I decided to switch it up for this one. Since I’ve listened to a few of the Christopher Hogwood recordings in a row now, I listened to the version by Salzburg Chamber Orchestra & Alexander von Pitamic. But I was less enchanted with that sound vs. the average Hogwood, and I initially rated this symphony 1.5 stars out of 5. I figured I had to at least check a different recording, so I switched back to the ones I started this series off with, by Philharmonia Hungarica & Antal Dorati.
It was a bit better — slightly peppier and more dynamic, maybe. I even didn’t really mind the harpsichord, the thing that had sent me scurrying to the Hogwood recordings in the first place. I think the harpsichord was a bit more restrained here than it had been back in Symphony No. 1. I bumped the star rating up slightly, but listening to a second version didn’t completely change my mind about this symphony.
The first movement (‘Allegro molto’) was really the only one I liked, and it still had issues. Each individual section sounds good to me, and I like hearing them revolve in sequence. I’ve found myself humming some of them over the past couple days. You can hear some “Canon in D” in there, and I pick up strains of the “Gauntlet” theme song at certain moments. But there comes a point, after only a minute or two, when I’ve heard enough. It’s repetitive and too long by at least a third.
The second movement (‘Andante siciliano’) fully loses me — not much going on here at all. My ears pricked up for a couple things in the Dorati recording that they hadn’t in the von Pitamic recording — strings ominously plucking in the background, and the way it all occasionally trickles away into silence before reviving itself. But these were just glimmers of interest.
The third movement “Presto” finale was maybe the worst of all the presto finales so far. Hardly anything happened that I took note of. The Dorati recordings didn’t really improve much on this one.
My final rating is 2 stars out of 5.
Versions listened to: Salzburg Chamber Orchestra & Alexander Pitamic; Philharmonia Hungarica & Antal Dorati
Length: 14:13
Next up: Symphony No. 32