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A midsummer night's dream by Mendelssohn

9K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  David Phillips 
#1 ·
This is one of the first classical compositions I got to know and got me into Classical music in general; now, with the first heatwave of the season in Israel on the way, I think it would fit the atmosphere; any opinions about this composition? I personally think it completely refutes the "Classical music is only sad" nonsense from people not familiar with it.
 
#4 ·
This is a pretty amazing work. Young Mendelssohn's orchestration here is completely mind blowing. Totally ahead of its time and beyond his own years in sophistication. I second Larkenfield's recommendation for the Italian symphony, and jegreenwood's for the Octet which may be his best chamber work. The Scottish symphony is really good as well. Mendelssohn was an amazing composer.
 
#7 ·
Enjoy the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. In my humble opinion it is:

1) Mendelssohn's greatest single composition
2) The greatest violin concerto by any composer
3) In the top five concertos for any instrument by any composer

You could argue any of these points but I just wanted to convey how good a piece of music this is...its that good.

My personal favorite recording is Hilary Hahn's recording with the Oslo Phil

https://www.amazon.com/Mendelssohn-...n+Mendelssohn&qid=1556579979&s=gateway&sr=8-1
 
#9 ·
Hmm... I have two recordings already but I love Ms. Hahn. Plus, I have never heard the Shostakovich. May need to go ahead and cop this one.

@Clouds, they call his 4th symphony the "Italian" because it was inspired by a trip to Italy. All of his symphonies are quite good but that may be the highlight. Concise, melodic, and upbeat. One of the few Classical/Romantic era symphonies to start in a major key and end in the tonic minor (ie. A major to A minor). Some recordings I like are Kurt Masur with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (I have a great 6 CD set that includes all of his symphonies and his 12 early "string symphonies" from this conductor and orchestra that I highly recommend) and Abbado with the London Symphony.

As another poster mentioned, the violin concerto in E minor is also very good.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I'd urge anyone who's interested in Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream to hear Wilhelm Furtwängler's 1929 Berlin studio account of the Overture. Despite the historical mono sound, it's the finest, most spirited account I've ever heard:

Studio recording, Berlin, 1929:



I don't think Fürtwangler's live 1947 recording is as good, as it has an underlying tension that makes me uncomfortable. He also doesn't get Bottom's braying "hee-haw" sound as well (Bottom has been turned into a donkey), as the 1947 "hee-haw" sounds angry, even furious, rather than comical and fun, as it did in 1929.

Live recording, 1947:

Otherwise, the top 5 Midsummer Night's Dream recordings that I've most enjoyed over the years are as follows (& in no particular order): The 1983 Philips account by Sir Neville Marriner & the Philharmonia Orchestra, with one of my favorite sopranos, Arleen Auger (although Marriner's recording is incomplete, as he omits the Melodramas and cuts the 'rustic' ending of the Intermezzo); Erich Leinsdorf & the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with Inga Swanson as narrator (which is better than the BSO's later DG account with Ozawa); Kurt Masur's Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra recording on Teldec, of the complete score--with excerpts from the text of the play spoken in German; Otto Klemperer & the Philharmonia on EMI, with sopranos Heather Harper and Janet Baker (despite Klemperer's occasional slow tempi), and last but not least, Andre Previn's 1976 London Symphony Orchestra account on EMI, without dialogue (which I prefer to Previn's later remake in Vienna). I don't own any period instrument recordings of MSND, since I've felt that Kurt Masur's account suffices in the HIP category, considering that the Gewandhaus Orchestra plays in a musical tradition that Mendelssohn created.

Marriner:
Masur (just the Overture & Wedding March, performed live at a Gala Concert--not the Teldec recording):


Leinsdorf: Not on YT, and OOP and difficult to find on CD: https://www.amazon.co.jp/Midsummer-...ghts&qid=1556907653&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull
Klemperer:
Previn:



I've also enjoyed the MSND selections that Peter Maag recorded with the LSO in 1957:





Finally, I have a high regard for the Mendelssohn conducting of Gunther Herbig, and his selections from A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Staatskapelle Berlin are well worth hearing. I might actually prefer Herbig to one of the above conductors, but I'd have to sit down and do some comparative listening, which I've not done. So, for now, call it my favorite 'sleeper' MSND recording:

My two cents.
 
#22 ·
There are a ton of good Midsummer Overture recordings out there. I find it a charming and genius piece of music. The entire suite of music is good also.

As previously mentioned the 3rd and 4th symphonies and his Violin Concerto are considered Mendelssohn's best work. I like Maag's recording for the third. Gardiner's offering of the 4th is the best I have heard and the cd has both versions. I attended my local symphony's performance last year and was enthralled, it was obvious our conductor loved the piece.

A not often thought of Mendelssohn composition is his 1st symphony. There are some real stinker recordings of this one as I think it gets treated as a novelty or throw away. I find it masterful when done right and stand by this recording, Mendelssohn- Symphony No. 1 Dohnanyi, VPO..
 
#25 ·
This is music that is so well written it is difficult to play badly. Two other great versions I have are by Kubelik and an old one by Friscay - both in German. I also have the elderly Philharmonia with Kletzki which features the horn playing of Dennis Brain. And there is a very good version by the LPO under Litton
 
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