One of the main reasons why historically informed performances have found favor with a wide audience is because of their extraordinary clarity: almost every note is audible and important details and secondary voices are heard pretty much as the composer intended. Yet the downside of such performances is just as often this clinical precision, which in the studio can be deadening to a piece of music, despite the musicians' best intentions. So imagine a recording where everything is meticulously played but also filled with the energy of live performance, and something like
Douglas Boyd's exceptional concert performances of Mozart's Symphonies No. 40 and No. 41 should come to mind. These compelling recordings with the
Manchester Camerata have extraordinary separation of parts, crisp accentuation, and vividly highlighted lines, so Mozart's most complex polyphony becomes transparent, even in the densest developmental sections of these late symphonies. Yet
Boyd doesn't just play the role of counterpoint cop, maintaining the linear flow at the expense of expression; he is a sensitive interpreter of Mozart's ever-changing moods, and finds sensible characterizations that lightly touch on certain shadings yet never come off as clichés. The mix of scrupulous execution and nuanced expression makes these pieces sound fascinating again, especially to jaded ears that have heard these two extremely popular symphonies many times before. Well, it's time to give K. 550 and K. 551 another spin, because
Boyd and his Mancunians have delivered a lively live CD that surpasses many studio efforts in zest and buoyancy, and maintain as well the values of authentic performance practice. Avie's reproduction is absolutely clear and clean, and the performers have an almost palpable presence. This brilliant CD is highly recommended.