The fine performance of the Overture to La clemenza di Tito that begins this concert by Sandor Vegh and the Salzburg Mozarteum Camerata Academica foreshadows their potent, dramatic accounts of the symphonies that follow. Animated by crystalline clarity in the contrapuntal passages, the Academica’s arresting, positive playing vividly portrays this overture’s dichotomy between public ceremony and private human emotions.
Vegh’s slow tempo in the first movement of the G minor Symphony emphasizes its motivic, textural and dynamic oppositions in striking contrast to Menuhin’s and the Sinfonia Varsovia’s livelier version. Impressive detail and transparent textures generate increased dramatic intensity in the Andante; however, after a relatively leisurely minuet, scrupulous phrasing in the finale brings just a hint that Vegh’s interpretation is more contrived than Menuhin’s compelling spontaneity. In the Jupiter Symphony Vegh’s approach to the first movement is likewise more relaxed than Menuhin’s. The slow movement gains heightened atmosphere with incisive linear detail, while the Academica present a startling dynamic range in the minuet and neatly shaped trio. Ultimately, Vegh’s perceptive revelation of the contrapuntal marvels in the finale – with its repeat omitted – brings the work to an exhilarating conclusion.
So, if you are looking for performances that express what Schumann described in the G minor Symphony as “Grecian lightness and grace”, Menuhin’s winning, idiomatic versions would be an excellent choice. For those who prefer a more studied exploration of the remarkable flights of fancy and deeper emotional drama in these pieces, Vegh’s readings offer an attractive alternative.'