked! It sure did that to me!

MENDELSSOHN AND SHAKESPEARE WOULD LOVE THIS RENDITION, 'CAUSE OZAWA'S PERFORMANCE DESERVES RECOGNITION.

Felix Mendelssohn(1809-1847) was brought up in an intellectual environment thoroughly immersed in Shakepeare. His Grandfather Moses Mendelssohn had made some translations that included an excellent version of Hamlet's "To be or not to be", and his son Abraham, in turn, introduced Shakespeare to his own precocious Fanny and Felix, who used to give little domestic performances in their house.

It is no wonder then, that at age 17, already an experienced composer with literary sensibilities, Felix would have wanted to set his own ideas to music. On August 6, 1826, he completed an overture, that was intended as a distillation into sonata form of the play's imaginative content. Even at this age Mendelssohn's Romantic instinct is to reconcile literary impressions with abstract musical structures, and the outcome is a musical portrait of the play's meaning into sonata form.
When , in August 1843, he was commissioned by the King of Prussia to write incidental music for the play, he found that much of his previous overture could remain and heighten particular moments. The performance of the work took place in Potsdam on October 14,1843, and was such a success that it passed through Europe as being one of the finest pieces of music ever written to accompany spoken drama!

Seiji Ozawa has , in my opinion, cast three very excellent women for the roles singing/speaking in this production: Kathleen Battle with her smooth effortless & flowing soprano as the lst Fairy; Frederica von Stade with her very vibrant and dramatic tone quality as the 2nd Fairy, and who but the ever-marvelous Judi Dench, her voice laden with all kinds of nuances and varied intensities.

The Tanglewood Festival Chorus has a lovely ethereal quality, which is very suitable for this other-worldly tale, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra needs no applause! I enjoyed this disc tremendously, and will continue to play it for many years to come.

Over the years the complete incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream has enjoyed many fine recordings. Ozawa's isn't as mercurial or imaginative as, for example, Andre Previn's on EMI. But he has two advantages over all competitors. The pairing of Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade in the vocal parts is one, but for sheer enjoyment, the prize goes to Judi Dench reciting quite a lot of Shakespeare, overlapping the appropriate music. She speaks every part, male and female, as does Kenneth Branaugh for Abbado on Sony, but Dame Judi is more warm-hearted. Add to this DG's multi-miked recording, which puts us in the second bassoon's lap when need be--we hear the smallest details from the BSO's unsurpased solo players. I wish Ozawa had more to say, but no matter. His reading is detailed and refined, if a bit lacking in energy, and all the rest is quite alluring.

The above reviewers have pretty much said it all: this recording is certainly amazing in all respects. Judi Dench adds credibility and talent to the narration, while the orchestration and singing are simply marvelous. What we have here is:

1) A great source text by Shakespeare.

2) A great musical interpretation by Mendelssohn.

3) A great performance of this headed wonderfully by Ozawa.


You just can't go wrong buying this disc. 5 stars without the slightest doubt.

Mendelssohn as a child was very much immersed in the literature of Shakespeare. Growing up the child of wealthy parents this musical genius had little to worry him through his life, and that left him to focus on his music. At the age of only 17 (in 1826) he completed an overture to the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Shakespeare, and it wasn't until another 16 years later that the incidental music was written, but this is little matter as the entire thing flows together so well.

Judi Dench here (known for her role as M in James Bond movies) narrates the select passages out of Shakespeare before and after the musical selections. Her performances here are flawless, wonderful interpretations of the Shakespeare that allow the idea of each scene of the play to come out and wrap around your head so that when you listen to the corresponding incidental music you are touched to the level which Mendelssohn has united the two.

The Boston Symphony's performance is equally as amazing headed by Seiji Ozawa. He leads the orchestra in an approach that is taken with a very light touch at times and almost seems not to exist, especially where it touches with Judi Dench's narration and you find yourself lost in a forest wood in Midsummer with Lysander and Hermia. One could easily imagine sitting in the audience of a theatre of a performance of Shakespeare listening to this music and agree that it is entirely in character. The beautiful singing of Kathleen Battle and Frederica Von Stade as the fairies complete the effect as their voices sing sweetly up the register very truly in what would be a fairy voice which further aides to the setting and perfection of this album.

This album is beautifully recorded and the sound is clear as one has come to expect from the Deutsche Grammaphon label. Add to that the flawless beauty of this performance and the fact that this disc actually has the overture and all the incindental music that Mendelssohn wrote, one would be hard pressed to find a better album for this Shakespeare play. It is a must have for any Mendelssohn fan and is equally vital to any Shakespeare buff's collection, and if you're neither, I say get it anyway because it is just that gorgeous, and has also a very cheery effect upon the soul.

I normally am not enthusiastic about anything put forth by Ozawa, so I was pleasantly surprised by the warmly appealing recording of Mendelssohn's complete incidental music, music which is not nearly recorded or performed often enough. Much of the credit has to go to von Stade and Battle, as well as Judi Dench, who avoids slipping into an overly cloying narrative, as often happens.

Well-recorded & well-presented; a very rewarding performance in all respects!