Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Lev Markiz - Mendelssohn: Complete String Symphonies (2008) [SACD]

Like their previous Mendelssohn release on BIS (The Complete Concertos), the Amsterdam Sinfonietta under the baton of Lev Markiz returns for another SACD filled with more than four hours of Mendelssohn's music, this time, the complete string symphonies. Listeners should once again be aware that this SACD is not, as most are nowadays, a hybrid disc capable of being played on any CD player. If you don't have an SACD player, you will not be able to listen to this album; this is a perplexing decision on the part of BIS, as a non-SACD alternative is not offered. If you can listen to it, though, you're in luck. For starters, the album is packed with more than four hours of music for barely more than the cost of a single CD. Mendelssohn's 13 string symphonies were written between the incredibly young ages of 11 and 15. They are an incredibly revealing portrait of Mendelssohn's dramatic and rapid development from compositions reliant on imitation to a voice all his own. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta's performances of these early but by no means juvenile works are impeccably clean and vibrant, creating enough fresh interest from one symphony to the next to keep listeners rapt for the full duration of the album. Sound quality throughout the album is pristinely clear, with every note audible as if you're sitting amongst the musicians as they play.