Type: Choral
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
Program: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, Psalm 114, Hymn of Praise
Conductor: Ricardo Chailly
Choir: Gewandhaus Choir
Orchestra: Gewandhouseorchester
Soloists: Anne Schwanewilms, Petra Maria Schnitzer, Peter Seiffert
Location: Gewandhaus, Leipzig, Germany
Year: 2005

Chailly has a reputation for combining precision, momentum, and transparency without making the music feel overly polished or delicate. In Mendelssohn especially, that matters. The music can sometimes be performed too politely, but Chailly emphasizes rhythmic drive, orchestral color, and the underlying dramatic energy beneath the elegance. Mendelssohn is often underestimated. Beneath the lyrical surfaces and famous melodies is music of remarkable sophistication and propulsion.