Interesting, iconic and iconoclastic recordings of The Prague Symphony.

[prémont]

A much more interesting sound on this Hogwood recording. Pretty conventional at the level of poetry, I mean there are no unexpected affekts. Alert, but still there's something deeply unsatisfactory about it.  It's as if I'm hearing a well oiled and well practised machine - all the pistons and cogwheels working perfectly in synch. I don't like that, if that's what classical music is about then I don't have a place for it. I don't think music should sound like it's being played by a machine. I don't want to single out Hogwood for a bashing, nearly all of them are like that. And Hogwood's machine sounds good.

I feel that much of Mozart's music sound in this way, whoever is playing.

Has our age got Mozart wrong?

[Spotted Horses]

A much more interesting sound on this Hogwood recording. Pretty conventional at the level of poetry, I mean there are no unexpected affekts. Alert, but still there's something deeply unsatisfactory about it.  It's as if I'm hearing a well oiled and well practised machine - all the pistons and cogwheels working perfectly in synch. I don't like that, if that's what classical music is about then I don't have a place for it. I don't think music should sound like it's being played by a machine. I don't want to single out Hogwood for a bashing, nearly all of them are like that. And Hogwood's machine sounds good.

And this is the big big advantage of this Harnoncourt DVD. They don't sound like clockwork. It's just that, at the level of affekt, expression, they are revisionary and it takes a bit of mental adjustment. Maybe the way to put it is like this: Harnoncourt is more Don Giovanni than Cosi.

I also find Hogwood to be dull and colorless. Bruggen has a bit more spirit, and Fischer and Macerras have some life, but I find there is no substitute for my favorite, Harnoncourt RCO

[Mandryka]

I also find Hogwood to be dull and colorless. Bruggen has a bit more spirit, and Fischer and Macerras have some life, but I find there is no substitute for my favorite, Harnoncourt RCO

Harnoncourt Concertgebauw is exceptional - I wonder if you will enjoy Norrington Stuttgart.

[DaveF]

I like Linden with the Mozart Akademie Amsterdam too, but that's not quite what the man asked for; he wants the 3 Is, Interesting, Iconic and Iconoclastic, in which case (even though I'm sure we've laughed at it elsewhere on this forum) Trigger's karaoke version ticks all three boxes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efBBWQ622-s

[Karl Henning]

I like Linden with the Mozart Akademie Amsterdam too, but that's not quite what the man asked for; he wants the 3 Is, Interesting, Iconic and Iconoclastic, in which case (even though I'm sure we've laughed at it elsewhere on this forum) Trigger's karaoke version ticks all three boxes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efBBWQ622-s

Hah!

[Spotted Horses]

Harnoncourt Concertgebauw is exceptional - I wonder if you will enjoy Norrington Stuttgart.

I have Norrington/Orchestra of the 18th Century(?) somewhere, but now I'm intrigued with Stuttgart. I know Sarge likes that pairing, in general.

Note added:

Found some samples to listen to, and I'm intrigues. Strong dynamic contrasts, driven. And I found the 6 CD set used for a very good price, so I'm in.

There are three things that are a big help in Mozart symphonies. First and second violins split, woodwind sound is prominent, timpani are aggressive, not just a polite rumble in the background, and brass timbre has some edge without being too loud. The brass timbre is helped by period instruments, which produce a raspy tone without excessive volume. And the conduct should be somewhat nuts.

[André]

My favourite Mozart symphony. The first movement is almost a symphony in itself, but it must not be overdone. It's not the Supper scene in Don Giovanni, after all.

Personal favourites include Böhm WP (just short of being doomsdayesque, with vibrant WP playing), Suitner RSO Berlin (simply perfect), Bour SWF (exhilarating and perfectly proportioned).

Harnoncourt overdoes it, but he has the Regal Concertgebouw playing like gods and goddesses. Walter, Karajan (DG) and Kubelik are excellent. I don't like small vibratoless string sections and explosive timpani, so that rules out most HIP recordings.

[Mandryka]

My favourite Mozart symphony. The first movement is almost a symphony in itself, but it must not be overdone. It's not the Supper scene in Don Giovanni, after all.

Personal favourites include Böhm WP (just short of being doomsdayesque, with vibrant WP playing), Suitner RSO Berlin (simply perfect), Bour SWF (exhilarating and perfectly proportioned).

Harnoncourt overdoes it, but he has the Regal Concertgebouw playing like gods and goddesses. Walter, Karajan (DG) and Kubelik are excellent. I don't like small vibratoless string sections and explosive timpani, so that rules out most HIP recordings.

Do you mean Dresden for the Suitner? This

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FL6pMrJSqkw

It is astonishing! I am, quite literally, strapped to my seat by it. If there is another one and it's more impressive than this, I can't imagine.

[Mandryka]

Found this

[Mandryka]

My favourite Mozart symphony. The first movement is almost a symphony in itself, but it must not be overdone. It's not the Supper scene in Don Giovanni, after all.

Personal favourites include Böhm WP (just short of being doomsdayesque, with vibrant WP playing), Suitner RSO Berlin (simply perfect), Bour SWF (exhilarating and perfectly proportioned).

Harnoncourt overdoes it, but he has the Regal Concertgebouw playing like gods and goddesses. Walter, Karajan (DG) and Kubelik are excellent. I don't like small vibratoless string sections and explosive timpani, so that rules out most HIP recordings.

Re the Bour, it's quite an achievement and what you say is correct. Really effective, his way of building up to the climaxes. He is an interesting musician - I know him through a  recording of very uncompromising music by Rihm, Lachenmann and Holliger. There's a lot of Bour's Mozart available streaming, by the way.

Listening to the exhilarating Suitner made me think of Bruno Maderna's Prague symphony - I enjoyed Suitner more, but that's maybe just because I've listened too much to the music today.

[André]

This one:



It's actually the Staatskapelle Berlin, the orchestra of the Berlin State Opera - not the RSO Berlin as I first stated (they did many recordings together). Suitner recorded nos 39-41 with the Staatskapelle Dresden and they are pure magic.

[pjme]

https://www.youtube.com/v/DqWbWURosGs

Dresden + Ancerl in 1959.I was looking for Fricsay (afaik he did not record 38) and found this.
Lovely.

Now listening to

https://www.youtube.com/v/JOpojuXZBJU

[Jo498]

No, unless there is a radio broadcast in/from some archive, Fricsay only recorded 29 (2x), 35, 39, 40, 41 (2x).
The Markevitch/DG is not dissimilar to the early "Toscaninian" Fricsay style, though.