Mendelssohn, Felix [1], Champs Elysees Orchestra, Choeur de la Chapelle Royale et du Collegium Vocale, Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, Philippe Herreweghe, Delphine Collot, Sandrine Piau - Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream / Piau, Collot, Herreweghe -

Herreweghe does a brilliant job of capturing not only the sound but the spirit of Mendelssohn's musical evocation ofA Midsummer Night's Dream. Period instruments confer a real advantage here--with ethereal, pure-toned flutes, soft strings, and the piercing glint of narrow-bore brass, Mendelssohn's scoring comes alive. Herreweghe's interpretation is wonderfully alert, charged with energy yet sensitive to the score's gentle, Romantic expressiveness. Superb sound and informative notes make this 1994 disc an offering not to be missed.--Ted Libbey