Symphony no. 2 ('Lobgesang')

A new theme in the discography of The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jan Willem de Vriend: Mendelssohn's Symphonies! Perhaps this is a form of awakening: the dawning of the rediscovery and re-appreciation of Mendelssohn. Jan Willem de Vriend and his orchestra make their contribution to this. Ferdinand David, the concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchester and a friend of Mendelssohn’s, was played a role in the first publications of sonatas by Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and many other composers. He provided the fingerings and bowings for these editions. De Vriend got copies of the editions and closely studied them, learning much about how music was played at that time. Through this, he and his orchestra more fully assimilated Mendelssohn and have their own Mendelssohn. This CD will surely become your own Mendelssohn. Enjoy the music. "Mendelssohn's Lobgesang is undoubtedly the greatest work that has proceeded from any German composer since Beethoven. It is great in plan, great in development, and masterly in detail." (From: Annual report - Sacred Harmonic Society London (1844)) That Lobgesang was nevertheless forgotten, despite its qualities and reviews such as the previous, is largely due to comparisons with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which immediately sprang up, and the large vocal portion of the work. The comparison – see below – was unfavourable for Mendelssohn. Let alone that every symphony, regardless of who wrote it, was compared with Beethoven’s masterpieces.(from the linernotes of this cd)