It is timely that just as the London Philharmonic is taking up its prestigious residency at the Royal Festival Hall, this disc demonstrates the refinement that the orchestra's young Music Director can achieve. The contrast with the most recent of the issues listed above, Weller's with the Philharmonia, reflects the character of the record- ings almost as much as the actual performances. Where Weller is fuller and bluffer, sounding more spontaneous in line with the warm Chandos sound, the Welser-Most is lighter and more consciously controlled, reflecting a rather more distant recording. The strings lead the ensemble in refinement, as when the first movement Allegro of the Scottish Symphony begins (track 2) after a carefully-moulded account of the slow introduction. Far more noticeably than any of the others, with ear-catching results, Welser-Most observes the sempre pp marking half way through that first theme (bars 75-76). On the other hand some will be disappointed that unlike any of the others he does not observe the exposition repeat in the Scottish—where it arguably pulls the movement out of shape—but does include it in the first movement of the Italian, where the long lead-back makes it essential, if one is to hear everything that Mendelssohn put in the score.
Generally the splendid London Philharmonic horns cut through the texture well, important in these works, which makes it odd that two of their key moments in the Scottish come over a shade disappointingly. The semiquaver horn entry in the scherzo (track 3, 0'44'') is even less clear than usual and the big horn whoops in the coda to the finale (track 6, 1'05'') are more distanced than in the rival versions, which in addition bring a greater sense of exhilaration. Welser-Most's concern for refinement means that the performances on occasion still fail to lift in the way they would in a concert-hall.
Those reservations need hardly weigh at all for anyone who wants beautifully played and recorded accounts of this favourite coupling, with rhythms nicely sprung at speeds very sympathetically chosen, never too hectic in movements that tend to attract the speed-merchants—the first movement of the Italian and the finales of both symphonies. By contrast Welser-Most keeps the Adagio of the Scottish flowing at a speed faster than usual, avoiding sentimentality and making it more freshly song-like in its lyricism. For some that could be a key point in favour, though Masur takes a similar view, and also keeps the slow introduction to the first movement flowing at a speed much faster than any of the others. As my indications should have made clear, EMI have taken separate tracks to that slow introduction and to the coda of the Scottish. As for the competition, the Masur is an even faster recommendation, and remember that the excellent Abbado and Muti issues come at mid-price, in every way competitive.'