Shani took up his post in Rotterdam in 2018 and his contract with the orchestra extends to 2026. As he has said: “The chemistry I felt with the orchestra from day one is still growing.” We have met them in Weill and Shostakovich previously; from the very first concert I heard him conduct, impressions have been positive. A concert in Verbier underlined the special are of this conductor;
Shani seems to show a real affinity for Mendelssohn. His “Scottish” is full of contrast, of grace and grandeur, both edible in the first movement, projected.a late canvas here. The oterdam orchestra responds superbly to Shai’s every wish, ll caught in a fabulous recording:
.. the Scherzo is everything one could wish for in terms of flitting virtuosity:
But it is the slow movement that goes to the heart of Mendelssohn, a Lied ohne Worte for orchestra, woodwind perfectly blended and eloquent:
That “Scottish snap”so prevalent in th finale is fiercely alive her: nd the later woodwind-dominated period of reflection is but fully mange. She offers.perfomnce of contrasts while acknowledging this as one of Mendelssoh’s grease works. he close is broad, and noble:
The Meersille und glücklich Fahrt is not to be confused with Beethove’s Choral piece of that name: t his is orchestra only, and an overture. Remember the in the days of ships with sails. calm sea was not necessarily.good thing (no wind, which of course propels the vessel forwards). Shani encourages the Rotterdam strings to maximum beauty and linear awareness,, while the “awakening” is beautifully managed, as are the celebrational, bright later stages:
The disc concludes with Shani’s own ochestrations of three Songs without Words. The first is sometimes called “Lost Happiness”; Sha’s orchestration is not too upholstered, nd alters the simplicity of the Pio original slightly:
… one of the “Venetian Gondola” songs without words, Op. 19b No. 6 is one of the more famous of Mendelssohn’s Lieder ohne Worte. Again, I find this slightly upholstered, a bit too cushioned:
Finally, a “Spinning Song,” a Presto (again.a famous one) which links directly to Mendelssohn’s speciality, a scherzo as light as can be. We are not far from A Midsummer Night’s Dream here, and the oedema player ae exceptional:
Basically, the arrangements are increasing experiments: it is in the Third Symphony and the Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage that the rue value of this disc lies.
