Die Zauberfloete Roger Norrington

Zurich Chamber Orchestra - Sir Roger Norrington - Haydn - The Paris Symphonies (2015) [3CD] {Sony Classical}
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Classical / Symphony / Viennese School

Sir Roger Norrington is best known for his historically informed performances of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music. On this album he turns his attention - and that of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra - to some of the most popular of Haydn's 104 symphonies. For Parisians prior to the French Revolution, Haydn's symphonies were seen as powerful, innovative works which demonstrated the composer's brilliance and invention. Here, the 30-strong ensemble - tightly drilled by Norrington - clearly demonstrate why they've achieved international importance. Sir Roger brings to these performances the expected solid historical scholarship, to give us a Haydn collection that is dazzling, charming and fascinating.

On the release date of our Sir Roger Norrington retrospective boxset, we also release his long-lost instrumental recordings of Brahms. Norrington approached this project after recording his Beethoven cycle, wondering if mid-19th-century would fit with his views on historically informed performance: “Tempos spacious but forthright; tempo modification, sensitive but simple; textures clear, as benefits such polyphonic writing; balance restored in favour of the winds…” A definitively original vision that gives these recordings a unique appeal.

On the release date of our Sir Roger Norrington retrospective boxset, we also release his long-lost instrumental recordings of Brahms. Norrington approached this project after recording his Beethoven cycle, wondering if mid-19th-century would fit with his views on historically informed performance: “Tempos spacious but forthright; tempo modification, sensitive but simple; textures clear, as benefits such polyphonic writing; balance restored in favour of the winds…” A definitively original vision that gives these recordings a unique appeal.

This disc is an important one as regards the performance of Bruckner’s symphonies. Norrington tends to be renowned for fast speeds: here he is eight minutes quicker than the only other current recording, Eliahu Inbal’s, of this original (1873) version of the symphony. This is a cogently argued account using the orchestral forces of the Vienna Philharmonic of the 1870s. Forty-five gut string instruments are used, with leather-covered timpani, distinctively different sounding wind and brass, forward-facing cellos and basses and a platform layout which highlights cross-stage dialogue between related instruments.

Roger Norrington's starrily cast Serenade to Music remains just as potently beautiful as it did on its initial appearance in 1997 while his clear-headed, defiantly dry-eyed conducting of the timeless Tallis Fantasia certainly offers plenty of food for thought. Nor can there be any grumbles about the startling range and fidelity of Decca's engineering throughout. It's the main item on the menu, however, which may well sharply divide opinion. Although the LPO responds in impressively clean-heeled fashion, Norrington rather fights shy of the London Symphony's breathtakingly varied range of emotions, and anyone familiar with, say, Boult's classic mono recording will surely crave far more in the way of passionate fervour and symphonic thrust.

Whereas Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 is, despite its exemplary classical form, a direct descendant of Mozart's late works of the same genre (the opening theme appears to be a quotation), his No. 4 is a pioneering work full of innovation and ideas that were staggeringly different: the very fact that the first movement is introduced by the pianist playing solo instead of by an orchestral introduction is a revolution in itself and a signpost of the good things to come. The adjective that seems to describe Melvyn Tan's and Roger Norrington's recording best is 'winsome', here used in its positive meaning of 'attractive, pleasing' with a slight tinge of 'childlike-ness'.

Compact disc buyers who purchased Andreas Scholl's disc of Handel arias on Harmonia Mundi barely a month before HEROES was released may wonder why they might need the present recital, with its further helping of Handel. One listen will stop the wondering! The key is the non-Handel portion of the program. That Scholl is excellent in baroque music is well-established by his recordings for Harmonia Mundi. But with selections by Hasse, Gluck, and a young Mozart, he demonstrates his talent for later music as well.

Mozart's opera seria tells of the King of Crete who is saved from a terrible storm by promising the gods that he sacrifice the first person he meets when reaching land, only to be greeted by his beloved son Idamante. In this Salzburg staging under Sir Roger Norrington Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas sings the title role, with Czech mezzo Magdalena Kozena giving an acclaimed performance as Idamante. Salzburg favourite Anja Harteros is the jealous Elettra, with Ekaterina Siurina as Idamante's beloved Ilia.