Album

As a standard bearer of the movement to present Classical and Romantic works in historically informed performances, Roger Norrington has established a reputation for consistency in scholarship and rigor in practice, though the actual musical results of his labors are a mixed bag. According to different tastes, his performances can range from marvelously authentic to oddly antiseptic, and depending on a given composer's music, his conducting can seem wholly sympathetic or utterly artificial. While some may endorse Norrington in Haydn, Mozart, and even some early Beethoven, particularly for the authentic sound of the orchestra, they may at the same time find him ill-suited in later post-Romantic works by Mahler or Tchaikovsky. As rationally argued as his positions may be on period instrumentation, orchestra size, and layout and appropriate tempos and articulation, his performances will either completely win people over or leave them cold; there's seldom any middle ground for opinions of this controversial conductor. In light of this problem, what could be a better aid to making up one's mind than a generous double-disc sampler of Norrington's performances with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra on Hänssler? The evidence is neatly laid out in 22 tracks that sample Norrington's recordings across the boards, showing him at his best in the finale of Mozart's Symphony No. 29, all the way to what may be his weakest in the Scherzo of Bruckner's Symphony No. 3. In between are the highs and lows, featuring whole movements or generous excerpts that show Norrington in his element or out of his ken. But in virtually all cases, the Stuttgart musicians are secure in their playing and Hänssler's recording quality is first-rate. So if there's any doubt about what Roger Norrington's interpretations sound like, try this collection before investing in his full albums.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Composer Symphony No.1 in C-, Op.11 Work Recorded 2004 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
1	1.Allegro molto	10:35			$1.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Symphony No.29 in A, K.201 Work Recorded 2008 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
2	4.Allegro con spirito	6:10			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.2 in D, Op.36 Work Recorded 2002 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
3	3.Scherzo: Allegro	4:00			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Serenade for Strings in E-, Op.20 Work Recorded 2001 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
4	1.Allegro piacevole	3:41			$0.99
Hector Berlioz Composer Benvenuto Cellini, H.76a, Op.23 (opera)...Act 1 Work Recorded 2008 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
5	5.Entre l'amour et le devoir	7:07			$1.49
Gustav Mahler Composer Symphony No.1 in D ('Titan') Work Recorded 2004 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
6	3.Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen	7:31			$1.49
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Symphony No.25 in G-, K.183 Work Recorded 2006 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
7	1.Allegro con brio	10:13			$1.99
Richard Wagner Composer Parsifal (opera), WWV 111...Act 3 Work Recorded 2004 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
8	Grail Theme and Finale to Act 3	2:24			$0.99
Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky Composer Symphony No.6 in B-, Op.74 ('Pathétique') Work Recorded 2004 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
9	2.Allegro con grazia	7:07			$1.49
Gustav Mahler Composer Symphony No.5 in C#- Work Recorded 2006 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
10	4.Adagietto. Sehr langsam	8:30			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.8 in F, Op.93 Work Recorded 2002 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
11	2.Allegretto scherzando	3:28			$0.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Symphony No.22 in C, K.162 Work Recorded 2006 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
12	3.Presto assai	1:56			$0.99
CD 2 of 2
Hector Berlioz Composer Symphonie fantastique: Épisode de la vie d'une artiste, Op.14 Work Recorded 2003 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
1	2.Un bal: Valse	6:01			$0.99
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Die Zauberharfe, D.644 (melodrama) Work Recorded 2002 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
2	Overture	10:01			$1.99
Gustav Holst Composer The Planets, suite for orchestra and female chorus, Op.32, H.125 Work Recorded 2001 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
3	3.Mercury: The Winged Messenger	4:16			$0.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Symphony No.40 in G-, K.550 Work Recorded 2006 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
4	1.Molto allegro	6:34			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Symphony No.3 in D-, WAB103 ('Wagner') Work Recorded 2007 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
5	3.Scherzo: Ziemlich schnell	6:27			$0.99
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Composer Symphony No.1 in C-, Op.11 Work Recorded 2004 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
6	3.Menuetto and Trio: Allegro molto	7:21			$1.49
Hector Berlioz Composer Requiem Mass, H.75, Op.5 Work Recorded 2003 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
7	5.Quaerens me	5:06			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Symphony No.5 in C-, Op.67 Work Recorded 2002 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
8	1.Allegro con brio	6:15			$0.99
Gustav Mahler Composer Symphony No.4 in G Work Recorded 2005 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
9	2.In gemächlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast	8:28			$1.49
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Symphony No.9 in C, D.944 ('Great') Work Recorded 2001 SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Roger Norrington Conductor
10	4.Finale: Allegro vivace	11:14			$1.99