About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

Issued without accompanying notes, we are asked to take it on faith that these recordings made by Otmar Suitner with the Dresden Staatskapelle are in fact legendary. But while most of the performances here have not been released on compact discs, that does not necessarily make them legendary; it only makes them rare. Still, whether rare or legendary, the performances on this Edel Classics 10-disc set are never less than interesting. Though the 13 Mozart symphonies included here have been recorded many times before, Suitner's spry and sprightly interpretations -- with their alert tempos and sinewy textures -- are in the same class as Neville Marriner's. And though Joseph Lanner's dances, Suppé's overtures, and particularly Volkmann's "Serenade" have been recorded much less frequently than Mozart's symphonies, Suitner's brightly colored and balletic interpretations make all other recordings seem prosaic by comparison. But legendary means more than merely interesting, and many of Suitner's performances are not much more than merely interesting. His direct account of Mahler's "First" adds nothing to our knowledge of the work and his straightforward reading of Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis" is just another walk around the block for that orchestral favorite. Suitner fans will have to at least audition the performances here. Other listeners may not need to. James Leonard, All Music Guide

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