Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5, Ruy Blas & Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage (Live) London Symphony Orchestra & John Eliot Gardiner

• Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)
• 1 Ruy Blas Overture, Op. 95, MWV P15 07:17
• 2 Meeresstille und gluckliche Fahrt (Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), Op. 27, Op. 27, MWV P5 11:46
• Symphony No 5, Reformation
• 3 I. Andante - Allegro con fuoco 10:59
• 4 II. Allegro vivace 04:46
• 5 III. Andante 03:37
• 6 IV. Andante con moto - Allegro vivace 08:39
• Total Runtime 47:04

Info zu Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5, Ruy Blas & Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage (Live)

Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the London Symphony Orchestra join forces once again in the latest instalment of their exploration of Mendelssohn’s symphonies.

The previous release, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 3, ‘Scottish’, coupled with The Hebrides Overture and Schumann’s Piano Concerto, has received widespread critical acclaim. Gramophone awarded the album Editor’s Choice and called it 'a truly memorable performance'; IRR observed that 'it is so good that it can be recommended without hesitation' and it received an ICMA 2014 nomination in the Best Collection category.

Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 5 was written in 1830 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Augsberg confession – a seminal event in the Protestant Reformation. Allusions to the symphony’s title and inspiration can be heard throughout the music itself: the Dresden Amen is cited by the strings in the first movement whilst the finale is based on Martin Luther’s well-known chorale 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' (A Mighty Fortress is Our God).

Coupled with this are two of Mendelssohn’s overtures, both of which were inspired by literary works. 'Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage', based on two short poems by Goethe, depicts the journey of sailors at sea with a still adagio opening ultimately giving way to a triumphant homecoming. Completing the album, the overture 'Ruy Blas' was commissioned by the Leipzig Theatre as an overture to Victor Hugo’s tragic drama of the same name.

„The memorable previous release in the series – Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony – received widespread, positive acclaim… The winning approach is repeated here…Here, the 'authentic' vibrato-less strings combine with weighty brass and woodwinds to produce a performance that shows off the work's grandeur… The LSO are on top form.“ (Classic FM)

„It showcases Gardiner’s forensic method of working and his very good relationship with the LSO. The two overtures are extremely successful… Ruy Blas is bitingly dramatic… Calm Sea, on the other hand, opens with a brilliant depiction of musical stasis… The blaze of the final peroration [in Symphony No 5] is thrilling, and Gardiner manages to give the impression that it shouldn’t really sound any other way.“ (MusicWeb International)

London Symphony Orchestra
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

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Booklet für Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5, Ruy Blas & Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage (Live)