Search - Weber, Pao, Sawallisch :: Overture

Unbeatably good!

Suddhaseel Sen | 12/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have not heard ALL the collections of Weber overtures made so far, but this one, under Sawallisch, is better than the ones made by Karajan, Jarvi and Roy Goodman (with the period-instrument Hanover Band), which are by no means inadequate. This one is simply better. In Sawallish's hands, these well-worn overtures sound fresh and exciting, partly because Weber's classical heritage as well as his forward-looking Romanticism are equally evident. The "con fuoco" themes of the Euryanthe and Oberon overtures are played with fiery ardour, while the ardent second subjects of the overtures are played with memorable tenderness. Der Beherrscher der Geister sounds like the orchestral tour de force it is, though not without a touch of mischievous humour. Sawallisch's handling of tempo changes is also equally impressive (try the fugato section from the Euryanthe overture), and he has a very fine ear for Weber's orchestral details. Only Keilberth in his studio recording of Der Freischutz comes up with an equally impressive reading of its overture, and only Gardiner gives a better performance of the one to Oberon. The lesser-known overtures are done with equal care (Sawallisch has recorded a complete Abu Hassan as well as Weber's two symphonies, and has an excellent understanding of Weber's development as a composer). Jarvi's recording of the overtures suffer, in general, from poor sound, though a number of his performances (such as that of Silvana and Der Freischutz) are actually very good indeed. In comparison, Karajan's set sounds rather glossy, and lacks either the completeness of Jarvi or the idiomatic warmth of Sawallisch. This record is among Sawallisch's very best, fully at par with his excellent set of the Schumann symphonies."