Roger Norrington sets out to replicate period Mendelssohn performances by employing scaled-down orchestral forces and a “pure tone” aesthetic–meaning playing without vibrato. The results are probably interesting from a musicological point of view–hearing these symphonies performed by 40 or so players may or may not be historically “accurate”; but for musical enjoyment these renditions leave much to be desired. The orchestral sound admittedly gains textural clarity under this approach, with individual woodwind lines newly audible (Hänssler Classic’s recording captures them in clear, solid sound), but as usual it’s in the strings where the problems lie. Their thin, mousy sound and tentative attacks (colleague Jed Distler brilliantly called this “mincing”) make Symphony No. 4 sound like nothing even remotely “Italian”.
You want authentic? Listen to Riccardo Muti’s 1976 Philharmonia recording, where he conducts with far more brio than Norrington is able to muster. And I’ll take his “impurely” vibrating strings any day over Norrington’s scrawny scrapings (no fault on the excellent Stuttgart Radio Symphony, which gives the conductor precisely what he asks for). Ditto for the “Scottish” Symphony, where Muti’s sense of drama easily trounces Norrington’s unimaginative phrasing, especially his stiff, flat-footed finale. (At least someone had the good sense to track Mendelssohn’s rather superfluous coda separately.) The CD includes pre-concert talks by the conductor, which probably will be of interest to period-performance fans. If you are not one, you’d do best to avoid this release.
