Mozart Symphonies - SCO & Sir Charles Mackerras - Audiophile Audition

Mackerras returns once again to Mozart, with results much more pleasing than on his Telarc complete set.

These are, for a few of the works, the third go-around for Charles Mackerras. Of course, his complete traversal of the Mozartian corpus on Telarc caused supercharged headlines of all kinds when it first came out. Now he comes again to the final four, using the same Scottish Chamber Orchestra (who play like angels, absolutely superb), and in wonderfully appropriate and professionally managed surround sound. The 37 members of the orchestra may be chamber, but they sound big band, and the sound lends the music a stunning resonance and presence.

But what of the performances? The brilliance on this album begins when we hear the beautifully-shaped and properly dramatic "Prague", the most complex of Mozart's symphonies outside of the last movement of the "Jupiter". Mackerras is in his element here, and although the tempos are on the quick side, the music seems designed to handle it, and the orchestra plays what is close to a definitive performance. The "Jupiter" receives a reading perhaps destined to equal the great DGG Bernstein - big-boned, colossal, and a joy to hear, with sound far superior to anything Lenny got at the Musikverein.

So overall Mackerras has outdone his earlier efforts by a long shot, and given us some spectacular readings in first class sonics. This is a wonderful set worth the price for Nos. 38 and 41 alone, and I hope Sir Charles will not hesitate to start working his way backwards.