October 27, 2021

Mozart: Symphonies 38 & 39 reviewed in The Times

“With his scrupulous balancing of a small string body with glorious woodwinds, these performances make one listen with refreshed ears. Outstanding.”  

The Times gave a splendid review of Mozart: Symphonies 38 & 39, featuring NDR Radiophilharmonie, conducted by Andrew Manze. Reviewed by Hugh Canning.  

Although Mozart’s late D major symphony was performed on the occasion of his first visit to Prague in 1787 (to conduct his widely successful Figaro) and predates the final trio of works by a year, the coupling with the E flat major, notable for its beautiful writing for clarinets, is a logical one… Manze’s recordings of classical and early romantic repertoire with his Hanover orchestra combine a scholarly approach, recalling his early work as period violinist, with an expansive, larger-scale treatment of the outer movements and a visceral intensity…

Photo by Axel Herzig

Read the full review in The Times