Credits:

Salvatore Accardo(vn)

Description:

Norrington and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the collaboration of the century that caused a stir at the millennium! The one and only Schumann No. 2 with a different kind of beauty! An unprecedented performance, beautiful and exciting, in which the two musicians' respective strengths blended exquisitely! This is a live recording of Norrington's performance with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 2000, the year of the new century, following the cancellation of Mariss Jansons. At that time, the Vienna Philharmonic was aggressively trying out new performance methods and often invited conductors of old music such as Gardiner and Arnoncourt. In this collaboration with Norrington, the Vienna Philharmonic sublimated the conductor's individuality while enjoying the music, resulting in an unprecedented performance that is both beautiful and stimulating, with the two conducting styles blending perfectly. Schumann No. 2 is a standout. The separation of the individual voices is very good, and the balance between the strings, with their restrained vibrato, and the woodwinds, with their emphasis, is also characteristic.The strings are not overlaid by the winds, but the woodwinds take the lead and the strings are covered with a thin veil. The beauty of the third movement in particular, with its pure tones, is superb! In addition, the unexpectedly bold tempo setting is eye-catching: the introduction to the first movement begins slowly, and then swings suspiciously with a trailing rhythm. The surprisingly rich tame movement at the beginning of the coda of the last movement and the brass that explodes at the climax of the last movement are also very strong. The tone is beautiful from start to finish, yet the performance is unpredictable and monstrous until the very end. The Brahms Double Concerto is the Vienna Philharmonic's signature piece, and the solos by Küchl and Bartolomei were superb without a flaw. The solos by Küchl and Bartolomei were superb without a flaw. Especially, Küchl's beautiful sound was as beautiful as ever. Norrington, on the other hand, let the soloists have their own flower while enlivening the music with his bright and clear sound, and the contrast between the two was vividly effective. King International