Mozart: Symphones Nos 29, 31, 32, 35 & 36

Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra follow up their outstanding set of the last four Mozart symphonies with almost equally impressive accounts of their predecessors, omitting only the little G minor symphony, No 25, from their survey of the regularly played works. As before, Mackerras and the SCO happily reconcile the approaches of traditional orchestral performances and those of period-instrument bands – modern strings and woodwind are combined with natural trumpets and horns, tempi are on the fast side, and vibrato is in strictly short supply. For all their rhythmic life and variety, and the sheer joie de vivre that is so infectious in so much of the playing, Mackerras's interpretations may occasionally be too matter-of-fact and raw-edged for some tastes. His treatment of the delightful A major symphony No 29, for instance, doesn't dwell too long on its beauties, though to counterbalance that, it's hard to imagine the final climax of Symphony No 36, the Linz, more conclusively or majestically presented.