Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 52, MWV A18 "Lobgesang" NDR Radiophilharmonie & Andrew Manze

• Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 52, MWV A18 "Lobgesang":
• 1 Ia. Sinfonia. Maestoso con moto 11:34
• 2 Ib. Allegretto un poco agitato 05:56
• 3 Ic. Adagio religioso 07:19
• 4 IIa. Alles was Odem hat 04:31
• 5 IIb. Lobe den Herrn meine Seele 01:55
• 6 III. Recitative. Saget es, die ihr erlöst seid - Er zählet unsre Tränen 02:59
• 7 IV. Sagt es, die ihr erlöset seid 01:49
• 8 V. Ich harrete des Herrn 04:57
• 9 VI. Stricke des Todes hatten uns umfangen - Wir riefen in der Finsternis - Die Nacht ist vergangen 04:02
• 10 VII. Die Nacht ist vergangen 04:13
• 11 VIII. Chorale. Nun danket alle Gott - Lob, Ehr' und Preis sei Gott 04:29
• 12 IX. Drum sing' ich mit meinem Liede 04:19
• 13 X. Ihr Völker, bringet her dem Herrn 05:32
• Total Runtime 01:03:35

Info for Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 52, MWV A18 "Lobgesang"

With its combination of three instrumental movements, followed by a cantata with three soloists and chorus, Mendelssohn’s Second Symphony “Lobgesang [Hymn of Praise]” is highly original from a conceptual point of view. The piece is a milestone in the history of the symphonic form, stretching the seams of the symphony genre even further than Beethoven had dared with his “Choral” Ninth. In his Lobgesang, Mendelssohn achieved nothing less than the artistic destruction of the conceptual opposition of vocal and instrumental music. Here they enter into a relationship of constructive, mutual support in the service of music. Moreover, the Biblical lyrics express Mendelssohn’s deeply-felt religiosity. This album completes Pentatone’s Mendelssohn Symphonies series with the NDR Radiophilharmonie and conductor Andrew Manze. After winning the Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik 2017 for their recording of Symphonies 1 & 3 and the positive reception of Symphonies 4 & 5, expectations are high for this final piece of the puzzle. On this album, the NDR Radiophilharmonie and Andrew Manze join forces with the NDR Chor and WDR Rundfunkchor, as well as with an excellent cast of soloists: sopranos Anna Lucia Richter and Esther Dierkes and tenor Robin Tritschler.

Anna Lucia Richter, soprano
Esther Dierkes, soprano
Robin Tritschler, tenor
NDR Chor
WDR Rundfunkchor
NDR Radiophilharmonie
Andrew Manze, conductor

Sensuously Mediterranean sounds and Northern solemnity shake hands on this recording of Mendelssohn’s Italian and Reformation symphonies (Nos. 4 and 5). This is the second release in a series of recordings in multi-channel surround sound for PENTATONE by the conductor Andrew Manze and the NDR Radiophilharmonie. Expectations are high after the first album of this series, a recording of Mendelssohn’s first and third symphonies, was crowned with a 2017 Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.

It’s no wonder that Robert Schumann dubbed Mendelssohn the “Mozart of the nineteenth century”; with his felicitous gift for melody and meticulous craftsmanship, his music positively brims with youthful spontaneity and exuberance, blending dreamy poetic flights with moments of affecting tenderness and serenity. All this comes together in his Italian symphony, that is so full of joie de vivre, so sparkling with energy and esprit, so full of Mediterranean gaiety. Far beyond the picturesque, the piece offers Mendelssohn’s profoundly personal reflection, transformed into music, on the impressions made on his senses by the landscape, architecture, lifestyle, and people of Italy.

Equally personal is Mendelssohn’s Reformation symphony, in which the devoutly Christian composer aimed to combine elements and traditions of sacred instrumental music with those of an autonomous symphony. The result is highly original: a so-called finale symphony, in which the programmatic destination of the entire work is oriented towards the finale, based on the Lutheran chorale “A mighty fortress is our God”.

Renowned for his boundless energy and scholarly knowledge and with many critically acclaimed recordings in a broad repertoire, Manze is celebrated as one of the most stimulating and inspirational conductors of his generation.

“Manze's take is wholly individual,” wrote the Guardian. “[Brahms’ symphonies] burst with life, by turns wistful, yearning, sharp-edged and blisteringly incisive … this is the composer reinvented for the 21st century.”

In September 2014 Andrew Manze became the Principal Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hannover and immediately made headlines.

NDR Radiophilharmonie
Andrew Manze, conductor

Booklet for Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 52, MWV A18 "Lobgesang"