Album

One of the main reasons why historically informed performances have found favor with a wide audience is because of their extraordinary clarity: almost every note is audible and important details and secondary voices are heard pretty much as the composer intended. Yet the downside of such performances is just as often this clinical precision, which in the studio can be deadening to a piece of music, despite the musicians' best intentions. So imagine a recording where everything is meticulously played but also filled with the energy of live performance, and something like Douglas Boyd's exceptional concert performances of Mozart's Symphonies No. 40 and No. 41 should come to mind. These compelling recordings with the Manchester Camerata have extraordinary separation of parts, crisp accentuation, and vividly highlighted lines, so Mozart's most complex polyphony becomes transparent, even in the densest developmental sections of these late symphonies. Yet Boyd doesn't just play the role of counterpoint cop, maintaining the linear flow at the expense of expression; he is a sensitive interpreter of Mozart's ever-changing moods, and finds sensible characterizations that lightly touch on certain shadings yet never come off as clichés. The mix of scrupulous execution and nuanced expression makes these pieces sound fascinating again, especially to jaded ears that have heard these two extremely popular symphonies many times before. Well, it's time to give K. 550 and K. 551 another spin, because Boyd and his Mancunians have delivered a lively live CD that surpasses many studio efforts in zest and buoyancy, and maintain as well the values of authentic performance practice. Avie's reproduction is absolutely clear and clean, and the performers have an almost palpable presence. This brilliant CD is highly recommended.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Symphony No.40 in G-, K.550 Work 26:39 Manchester Camerata Orchestra, Douglas Boyd Conductor
1	1.Molto allegro	7:18			$0.99
2	2.Andante	8:52			$0.99
3	3.Menuetto: Allegretto	3:35			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Allegro assai	6:54			$0.99
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer Symphony No.41 in C, K.551 ('Jupiter') Work 37:06 Manchester Camerata Orchestra, Douglas Boyd Conductor
5	1.Allegro vivace	11:51			Album Only
6	2.Andante cantabile	9:49			$0.99
7	3.Menuetto: Allegretto	4:20			$0.99
8	4.Finale: Molto allegro	11:06			Album Only