Mozart: The Symphonies [Box set, Import]

I purchased the previous incarnation of this set at a price somewhat higher than this one. I thought it a great deal, because Mackerras's scholarship combined with the Prague Chamber Orchestra's impeccable playing to produce a truly outstanding set of symphonies. Now, I guess, it's even a better deal than before. The recording quality reveals all the nuances of the playing, from the plaintive oboe solo in movement 1 of the 25th symphony to the propulsive ensemble playing in the Prague symphony. The orchestra uses modern instruments, but Mackerras introduces some historical practices like observing most of the repeats and using a harpsichord accompaniment. Pacing is generally brisk, but not at the expense of the lyrical movements. In some ways, this set bridges the gap between full-bodied sets (Klemperer, Walter, Bohm) and the historically informed period performances by Hogwood and Pinnock. I find the approach quite convincing and have listened to this set many times with great enjoyment.

Since Christopher Hogwood's period-set of the complete symphonies, here have been at least two, by my count, complete cycles of the Mozart symphonies. Trevor Pinnock's period set with the English Concert improved upon Hogwood's set with better intonation and a stronger interpretive point of view. Charles Mackerras's uses modern instruments, but in the period vein, historically informed performances with stereophonically placed violins, hard mallets for the timpani, and an ever-present, but never distracting, harpsichord continuo. While I enjoy Pinnock's great depth of tonal color and gutty strings, when it comes to interpretations alone, Mackerras stands supreme.

There are too many wonderful moments throughout this set to highlight individually but there are certainly some standout performances. Has the allegro of the wonderful Symphony No. 29 ever had such vivacious energy? Or listen to the four horns in The Little G-Minor symphony really play out, making this such a full-bodied, exciting journey. The little Paris Symphony is a delight from start to finish, Mackerras highlighting the subtly of this symphonic gem. Of course, the big six are astounding, but the Prague is really something. Throughout the cycle, Mackerras takes all the repeats, which gives the Prague Symphony an appropriate sense of depth and grand dimensions. The allegro is simply outstanding, the most energetic performance on disc while the finale dances from the speaker, chuck full of humor and charm. The Big G-Minor is equally fine, and while the competition in this, Mozart's greatest symphony, is fierce, Mackerras's performance is as winning as any.

I agree with those that say this set is in bad need of a remastering. Symphony No. 39 sounds as if it were recorded in a cave while the Jupiter sounds slightly grey-toned. But on the whole, the sound quality is good, certainly better than Bohm's wonderful, if "old-school" cycle, and the interpretations are consistently fantastic. A winner at any price, but now at under $50, its practically a steal.

I bought this set on the strength of Mackerras' conducting of some of my favorite operas and his Gilbert and Sullivan cycle on the Telarc label. I was a little disappointed with this purchase.

The Pros. Tempo choices, interpretations, musicianship and the spirited performances. The smaller orchestra seems to lighter on its feet and much more adept at handling these pieces than some of the bigger symphony orchestras I've heard. Some of the earlier symphonies which have now been attributed to other composers such as Michael Haydn or Mozart's father have been included.

The Cons. Or better put...the one, big, fat single con. The engineering. There is so much reverb on these recordings you feel as if you are one empty concert hall & three airport hangars away from the orchestra.

Okay. That may be a slight exaggeration, but the effect to anyone listening with a good stereo system is loss of detail. To be sure you hear the strings, but at times what you get is string orchestra and tympani. The clarinets, the bassoons, and especially the French horns frequently get lost in the reverb, especially on louder passages. To varying degrees. Sometimes they get lost a little, and sometimes they are washed completely out of the mix. I realize this isn't a matter of mixing 48 tracks of sound, like you would get it a pop recording. The microphones were simply too distant from the ensemble. And a whole team of technicians and engineers didn't catch it. The comments of other reviewers about the remastering I agree with wholly.

I realize some listeners may not find this as objectionable as I. But for satisfying interpretations and recordings of all the Mozart symphonies, I suggest you preview the Naxos sets. The Nicholas Ward's recordings of the earlier symphonies and Naxos engineering are flawless. Consider previewing the Tate and Marriner interpetations of the later symphonies, and Hogwood's versions of the Symphonies 42-55. You'll have to scout around a little. You can get Pentatone remastering of the earlier symphonies by Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the Fields on hybrid SACD. Their remastering of the "Youth Symphonies" originally released on Philips is breathtaking.

This Mackerras set with the Prague Chamber Orchestra on Telarc should have been the perfect set. Telarc sound is usually heavenly. Pristine, clear, and miked to perfection.

To be clear, the performances are exemplary. For that it gets four stars. But I have to subtract one for the overwhelming reverb, lack of definition, and spotty equalization. I suggest you listen to the samples and make a decision based on what you hear. I wouldn't recommend this as your primary set if you are a serious classical music collector or an audiophile.