The ornate dome and tower of a historic stone building with Gothic details stand under a clear sky. Overlay text shares: Mendelssohn: Symphony No 5 Reformation performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 "Reformation", Overture Ruy Blas, Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage

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Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the London Symphony Orchestra join forces once again in the latest instalment of their exploration of Mendelssohn’s symphonies. 

Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 5, commonly known as the ‘Reformation’ Symphony, was written in 1830 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Augsberg confession – a seminal event in the Protestant Reformation. Allusions to the symphony’s title and inspiration can be heard throughout the music itself; the Dresden Amen is cited by the strings in the first movement whilst the finale is based on Martin Luther’s well-known chorale Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (‘A Mighty Fortress is Our God’).

Coupled with this are two of Mendelssohn’s overtures, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage and Ruy Blas, both of which were inspired by literary works. Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, based on two short poems by Goethe, depicts the journey of sailors at sea with a still adagio opening ultimately giving way to a triumphant homecoming. Completing the album, the overture Ruy Blas was commissioned by the Leipzig Theatre as an overture to Victor Hugo’s tragic drama of the same name.

Composer Felix Mendelssohn
Conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner
Performers London Symphony Orchestra

1. Overture: Ruy Blas
2. Overture: Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage

Symphony No. 5, 'The Reformation'
3. i. Andante - Allegro con fuoco
4. ii. Allegro vivace
5. iii. Andante
6. iv. Choral: Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott: Andante con moto - Allegro vivace - Allegro maestoso

Release Date 5 May 2015
SACD LSO0775 | 0822231177524
Digital LSO0775-D | 0822231177562

Producer Nicholas Parker
Engineers Classic Sound Ltd
Recorded March & October 2014, Barbican, London

DSD (Direct Stream Digital) recording

Booklet in English, French & German

FLAC - 24bit 96kHz - Compatible with Windows and Android devices
MP3 - 320kbps - Universal compatibility
SACD - Compatible with all CD players

Available on streaming services

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Reviews

“

‘The memorable previous release in the series – Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony – received widespread, positive acclaim… The winning approach is repeated here…Here, the 'authentic' vibrato-less strings combine with weighty brass and woodwinds to produce a performance that shows off the work's grandeur… The LSO are on top form.’

- Classic FM Drive, Featured Album
“

Performance **** Recording **** ‘There's much to savour in Gardiner's urgently driven account of Ruy Blas, and the vibrato-less string passage that opens Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage is simply spellbinding, reminding us of the wizardry and phenomenal aural imagination that is ever present in Mendelssohn's orchestration.’

- BBC Music Magazine
“

**** ‘John Eliot Gardiner with the LSO brings pace, clarity and flaming-eyed conviction to the performance… The overtures Ruy Blas and Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage make well-contrasted fillers, the one blazing with drama, the other gliding in still as a mill pond.’

- Financial Times