Customer Reviews

Mozart: Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter" (Great Recordings of the Century)

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It's quite unfair for the Amazon reviewer to describe these late Mozart recordings from Beecham as "stately, deliberate, stolid." True, he came from an earlier generation of Mozarteans, and his tempos arern't brisk, but the correct adjectives are "easy, natural, and good-humored." Beecham's Mozart always creates a smile. The best example is his delightful Abduction form the Seraglio (EMI). This Sym. 41 plus two wind concertos isn't that ebbulient, but it's full of energy and life.

EMI has done a fine job remastering the late-50s sonics. They are still a trifle thin on top and tubby on the bottom (much like listeners of my age). Have no fear that these performances are dull or that Reginald Kell, the solist in the clarinet concerto, plays stiffly, as the Amazon reviewer claims. He doesn't attack his phrasing with extroverted energy (the current style) but adheres to Beecham's smooth, laid-back approach. In the bassoon concerto Gwydion Brooke's ability to make his instrument sing and chuckle by turns is a pure delight.