Hearing the three dramatic chords that open the Zauberharfe overture played by this excellent Swiss orchestra (the oldest in Switzerland) I was immediately struck by the clarity of attack and rich instrumental color. As the performance progresses the Musikkollegium Winterthur exhibits an alluring full-bodied tone and characterful playing completely in the Schubertian style. The same goes for the pensive B minor Entr’acte, the lovely Entr’acte 3, and the charming No. 9 Ballet.
The Schweizer Kammerchor’s fine ensemble singing enlivens Hier auf den Fluren, while rich-voiced alto Serena Malfi delivers a quite tender rendition of the touching Romanze. Douglas Boyd’s energetic and idiomatic conducting brings out the music’s color and buoyant spirit. MDG’s top-drawer recording is the icing on the cake. The only serious rival to this new recording, and it’s not in SACD sound–is Karl Münchinger’s excellent performance from 1975 of the complete incidental music with the Vienna Philharmonic on Decca Eloquence (type Q2685 in Search Reviews), but this new disc absolutely commands your consideration.
