This distinguished performance of a much maligned work, more a symphonic cantata than a real symphony, will no doubt form another step in its rehabilitation, although it’s doubtful that Lobgesang “Hymn of Praise” will ever occupy the same exalted rank as the Scottish or Italian Symphonies. It was composed in 1840 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of printing with moveable type – it’s always intrigued me that the powers that be apparently saw fit to celebrate in religious terms the invention of what, in its time, must have caused as great an explosion of knowledge and information as the Internet and Google have done in ours.

With at least one Anglican clergyman among my own ancestors, I’ve no wish to denigrate the Protestant religion, which was in itself a major liberating force in Western Europe, but with Mendelssohn everything often ends up sounding Lutheran. That said, this is an absolute cracker, as a performance, recording and interpretation. Märkl invests the opening movement with admirable vigour, as if determined to sweep away portentousness; the Adagio is also purged of etiolated Victorian piety (just!)
The unusual combination of singers (two sopranos and a tenor) is also impressive: Ruth Ziesak and Mojca Erdmann blend beautifully in the famous (or hitherto infamous) I waited for the Lord with voices which possess an appropriately silvery timbre. In his major solo, The bonds of death, Christian Elsner conveys just the right amount of Old Testament terror. The choral sections don’t rival the magnificent architecture and emotional intensity of those in Elijah, but the MDR Chorus is excellent, with alert and supple singing. Sawallisch and Karajan recorded it well but my own favourite by Abbado is, paradoxically, the slowest by far at 75 minutes. Nonetheless, I have no reservations about recommending this CD.