Mozart Symphonies - SCO & Sir Charles Mackerras - HiFi News

Regarding Sir Charles's complete 1986-90 Prague CO / Telarc cycle, I wrote that theory sometimes got in the way of musical commonsense in the last four symphonies: No 39 in particular. At 82 he's recorded them once more (same producer, James Mallinson), still with quick minuets, with full repeats after trio sections, and that terse introduction to the E-flat. Gone, thankfully, is the harpsichord continuo, and these Scottish performances are generally more flexible and expressive - eg, Sir Charles now allows himself some pronounced ritardandos in the first Jupiter movement.