Mendelssohn: Complete String Symphonies (1993-1996) [2008] (PS3 SACD rip)

Like their previous Mendelssohn release on BIS (The Complete Concertos), the Amsterdam Sinfonietta under the baton of Lev Markiz returns for another SACD filled with more than four hours of Mendelssohn's music, this time, the complete string symphonies. Listeners should once again be aware that this SACD is not, as most are nowadays, a hybrid disc capable of being played on any CD player. If you don't have an SACD player, you will not be able to listen to this album; this is a perplexing decision on the part of BIS, as a non-SACD alternative is not offered. If you can listen to it, though, you're in luck. For starters, the album is packed with more than four hours of music for barely more than the cost of a single CD. Mendelssohn's 13 string symphonies were written between the incredibly young ages of 11 and 15. They are an incredibly revealing portrait of Mendelssohn's dramatic and rapid development from compositions reliant on imitation to a voice all his own. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta's performances of these early but by no means juvenile works are impeccably clean and vibrant, creating enough fresh interest from one symphony to the next to keep listeners rapt for the full duration of the album. Sound quality throughout the album is pristinely clear, with every note audible as if you're sitting amongst the musicians as they play.


Track listing

01. Symphony No.1: I. Allegro
02. II. Andante
03. III. Allegro
04. Symphony No.2: I. Allegro
05. II. Andante
06. III. Allegro
07. Symphony No.3: I. Allegro di molto
08. II. Andante
09. III. Allegro
10. Symphony No.4: I. Grave - Allegro
11. II. Andante
12. III. Allegro vivace
13. Symphony No.5: I. Allegro vivace
14. II. Andante
15. III. Presto
16. Symphony No.6: I. Allegro
17. II. Menuetto
18. III. Prestissimo
19. Symphony No.7: I. Allegro
20. II. Andante
21. III. Menuetto
22. IV. Allegro molto
23. Symphony No.8 (version for strings): I. Adagio - Allegro
24. II. Adagio
25. III. Menuetto - Trio
26. IV. Allegro molto
27. Symphony No.9: I. Grave - Allegro
28. II. Andante
29. III. Scherzo
30. IV. Allegro vivace
31. Symphony No.10: Adagio - Allegro
32. Symphony No.11: I. Adagio - Allegro
33. II. Scherzo
34. III. Adagio
35. IV. Menuetto
36. V. Allegro molto
37. Symphony No.12: I. Fuga
38. II. Andante
39. III. Allegro molto
40. Symphony No.13: Grave - Allegro
41. Symphony No.8 (version with winds): I. Adagio - Allegro
42. II. Adagio
43. III. Menuetto
44. IV. Allegro molto