Now this is one exciting 1812! Zubin Mehta plays this warhorse for all it’s worth, from the urgent cantabile of the opening strings right through to the roof-raising conclusion. In between, Mehta’s allegros are tense and driven (with the Los Angeles Philharmonic playing superbly), and the lyrical sections are plaintive and haunting. The build-up to the coda is a real barnstormer! The cannons sound pretty good for a pre-Telarc recording (though nothing like that amazing Mercury Living Presence disc) and the bells make a truly resplendent noise. Marche Slav receives a well-paced and powerful reading, while Romeo and Juliet releases its pent-up energy with an insistent forward momentum, though without quite the frenzied abandon of Bernstein on Deutsche Grammophon. Only the dynamically constricted sound keeps the full impact of these performances from making themselves felt. Capriccio Italien was recorded a decade later (1982) with the Israel Philharmonic, in sound that is freer but also drier. Mehta’s reading is good but not as inspired in this case, and the orchestra does turn in a respectable performance. The real reason to buy this disc is for the excellent 1812 Overture, and at the Eloquence price, it’s well worth it.
