I am new to this series of recordings, but this disc represents
the last in a set of three which covers all of Mendelssohn’s
symphonies (see
review of No. 2), celebrating the 200
th anniversary
of his birth in 1809.
Both of these works have an easy-sounding and relatively sunny
disposition, which hides considerable difficulties in their genesis.
Started in 1829 in Scotland, the cover image for this disc is
an engraving of the Grass Market in Edinburgh, one of the places
Mendelssohn stayed during his trip through what was then considered
a romantic wilderness suitable for artistic reflection. The symphony
was only completed by 1842 however; some 12 years after the
Reformation symphony.
The reason for its lower opus number is that Mendelssohn was
dissatisfied with the latter work, and refused to allow its publication
during his lifetime. As has been stated already, the lightness
of touch which has made Mendelssohn such a refreshingly attractive
voice among composers of this period is very much in evidence
with these symphonies, and Andrew Litton gets excellent results
from the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
We have heard a few ‘period’ recordings of these
pieces in recent years, and a trend towards smaller orchestral
footprints from bands such as the Swedish Chamber Orchestra in
their Schumann symphonic cycle with Thomas Dausgaard. This recording
from BIS does not fall into these categories by any means. This
is not to say that Litton’s approach is anything less than
supple and idiomatically appropriate, and I know of several quarters
which will welcome the warmly expressive strings in the playing
here. Vibrato is also a quality in the woodwind, but my hat goes
off to all of the Bergen players for impeccable intonation, and
to the flute and other woodwinds for their expressive and thankfully
non wide-and-wobbly vibrato. The weight of voicing is also very
accurately placed at all times, and a superlatively good balance
provides both detail and an overall orchestral texture in the
tutti sections.
This transparency of texture is an inherent quality in Mendelssohn’s
orchestral writing, but I also have the feeling that we might
owe a debt of gratitude to the kind of clarity obtained by Roger
Norrington for his early 1990s recordings on Virgin Classics
with the London Classical Players. In this way, Litton’s
readings of these pieces fall somewhere between Norrington’s
lithe cleanliness and Claudio Abbado’s more emotionally
communicative performances captured through the London Symphony
Orchestra on Deutsche Grammophon. Yes, Litton is clarity, dynamism
and expressively warm playing personified, but he does tend to
enhance the classical origins and early romantic context of these
pieces. He draws superb results from the Bergen orchestra and
brings out all of the rugged Beethovenian character in the
Reformation symphony,
but does steer an uncontroversial path which while wonderful
for repeated listening and reference, may not have you in palpitations
of excitement on first hearing.
I’ve read dismissive remarks on these performances as ‘middle
of the road’, but extremes of interpretative license are
not what we are likely to be looking for in Mendelssohn. He has
his pious moments, and high octane passion and emotional hubris
are not really ‘hot’ elements in this music, at least
not to today’s jaundiced ears. There are some intriguing
forward-looking moments as well. Listen to those calm string
passages between 2:22 and 3:05 in the first movement of the
Symphony
No.5: Charles Ives’s
The Unanswered Question?
Not far off, and to my mind such spine-tingling moments lift
this recording above the run-of-the-mill. Add the sheer quality
of the playing into the mix, and we have a winning combination.
The SACD qualities of the recording are a nice enhancement, as
usual opening out the aural picture and giving a real sense of
location and involvement. Still attempting to put my finger on
some marginal reservations, I suppose it might come down to these
performances being very much ‘studio’ in nature.
Looking at the booklet, I don’t get the feeling that the
impassioned photo of Andrew Litton in full action on the back
is taken from these sessions or this music. One has a sense that
the players might respond with just that extra ‘edge’ with
a live audience rather than just the familiar if marvellous acoustic
of the Bergen Philharmonic’s home concert hall, but this
might as well just be my imagination looking for weaknesses which
aren’t really there at all. Conductors and record producers
just can’t win can they? Anything other than highly polished
performances and we reviewers start moaning about blemishes;
and the closer things come to perfection the more we’re
likely to hit on a lack of that last
nth of emotional
content and excitement. Fear not in this case however: if you
are looking for ‘perfect’ symphonic Mendelssohn then
this disc has to come somewhere near, if not at the very top
of the list.
Dominy Clements
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra/Andrew
Litton 
[70:15] 
