Credits:

Wiener Philharmoniker

Description:

Mendelssohn's Orchestral Masterpieces in Two OrchestrasNewly remastered Decca recordings from the 1950s of works by Mendelssohn, a brilliant orchestral sound wizard and skillful dramatic composer whose extraordinary talent began to emerge in his teens, are now available. In reissuing the recording legacy of Eduard van Beinum, Decca presents an album of three of Mendelssohn's most popular orchestral works. van Beinum, who was principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra from 1945 until his death in 1959, conducted the orchestra for two seasons from 1947 until his death in 1959. Van Beinum also conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra for two seasons beginning in 1947. This album contains Decca recordings of both orchestras. The overture "Fingal's Cave" was recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in February 1949. Van Beinum recorded "A Summer Night's Dream" twice for Decca, both times with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The first was in 1946, when he omitted the overture and included the interludes along with the scherzo and nocturne; the second, in 1952 (the recording on this album), included the overture and omitted the interludes.The conductor's last recording of Mendelssohn was made in June 1955, also in Amsterdam. It is a finely crafted performance of the well-known original version of the "Italia" Symphony. Universal Music/IMS