This disc by Canada's
Tafelmusik Orchestra, led by veteran German conductor
Bruno Weil, doesn't try to startle the listener the way some period-instrument performances do, but it does try to strip away the Romantic layers that have accumulated in the performance tradition of
Mozart's towering final pair of symphonies. The results are mixed. The finale of the Symphony No. 41, with its swirl of contrapuntal layers that so often get lost when played by a stageful of modern symphonic musicians, sounds terrific; it's quick and energetic with everything brought out clearly, and a real thrill when the natural horns blare out the opening of the final flourish. The two symphonies are done quite differently from one another, and the recording doesn't quite make a case as to why. The tempos in the Symphony No. 41 are normal to slightly fast, but the Symphony No. 40 is a high-speed ride, necessitating legato articulation that reduces the weight of the music overall. The opening movement seems nervous rather than tragic. The slow movements of both symphonies are given very plain readings with a minimum of vibrato in the strings.
Mozart has often proven a tough puzzle for historical instrument groups that mostly inhabit the Baroque realm, and this one, in many passages, does him more justice than most others in the field. But sample well before buying to see whether you are on board with the variety of unorthodox treatments heard here.