Weber & Mendelssohn: Orchestral Works

SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks; Rosbaud, Hans; Loriod, Yvonne; Casadesus, Robert

Hans Rosbaud was greatly admired for his discipline, a capacity for enthusiasm, detailed knowledge of orchestral instruments and his faithfulness to the scores. He did not consider himself a champion exclusively of modern music, but rather of the entire repertoire. While he conducted many Mozart operas, he also gave equal attention to the works of Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler. This release, which contains several unpublished recordings, surveys a different Rosbaud from the new music specialist. We discover his interpretations of overtures from the early Romantic period, plus concert pieces by Carl Maria von Weber and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Weber’s overtures are considered virtuosic orchestral “treats.” Rosbaud puts his own distinctive slant on the music even during extrovert passages. He doesn’t exaggerate speeds, allowing the different instrumental groups to develop the themes to the fullest extent; the bolero and polonaise rhythms of Preziosa and the ultra-romantic sound of the horns in Der Freischutz are showcased to maximum effect. The flowing passages in Mendelssohn’s overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream Op. 21 are executed with precision and without pedantry. Rosbaud imbues the 17-year-old Mendelssohn’s masterpiece with dreamlike, intangible qualities that make this music truly unique. The scherzo and the nocturne of the incidental music Op. 61 are performed with equal care and precision.

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