Mendelssohn

A Midsummer Night's Dream,Opp. 21 and 61
Edith Wiens sop Christiane Oertel mez

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Leipzig Radio Chorus/Kurt Masur

Teldec 2292-46323-2 (63 minutes : DDD)

Reviewed: Gramophone (5/1992)

This new issue was clearly made in conjunction with a concert performance, since there is a photograph on the back of the booklet showing all the participating artists on stage. But the factor which sets Teldec's recording apart from other versions of Mendelssohn's incidental music is the presence at the concert and in the recording of Friedhelm Eberle, who recites judiciously chosen excerpts from Shakespeare's play. Not only are the independent orchestral and vocal pieces thus set in an appropriate context, but the brief melodramas are played against the texts which they were intended to accompany.
There are two drawbacks in this feature, however, one of which affects English-speaking listeners, for Schlegel's German translation is used in performance. Yet all is not lost, for the printed insert contains Shakespeare's original text set alongside the German translation. Eberle also takes all the parts, occasionally going into falsetto for female roles, and this is obviously less than ideal, even though his characterization is strong. While economics may have dictated the presence of just one actor for the concert performance, I do feel that contrasting voices could have been used for the recording. Overall, however, I feel that it is of great advantage to have Mendelssohn's score set in its proper dramatic context, and the melodramas in particular make a much greater impact when attached to the relevant sections of dialogue.
Musically the performance is first-rate. All the singing is excellent, as in the orchestral playing. Masur takes quite a strong, serious view of Mendelssohn's score. If the music therefore loses some of its innocent charm and joy there is still a good deal of poetry, flexibility and lightness in his conducting, and plenty of personality, too. He takes the ""Scherzo"" quite slowly, but the playing is still nimble and well-pointed. The ""Wedding March"" by contrast is taken at a cheerfully fast tempo, and all the items are in fact well-characterized. A strict comparison with other versions of the score is not appropriate, given the presence of dialogue, but I feel that this issue is now the most effective realization of Mendelssohn's score available.