{"product_id":"rieger-mendelssohn-symphony-no-4-1950-pasc053","title":"RIEGER Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 (1950) - PASC053","description":"overviewfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eMENDELSSOHN \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003eSymphony No. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003e4 \"Italian\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003eRecorded\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003e in 1950\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003eDuration 28:11\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eMunich Philharmonia Orchestra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eConducted by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\u003eFritz Rieger\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_titlefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fBill Rosen's Review578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_quotefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_bodyfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eFelix\nMendelssohn has always been something of a puzzle to me. I consider him\nthe greatest of all music prodigies. The Octet at 16 and the Overture to\na Midsummer Nights Dream at 17 are surely the greatest music ever\nwritten by a teenager. Yet the questions have always been asked: “Did he\nfulfill his brilliant promise? And “Why is his later work so uneven in\nquality?” Hans von Bulow wittily said that Mendelssohn started out as a\ngreat genius and ended up as a promising talent. That this bon mot is\nnot entirely true is evidenced by some of the great works Mendelssohn\nwrote as an adult: the “Scotch Symphony”, the Violin Concerto, the\nremainder of the Midsummer Night’s Dream incidental music and the\n“Italian Symphony”, the work at hand. The English also show an excessive\nfondness for the oratorio “Elijah”.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eThe\nconductor in this recording, Fritz Rieger, is barely remembered for his\nconducting of Fischer-Dieskau in one of the great song cycles of the\n20th century, “Lebendig Begraben” (Buried Alive) by the Swiss composer,\nOthmar Schoek. The evidence from this performance is that he is a\nsuperior conductor, more classically than romantically oriented.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eHe\nbegins the first movement at a moderate tempo, downplaying the\nbrilliance of the strings somewhat and bringing out the woodwinds and\nbrass. There is excellent tension and continuity throughout, not just in\nthe brilliant bits. He does not take the exposition repeat which denies\nus of about 20 measures of fine transition to the beginning. In the\ndevelopment the tension never flags and Rieger knows where the real\nclimaxes are. The transition to the recapitulation is breathtaking,\ncreating in us a yearning for the great opening theme. The second theme\nis clothed in rich strings and the ending is very exciting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eThe\nsecond movement is more measured and somber than I am used to, but full\nof incident. The third movement is subdued and a bit sad and seems more\nScotch than Italian.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eThe\nfinal movement is taken at a moderate tempo with great wind\narticulation. The playing and conducting are brilliant throughout and\nbring the symphony to an emotionally satisfying conclusion. Somehow,\nplayed this way, the symphony seems more substantial than usual when it\nis played primarily for brilliance. The sound is, like the\nperformance, more substantial than brilliant.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9main_samplefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fsamples\/PASC053.mp3578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fProducer's Note578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\n\u003cp\u003eMendelssohn travelled widely throughout his life - indeed it was partly exhaustion due to overwork and too much travelling which accelerated his early death - and the 'Italian' Symphony is testament to that travel. Begun on a visit to Italy, it was completed in Berlin as a result of a commission from the London Philharmonic Society to compose \"a symphony, an overture and a vocal piece\" for 100 guineas that he'd received in November 1832.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough at that point he was having acute misgivings about the work, he carried on with it and by its completion the following April was satisfied with what he'd done. He took it with him to London on a visit beginning the end of that month, and the work was premiered by the Philharmonic Society at a concert given on 13th May - shortly before dashing off back to Germany to conduct at a music festival in Dusseldorf which began just 13 days later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Symphony, published posthumously as Op. 90, is generally regarded as one of his most successful orchestral works. Mendelssohn had intended to continue revising it prior to publication - instead what we have is a work of great spontaneity and originality, often delicately and openly scored, and entirely musically satisfying. Indeed, it's hard to see what revision he might have made which could further improve it, beyond perhaps some minor tinkering around the edges. This was the still-youthful composer at full command of his compositional powers, apparently bursting with musical ideas. Though he was never to lose his skills, some critics felt that later works began to lack the level of inventiveness he showed earlier in this life - there can certainly be no criticism of that here.\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fFull Track Listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5ftrack_listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMENDELSSOHN \u003c\/b\u003eSymphony No. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 18px;\"\u003e4 \"Italian\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eMünchner Philharmoniker\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eConducted by \u003cb\u003eFritz Rieger\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecorded 17 December, 1950\u003cbr\u003eKongresssaal, Deutsches Museum, Munich\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIssued as Deutsche Grammophon 72107\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuration 28:11\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fCover Art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcover_art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers\/thumbs\/PASC053.jpg578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers\/PASC053.pdf578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f","brand":"Pristine Classical","offers":[{"title":"Mono 16-bit FLAC","offer_id":55010068595054,"sku":"fsz1789306003955","price":9.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"320kbps Ambient Stereo MP3","offer_id":55010068627822,"sku":"qhi1789306003956","price":7.31,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0915\/3986\/5966\/files\/rieger-mendelssohn-symphony-no-4-1950---pasc053_1.jpg?v=1789306010","url":"https:\/\/www.harborviewgoods.shop\/products\/rieger-mendelssohn-symphony-no-4-1950-pasc053","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}