Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Sergiu Comissiona - Felix Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5; The Hebrides Overture

Felix Mendelssohn's childhood precocity as a composer is regarded by many as exceeding that of Mozart - the works recorded here retain much of that sense of youthful inspiration and vitality. The 'Italian' Symphony is a model of exquisite balance between Classical and Romantic elements filled with warm lyrical charm reflecting a visit the composer made to Italy in 1830. From its solemn opening to a jubilant coda, the expressive world of the 'Reformation' Symphony derives largely from a dramatic use of famous hymn tunes. Unequalled as an evocation of atmosphere and mood, The Hebrides served as an example to the numerous tone poems that followed. These classic Vox recordings by the Baltimore Symphony are conducted by Sergiu Comissiona, the orchestra's Romanian-born Music Director from 1969 to 1984, who forged it into one of America's finest.