Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 39 & 41 "Jupiter"

1	Symphony No. 39 in E flat
2	Symphony No. 39 in E flat
3	Symphony No. 39 in E flat
4	Symphony No. 39 in E flat
5	Symphony No. 41 in C majo
6	Symphony No. 41 in C majo
7	Symphony No. 41 in C majo
8	Symphony No. 41 in C majo
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 39 & 41 "Jupiter"
1.	Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543 29:34
	Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performed by Orchestra of St. Luke's and Donald Runnicles
	Conducted by Donald Runnicles
2.	Symphony No. 41 in C major ("Jupiter"), K. 551 37:56
	Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Performed by Orchestra of St. Luke's and Donald Runnicles
	Conducted by Donald Runnicles

Barnes & Noble

For their first CD together, New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's and conductor Donald Runnicles offer a program of very well-known music: Mozart's 39th and 41st ("Jupiter") Symphonies. But there's nothing stale about their performance. The orchestra, which is built around a small core of players and filled out for larger works such as these, clearly has chamber music in its blood, and accordingly, the ensemble playing is tight and crisp, the phrasing responsive and lively. When required, they have the modern-instrument muscle to vie with the likes of the Vienna Philharmonic, yet they also possess enough grace and eloquence to go head to head with the finest early-music ensembles. The opening movement of the "Jupiter," for example, is full of get-up-and-go in the tutti passages, while the contrasting quieter phrases are leavened with delicacy. And if the flowing lines of the Andante Cantabile sing sweetly, the Menuett ambles along genially, and the Molto Allegro skips by with buoyant enthusiasm. The sound quality is excellent, spacious and clear, and Runnicles and the St. Luke's are off to a roaring start. EJ Johnson

New York Times

Fresh and invigorating.

BBC Music Magazine

Highly enjoyable performances of two of Mozart's greatest symphonies.

Billboard

A sparkling new recording.

Los Angeles Times

An auspicious debut.

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Buoyant, crisp Mozart playing.

San Francisco Chronicle

Taut, zippy, and fully sensitive.

American Record Guide

Excellent Mozart, played with skill, dedication, and energy.