Mendelssohn
Mendelssohn in Birmingham, Vol. 5: Overture St Paul;
The Fair Melusine Overture; Trumpet – Overture; Hebrides Overture; Athalia Overture; A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture; Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage; Ruy Blas Overture
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/edward Gardner Chandos CHSA 5235 (hybrid CD/SACD) 74:53 mins
For the fifth volume in his fine ‘Mendelssohn in Birmingham’ series, Edward Gardner has assembled a generously filled programme of the composer’s overtures. Despite the inevitable duplication of some items that have already appeared in earlier volumes, the great advantage of the present release is that it offers a chance to hear these works side by side rather than as appetisers to his symphonies. Experiencing the overtures in this context emphasises the innovative aspects of Mendelssohn’s outlook, in particular his unrivalled ability to capture the very essence of a particular landscape, from the open sea (Meerstille und glückliche Fahrt) and the perilous curse of the river Rhine (Die schöne Melusine) to magical enchantment (Ein Sommernachtstraum). It’s also refreshing to encounter some neglected gems such as the rousing Trumpet Overture, composed when Mendelssohn was still a teenager,
and the richly scored Overture to the Oratorio Paulus which pays homage to Bach and Handel.
The full orchestral chorale in the closing bars of Paulus sounds particularly resplendent thanks to the warm acoustics of Birmingham Town Hall. Yet the most striking feature of these performances is their remarkable clarity of texture which even in the more forceful passages enables us to hear every strand of Mendelssohn’s incredibly resourceful orchestration. Indeed there’s a fluidity and vividness to Gardner’s interpretations which is fully supported by the superbly responsive playing from the CBSO. Perhaps there are some passages where Gardner drives the music a bit too frenetically, but at the same time, such an approach works wonderfully well in projecting the urgency and drama of the unfairly underestimated Ruy Blas Overture. Erik Levi
PERFORMANCE ★★★★
RECORDING ★★★★★