Iván Fischer: Master of Pianissimo

Our thanks to guest critic Robert R. Reilly for contributing this review of the NSO's Mahler. You can read his latest column on New American Music at CRISIS / Inside Catholic.com
Charles' review of tonight's performance will follow up on this as part of our in-depth Mahler coverage.

If you arrived at the Kennedy Center for Thursday evening’s performance of Gustav Mahler’s Second Symphony expecting a sonic spectacle or an orchestral wallow, you were in the wrong place. That is not what the National Symphony Orchestra and the Master Chorale of Washington, with soloists, under conductor Iván Fischer delivered. It was, rather, the Resurrection without the Apocalypse. I cannot imagine a performance further removed from Leonard Bernstein’s high-wire neurotic portrayals of Mahler than this one. I admit that this was my first exposure to Fischer’s conducting. A friend who had listened to, and liked, Fischer’s recent recording of the Second, used the term “understatement” to describe his approach. Yes, that is it. If you came for the thrills, you could have found the first four movements a bit enervating – until Fischer pulled out all the stops at the finale.

Mahler, Symphony No.2, Fischer / Budapest Festival Orchestra / Milne Bach, Mahler, Symphony No.6, Fischer / Budapest Festival Orchestra

If you are open to his approach, however, there were many rewards. It was evident from the beginning of the first movement that Fischer was not attuned to the hyper-dramatic, but was aiming at refinement of expression, transparency and inner balance. Nothing was stretched; nothing was pulled. By keeping things in their right relationship to each other, Fischer did not have to exaggerate. There was nothing wild or willful. Fischer trusted the music.

With the NSO, he achieved an orchestral pianissimo resembling vapor rising from the ground that touched the listener like mist. It was breathtaking in its delicacy. I have never heard finer from the NSO. If Mahler had had a pin drop as part of his orchestration, you could have heard it in this performance. The visual spectacle of the huge orchestral and choral forces on stage belied by the sonorities that reached me in row EE. It was more like listening to an extraordinarily fine chamber orchestra.

However, beauty can have a price – in a sense of lessened drama from a lack of underlying tension that threatens to burst forth at any moment (Bernstein’s trademark). The first movement seemed more of a pastoral excursion than a Totenfeier, or funeral rite. Things seemed more magical than terrifying. Here was an interpretation that made Mahler’s request for a 5-minute pause before the start of the Andante movement, with its charming minuet, unnecessary. It did not seem that death was so bad to begin with. In this interpretation, the transition was not, as Mahler feared, at all jarring.

One may consider this an interpretive mistake, but Fischer held to it consistently and it revealed much about the inner workings of the music and many often overlooked beauties. Mahler said that a symphony contains a whole world, and he certainly brought one forth in this work. For the most part, Fisher showed it to us from the outside, as one might better observe its finely jeweled movements. The level of emotional involvement comported with this perspective, until a change occurred in the latter part of the last movement.

With the entry of the chorus, I felt myself for the first time inside the music. It was another masterpiece of pianissimo. How many times have I ever heard something of such hushed beauty? It was worth the entire evening. The Master Chorale was magnificent. Then, with the radiant entry of soprano Juliane Banse, the tears began to well. From there, I was pretty much lost in the spiritual moment that Mahler intended to express in this work – so much so that I turned to my son when it was over and asked, “Do you think that is what it will be like?”

If it is, I will know that the NSO and Fischer brought me there first.

-

Other Mahler reviews on ionarts.

Lori Phillips Excels as Senta

Lori Phillips (Senta) and Ian Storey (Erik) in The Flying Dutchman, 2008, Washington National Opera, photo by Karin Cooper

The only cast change during the run of Der Fliegende Holländer at Washington National Opera is two performances in which soprano Lori Phillips replaces Jennifer Wilson as Senta. At Wednesday night's performance, not surprisingly, many of the kinks noted in the staging on opening night had been ironed out in the course of the run. Most of the main roles were just as remembered from my first review, with one exception. Alan Held, perhaps because of illness or some other physical reason, seemed more mysterious reservation than terrifying force in his first performance as the Dutchman. This time there was greater ferocity in the tone, the edge of a malevolent snarl that buzzed in the voice, a willingness to take risks. Whatever the cause, it was a welcome change.

As Senta, Lori Phillips brought a cocoa-creamy voice that has more of a mezzo cast than Jennifer Wilson's. That made for a Senta that seemed less detached from the world, less removed to the stratosphere than others. It also meant a full-throated but precisely tuned upper range for surgically precise and thrilling climaxes. In the Act II Dutchman ballad, she struck the accented opening high notes of each phrase with heroic, thick tone and the fullest orchestral moments proved a surmountable challenge for her soaring voice. She may develop into a first-rate Wagnerian soprano.

Other Reviews: Daniel Ginsberg, Senta's Soaring Moment (Washington Post, April 4)

Perhaps Held felt re-energized by working with a different Senta, and the glorious stasis of the Act II duet was dark, moody, and lovely. Phillips acted well, giving a better account than Wilson of what the director apparently intended for Senta, her bird-like gestures of wings outstretched, which is tied into the staging's vision of the opera's conclusion. The only thing that did not convince me in the performance of either Senta was that mysterious opening melisma, which can grab the listener and immediately transport you into Senta's delusions, the obsession that leads to self-destruction.

The second and only remaining performance of The Flying Dutchman with Lori Phillips as Senta is scheduled for Monday (April 7, 7 pm).

Swedish Chamber Orchestra at Strathmore

Piotr Anderszewski, pianist (photo by Sheila Rock)

Created in 1995, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra has already recorded over 35 CDs. This busy ensemble, Sweden’s only full-time professional chamber ensemble, performed a strong program of Beethoven and Schumann at Strathmore Tuesday evening, sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. Their 38 players pack a laser-like punch, which was immediately evident in the striking opening chords of Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture. As part of the somewhat historically informed performance (HIP) ensemble, the hard timpani mallets gave a hearty ‘poing,’ while Music Director Thomas Dausgaard gave a good balance of specific cues and beatless general gestures (often with the shoulder) reminiscent of Andrew Manze (recently reviewed by Charles), with whom the ensemble regularly performs. No backs leaned against any chairs among either performers or audience.

Pianist Piotr Anderszewski joined the ensemble in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Unfortunately, the combination of a substandard instrument and unimaginative, technical playing with a banged-out cadenza limited the work’s success. The tense soloist refused to dance with the orchestra, his willing dance partner. The evening could have been an opportunity to invite a fortepianist such as Kristian Bezuidenhout to offer a unique experience with a more modestly sized piano.

Other Reviews: Joe Banno, Swedish Chamber Orchestra (Washington Post, April 3) Steve Smith, Take Beethoven, Instill Period Flavor, Heighten the Drama (New York Times, April 1)

Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 filled the second half of the program and allowed the strings to shine. Despite issues with the trumpets at the exposed opening, the ensemble’s sweeping energy was addictive, albeit sometimes undermined by balance issues. With only two double-basses, the ensemble at times sounded top-heavy, and the dominant violin sections occasionally covered the winds. Dausgaard elicited a superbly crafted extended crescendo in the third movement, and the period of tranquility in the second-movement scherzo was an incredible contrast to the clear, quick material beforehand. The Danish conductor magically released the final chord of the symphony with an upward gesture, similar in direction to the release of the string players, thus helping to further transport the orchestra’s bounteous sound. Plan for this compelling conductor's Baltimore Symphony performances this summer (June 12 to 15).

That's Why Pavarotti Was Such a Great Duke of Mantua

Second Cast of 'Rigoletto' Proves to Be First-Rate
Washington Post, April 3, 2008

Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto
Second Cast: Alexey Dolgov (Duke of Mantua), JiYoung Lee (Gilda), Gordon Hawkins (Rigoletto)
Washington National Opera, Kennedy Center Opera House

Classical Month in Washington (June)

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Classical Month in Washington is a monthly feature. If there are concerts you would like to see included on our schedule, send your suggestions by e-mail (ionarts at gmail dot com). Happy listening!

June 1, 2008 (Sun)
3 pm
Puccini, La Bohème
Opera Bel Cantanti
Randolph Road Theater (Silver Spring, Md.)

June 1, 2008 (Sun)
3 pm
Gala Black Tie Event: Water Music on the Potomac
Eclipse Chamber Orchestra

June 1, 2008 (Sun)
6:30 pm
Choral Arts Society of Washington [FREE]
Music by Franz Liszt
National Gallery of Art

June 1, 2008 (Sun)
8 pm
A World of Voices
Bobby McFerrin, Chanticleer, et al.
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 1, 2008 (Sun)
8 pm
National Philharmonic
Music Center at Strathmore

June 5, 2008 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra (Grieg, Peer Gynt)
With Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 5, 2008 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Bach, Brandenburg Concertos
Music Center at Strathmore

June 5, 2008 (Thu)
8 pm
JCC Symphony Orchestra
Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington

June 6, 2008 (Fri)
12 noon
Covington String Quartet [FREE]
Arts Club of Washington

June 6, 2008 (Fri)
1:30 pm
National Symphony Orchestra (Grieg, Peer Gynt)
With Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 6, 2008 (Fri)
7:30 pm
American Chamber Players
June Chamber Music Festival
Kreeger Museum

June 7, 2008 (Sat)
11 am
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Vivaldi and Handel
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 7, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra (Grieg, Peer Gynt)
With Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 7, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Bach, Brandenburg Concertos
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 7, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
National Philharmonic
Britten, War Requiem
Music Center at Strathmore

June 8, 2008 (Sun)
3 pm
Cantate Chamber Singers
Music by Maurice Saylor
Holton-Arms School

June 8, 2008 (Sun)
6:30 pm
Anna Kijanowska, piano [FREE]
Music by Chopin, Szymanowski, and other Polish composers
National Gallery of Art

June 10, 2008 (Tue)
7:30 pm
American Chamber Players
June Chamber Music Festival
Kreeger Museum

June 12, 2008 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Tchaikovsky, Eugene Onegin
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 12, 2008 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Barry Douglas, piano
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 13, 2008 (Fri)
12 noon
Brian Jones (clarinet), Igor Zubovsky (cello), and Diane Winter-Pyles (piano) [FREE]
Arts Club of Washington

June 13, 2008 (Fri)
7:30 pm
American Chamber Players
June Chamber Music Festival
Kreeger Museum

June 13, 2008 (Fri)
7:30 pm
16th Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Concert
Wagner Society of Washington, D.C.
Embassy of Germany

June 13, 2008 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Barry Douglas, piano
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 13, 2008 (Fri)
8 pm
Verdi, Un Giorno di Regno
Wolf Trap Opera
The Barns at Wolf Trap

June 14, 2008 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Washington Men's Camerata: Songs of the Sea
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

June 14, 2008 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Korngold, Die tote Stadt
Summer Opera Theater Company
Hartke Theater (Catholic University)

June 14, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Tchaikovsky, Eugene Onegin
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 14, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Barry Douglas, piano
Music Center at Strathmore

June 14, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
Masters of the 17th Century German Baroque
Music by Schein, Hassler, Praetorius
Chantry
St. Mary Mother of God (727 5th Street NW)

June 14, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
George Mason University Center for the Arts

June 15, 2008 (Sun)
2 pm
Musicale Series: French Flair
Eclipse Chamber Orchestra

June 15, 2008 (Sun)
2 pm
Verdi, Un Giorno di Regno
Wolf Trap Opera
The Barns at Wolf Trap

June 15, 2008 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Barry Douglas, piano
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 15, 2008 (Sun)
6:30 pm
Judith Ingolfsson (violin) and Vladimir Stoupel (piano) [FREE]
Music by Hallgrímsson, Ravel, and Schubert
National Gallery of Art

June 15, 2008 (Sun)
8 pm
National Gallery Chamber Players
With Rosa Lamoreaux, Barbara Hollinshead, Stephen Ackert
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Columba's Episcopal Church

June 16, 2008 (Mon)
8 pm
La Ménéstrandise
Washington Early Music Festival
Christ Church, Capitol Hill

June 16, 2008 (Mon)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Tchaikovsky, Eugene Onegin
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 17, 2008 (Tue)
8 pm
Verdi, Un Giorno di Regno
Wolf Trap Opera
The Barns at Wolf Trap

June 18, 2008 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Composers in Conversation: Joan Tower
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 18, 2008 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Korngold, Die tote Stadt
Summer Opera Theater Company
Hartke Theater (Catholic University)

June 18, 2008 (Wed)
9 pm
Washington Musica Viva: Cabaret Songs
Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street NW)

June 19, 2008 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music by Beethoven and Tower
Music Center at Strathmore

June 20, 2008 (Fri)
12 noon
Friends of Fasch [FREE]
Arts Club of Washington

June 20, 2008 (Fri)
8 pm
Suspicious Cheese Lords
Washington Early Music Festival
Christ Church, Capitol Hill

June 20, 2008 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music by Beethoven and Tower
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 21, 2008 (Sat)
5 pm to Midnight
Fête de la Musique
La Maison Française

June 21, 2008 (Sat)
6 pm
NSO Conducting Institute [FREE]
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 21, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
Armonia Nova
Washington Early Music Festival
Christ Church, Capitol Hill

June 21, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music by Beethoven and Tower
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 22, 2008 (Sun)
2:30 pm
Korngold, Die tote Stadt
Summer Opera Theater Company
Hartke Theater (Catholic University)

June 22, 2008 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music by Beethoven and Tower
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

June 22, 2008 (Sun)
3 pm
ArcoVoce Chamber Ensemble
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Alban's Episcopal Church

June 22, 2008 (Sun)
5 pm
J. Reilly Lewis, organ [FREE]
Washington National Cathedral

June 22, 2008 (Sun)
6:30 pm
Washington Bach Consort [FREE]
Washington Early Music Festival
National Gallery of Art

June 23, 2008 (Mon)
7:30 pm
Randall Scarlata (baritone) and Thomas Bagwell (piano)
Austrian Cultural Forum
Embassy of Austria

June 23, 2008 (Mon)
8 pm
Music under the Summer Stars [FREE]
Metropolitan Chorus
Lubber Run Amphitheater (Arlington, Va.)

June 23, 2008 (Mon)
8:30 pm
Harmonious Blacksmith
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Columba's Episcopal Church

June 24, 2008 (Tue)
8 pm
Washington Kantorei
Washington Early Music Festival
Lutheran Church of the Reformation

June 25, 2008 (Wed)
8 pm
Countertop Quartet
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Paul's K Street

June 26, 2008 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Sol Gabetta, cello
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 26, 2008 (Thu)
8 pm
Ensemble Gaudior
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill

June 27, 2008 (Fri)
12 noon
Heleen du Plessis (cello) and Eun Joo Chun (piano) [FREE]
Arts Club of Washington

June 27, 2008 (Fri)
12 noon
Friends of Fasch (quartets)
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill

June 27, 2008 (Fri)
5 pm
Bruce Neswick, organ [FREE]
Washington National Cathedral

June 27, 2008 (Fri)
8 pm
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill

June 27, 2008 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Sol Gabetta, cello
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 28, 2008 (Sat)
4 pm
Illuminare and Carmina
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill

June 28, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
Modern Music
Washington Early Music Festival
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill

June 28, 2008 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Sol Gabetta, cello
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

June 29, 2008 (Sun)
5 pm
Douglas Major, organ [FREE]
Washington National Cathedral

June 29, 2008 (Sun)
5 pm
Judith Spokes (violin) and Carl Banner (piano)
Washington Musica Viva
Dennis and Philip Ratner Museum (Bethesda, Md.)

June 29, 2008 (Sun)
6:30 pm
National Gallery Chamber Players String Quartet [FREE]
Music by Haydn, Patiño, and Schubert
National Gallery of Art

June 29, 2008 (Sun)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra: Tribute to Leonard Slatkin
With Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

Mahler's Fifth - Yoel Levi

Mahler, Symphony No.5, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra / Yoel Levi (released November, 14th, 1995 TELARC)

Yoel Levi’s recording of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony came out in 1995 and so I was surprised to see it cross my desk again, not being aware of any re-issue initiative on the part of Telarc.

All the same, this was a good opportunity to revisit the interpretation that convinced me, when I first heard it, that even an American Orchestra without a Mahler tradition could deliver faultless, possibly spectacular Mahler.

In my survey of Mahler recordings (perpetually under construction, because these days good Mahler recordings are being issued faster than I can type), I’ve placed it rather high on my list for its neutral interpretation and splendiferous sound – just below Riccardo Chailly’s in that ‘category’, whose Fifth is similar in those two aspects but with the Concertgebouw offering more color than the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Quite the opposite from his Telarc colleague Benjamin Zander, who favors drama, sharp contrast, and even exaggeration, Levi falls on the side of what I call “well behaved Mahler” – which is not (necessarily) meant as a derogatory categorization: Chailly, Haitink, and Tilson-Thomas are all at home there, and by all accounts superb Mahler conductors. But if Zander, Mitropoulos, Bernstein, and Sinopoli are your (only) measure of what makes good Mahler, Levi won’t be for you in any case.

Mahler, Sy.5, Abbado Mahler, Sy.5, Barshai Mahler, Sy.5, Bernstein Mahler, Sy.5, Boulez Mahler, Sy.5, Kubelik

Among recently issued Mahler Fifths is Solti’s “final performance in a concert hall”, with the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich (Decca). A monument to Solti, maybe, but certainly not to Mahler. It isn’t even Solti’s best recording of the Fifth, which should be all the damnation necessary for Mahlerians to stay away. Dudamel (on DG) audaciously recorded an audacious Mahler Fifth: A success until compared to other versions. Perhaps it is marred by excitement for its own sake? Dudamel is to be experienced live for the whole deal – on CD his undeniable charm and magic suffer.

At least in Europe, the Berlin Classics “Basics” edition is available, which also includes a Mahler Fifth. For the price of a fancy coffee drink, you can purchase this unpresumptuous looking CD with a picture of the Venice canals (Hello Visconti!), but no performer information on the front cover. It reveals itself as Václav Neumann’s first, 1969, recording with the Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig and it is a performance not to be missed at any price. Like a swift kick in the rear, this interpretation never stalls and it moves through the treacherous Adagietto in unsentimental yet loving nine minutes and forty seconds. The first movement is nice and tight – the instruction “Schritt”, even a ‘measured’ one, being a rather brisk walk, after all – not a Sunday saunter. (This performance is also included in the mix-and-match Brilliant Mahler box.)

Simon Rattle’s Berlin Fifth just re-issued in the Rattle-Mahler box set on EMI (despite Sir Simon’s insistence that his Mahler traversal was not to be considered a “cycle”), suffers from relatively dense sound (compared to the clear and open sonics of Levi) and a saggy Funeral March that just about sabotages the excellent last two movements. (Review by Tony Duggan and Marc Bridle here.)

The first movement of this symphony can – should – be riveting and full of tension between the several lacunae of funeralesque calm. Neumann achieves this with tight screws, Kubelik (DG, but not –sadly– on Audite) through buoyant vigor, Bernstein (DG) at least partly through exaggeration. Best of all – most compelling and emotive (!), most unforgivingly relentless (and this may be a surprise or even mildly controversial to readers) – is Pierre Boulez (DG) in this. Levi manages better than some, but not to the degree that these latter mentioned conductors do.

Uncompromising and inevitable, too, is Haitink in the Fifth during the Eurovision Christmas Matinée concert (25 XII 1986). Alas, that performance, part of a near-complete set on Philips, can only be gotten from the Netherlands these days, so comparison (otherwise a given, not the least because of very similar timings with Levi) won’t be terribly helpful to most. (The set is also available on DVD, now.) But before this review sprawls too much toward a comparison of Fifths in general, back to the Levi at hand:

Levi’s second movement, with just over 15 minutes on the slow side, has all the momentum it needs, even when the delicate slow section comes to a virtual hold. (The sound is so detailed that you can hear the violinists’ fingers slide on the strings – yet without this detail being so intrusive that you can’t ignore it, if you don’t want to hear it.) The Telarc sound offers almost surprising roundness here, not the stereotypically ‘glare & blare impressiveness’ that their engineers often try (and succeed) to impress with.

I am missing, amid all the detailed excellence, the vehemence in this movement. I wish it grabbed the listener more by the lapels: After sawing and hacking through the turmoil, with winds and brass snarling along, the premature climax of the broad D-major chorale (12:10) should transport even the most reluctant ears. Mine only get nudged. There simply isn’t enough sweep with Levi.

The Scherzo is surely a big-footed one – but a cynic might attest Levi furthermore the need for a hip replacement. I don’t hear Viennese gayety here, or at least not enough. The clarinet gaggling and clucking beneath the four horns leading to the first prominent horn solo is too reluctant. (Very few conductors – Kubelik, Barshai (Brilliant) – get this done in a nicely, happily clicking, mechanical way). The layered horn entries that come before the next horn solo are not as overpowering as I’d want them to be, but then Haitink does spoil one by letting each instrument linger on its note, to devastating effect. Levi still succeeds compared to Rattle, where that moment is a dud and Neumann, who separates the notes too much.

The Adagietto has been much written about – and it is so powerfully moving that it survives even Bernstein and his funeral elegy approach (fittingly Bernstein played it at Robert Kennedy’s funeral and it was played at Bernstein’s) or Haitink’s almost accidental fourteen minute indulgence on the Berlin Philharmonic recording. But it is empathetically not a song of mourning and otherworldly removal – not the symphonic version of “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen” (for analogies to that, the slow movement of the Fourth Symphony is better suited) – but instead a tender love song. Alma was supposed to have her heart melt over this, not her feet fall asleep. Even if we grant Mahler’s piano rolls of this movement to be played faster than an orchestra would allow (under 8 minutes), surely swift is tendentially more correct than slow.

In any case, few other pieces of music can so plainly demonstrate the difference between objective and subjective time. “Play fast – sound slow” is, or should be, the preferred way. Naumann (9:40), to an extend Rattle (9:32), Zander (8:30), and Barshai (8:20) get this beautifully done. (Bruno Walter, who should know, took just over seven and half minutes for it in his New York recording [Sony], but I can’t say that that makes the best case for my “swift = better” theory.) At 11:05, Levi is in the safe, slowish middle, likely to please most listeners. The key is to keep the movement in constant flow. To what extend Levi succeeds is going to be a matter of each listener’s subjective preference more than measurable or objective musical fact.

The fine Rondo-Finale (15:43) is well put together and the ASO outplays many orchestras with greater Mahler credentials that have tried themselves on this. Were it that accuracy was the be-all, end-all in Mahler, this movement would get even higher marks than it already does. But other conductors catch fire much sooner. Rattle does at around 2:40 – Levi at around 11 minutes. The last minute – from the major climax onward – is plain terrific with Levi, though, it should be said, it is difficult to make that part any thing less than impressive.

Over all, my impression of Levi’s Fifth is better than the nitpicking of every movement might suggest. But there is no denying that I do not think as highly of it anymore, as I once did. There is too much high octane competition available, for a Mahler record to succeed on sonics alone. Even if I exclude the love-or-hate Bernstein (a must in every serious Mahler collection but not an ideal first choice) there are still upward of half a dozen recordings that I’d prefer (Abbado – Berlin/DG, Barshai, Boulez, Chailly, Kubelik – DG, Neumann – Leipzig). If, like I, you have one or two dozen versions of each Mahler symphony on your bulging shelves, Levi certainly deserves the space. Otherwise this recording is attractive enough to deserve consideration and sampling, but doesn’t merit a ‘blind’ recommendation.

rec. Atlanta Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta, 13/14 February 1995
TELARC 80394 [72:38]

Previous Mahler reviews on ionarts can be found here:

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/08/mahler-reviews-on-ionarts.html

The Andrew Manze Effect

Andrew Manze, photo by Benjamin Eavolega

Violinist Andrew Manze has been making a career shift toward conducting. His new project with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, where he has been Music Director since last season, is an examination of Beethoven's third symphony, the Eroica. To go along with their recently released recording, the Helsingborg Symphony has embarked on an American concert tour, which made a stop on Sunday night at the George Mason University Center for the Arts. Remarkably, this tour criss-crosses the country without visiting a single major city.

The first half of the evening was devoted to an off-the-cuff lecture on what Manze calls the Eroica Effect. With the help of his orchestra's performance of works and excerpts, Manze illustrated the state of the symphonic genre at the turn of the 19th century (with different examples in each venue, judging by the reviews). He also demonstrated what made Beethoven's third symphony such a break with those traditions and how it influenced music that came after it. An affable and intelligent host, Manze had clearly studied American politics and current events to get material for his jokes. Major examples included Mozart's overture for The Magic Flute, the opening of Haydn's Die Schöpfung, and the welcome discovery of one of the symphonies of Joseph Leopold von Eybler (1765-1846). Unfortunately, the latter work was identified only with the invented moniker applied to it by Manze: a key or an HV number would have been appreciated. Was it Die vier letzten Dinge (HV 137)?

Manze's ideas were always interesting, although some that held up in this format would likely not under serious musicological scrutiny. Was the reason that Beethoven included a fugue in the third symphony really that it represented a democratization of orchestral voices? Most intriguing was the origin of the dance theme of the symphony's last movement, a simple contredanse in an early set of twelve such pieces, recorded on the group's CD. Manze implied that the contredanse required the breakdown of class distinctions, because in it one dances not only with one's partner but with everyone else as the formations shift. In the Eroica's fourth movement Beethoven explodes the dance from inside, beginning with only the bass line and gradually rebuilding it. Regrettably, neither of the other orchestral versions of the dance, recorded on the CD, appeared on the program or as an encore.

Other Articles: Joe Banno, Helsingborg Symphony (Washington Post, April 1) Joseph Youngblood, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra gives lesson on Beethoven's 'Eroica' at Society of the Four Arts concert (Palm Beach Daily News, March 29) Sharon McDaniel, Examination of 'Eroica' an imperfect, heroic try (Palm Beach Post, March 29) Aaron Keebaugh, Celebrated symphony (Gainesville Sun, March 20)

As documented at the very useful Eroica Project, Beethoven's third symphony has been extensively recorded and performed. It is so familiar that an interpretation like this one, that stands out for its unusual choices, is hard to find. Manze's approach was fairly straightforward, with few manipulations of tempo. His conducting style is, to say the least, unorthodox, a little frenetic and, truth be told, more about communicating emotional changes than a clear beat. The orchestra, so many of them impressively young (including the concertmaster and many of the wind principals) responds to the marionnette antics on the podium with considerable energy and force. The occasional splats and misses were more numerous live than in the (edited) recording. The horn player did not make much of the famous early entrance of his part, on the main subject, before the recapitulation.

The second movement was paced like a march, not that there was no give and take, but the sense of meter was clear. The scherzo, which Manze described as a sort of diversion, comic relief from the symphony's meaty ideas, had a pleasing tempo, with some rough moments from the horn section in the trio. The same single-minded direction was evident in the fourth movement, too, where none of the pauses were indulged. The fluttering flute solo was a high point, as was the buzzing tremolo sound of the fast-paced coda. The only downside was an audience member who timed his hacking cough exactly for all of the piece's significant rests. Hint: cough during the loud parts, please.

The next major concert at George Mason will feature the 30th anniversary tour of Chanticleer (April 4, 8 pm), singing a program called My Spirit Sang All Day.

Alan Gilbert and San Francisco Symphony

Conductor Alan Gilbert, photo by Mats Lundquist

Last Wednesday evening, Alan Gilbert, the New York Philharmonic's Music Director-designate, led the San Francisco Symphony in the works of Steven Stucky, Mozart, and Nielsen at Davies Hall. Arriving on the heels of (Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director-designate Gustavo Dudamel’s performances with the orchestra the weekend before, Gilbert brought the sober, yet stylish stability consistent with what was recently experienced in his Curtis Symphony performance. Why were Dudamel’s performances sold out, and Gilbert’s not?

Dudamel reportedly had the orchestra eating out of his hand, though they generally did not sound markedly better than what Gilbert achieved. Hence, besides a full house and cooperative musicians, what does Dudamel have that Gilbert lacks? Dudamel’s impassioned raw charisma must be truly inspiring for all audiences, yet Gilbert’s objective, northern-European manner and mastery of structural phrasing must not be discounted. Regardless, it is fantastic that a new generation of promising conductors will soon be cultivating their respective American orchestras.

Pianist Richard Goode’s reading (with a score) of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat, K. 456, was truly magical. The potential for the sonic melting of piano and orchestral strings was fully exploited through the subtle shadings of Goode and the orchestra. Flexibility was found only within strict larger beats, while volume and tempi were always reserved, inviting the audience to listen closely. Since themes in the second and third movements both begin with four repeated notes, Goode was sure to vary the inflection of each note. The wind section – in particular the hopping bassoons – impressed in the second movement. It was a pleasure to be able to observe the approach to the keyboard, where each note was struck with the finger first touching the key. Accuracy and control of tone are increased by never striking from above. Goode’s perpetual contortions of his mouth, however, reminded one of a hungry goldfish.

Other Reviews: Joshua Kosman, Gilbert brings out fierceness, fun in Nielsen's Second Symphony (San Francisco Chronicle, March 28) Richard Scheinin, Getting the most out of Mozart (San Jose Mercury News, March 28)

Nielsen’s Symphony No. 2 (“The Four Temperaments”) musically explores how an excess of four bodily fluids – yellow bile (choleric), phlegm (phlegmatic), black bile (melancholic), and blood (sanguine) – may affect mood based on theories traced to Greek times. The supposedly irritable first movement featured bursts of color, brilliant brass, and a thrilling tempo with Gilbert constructing large shapes and phrases. The phlegmatic second movement contained a cautious, worrying disposition, which never broke free from anxiety. The oboe solos in the tragic third movement were poignant, while optimistic string material was devastated by harsh chords from the low brass. Nielsen allowed the timpanist to have too much fun in the bouncy, manic final movement.

Gilbert, always deft at seeing the big picture while holding together immediate details and nuance, tapped into the full power of Nielsen’s music and the SF Symphony’s confident musicians. Additionally, after years as Chief Conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Gilbert seemingly has an affinity for Nielsen's music. The program opened with Steven Stucky’s Son et lumière (1988), a brief string of percussive jolts and clever orchestral textures.