The David S Operaworld blog

A series of commentary on the world of opera and of serious music hopefully with links to items of broader cultural interest, correlation with the subject at hand. There is plenty of room here for a certain amount of clowning around and general irreverence - not exclusive to me - but of course no trollers or spam please. Blog for coverage of the BBC PROMS 2010 - with thoroughly proofread/upgraded coverage of the 2009 Proms and of much else.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

NET on NPR (also in HD): Heavily pedantic revival of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. Natalie Dessay. Patrick Summers. 19.03.11

Mary Zimmerman’s production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor opened three years ago – after two previous productions of this at the Met, especially first one of which had to (quickly) get scrapped. This is arguably Zimmerman’s most successful production of three thus far at the Met - all of bel canto repertoire. James Levine was to conduct the 2008 broadcast, but due to health issues, cancelled, being replaced by John Colaneri. Natalie Dessay played Lucia. The production first got aired for Met in HD, starring Anna Netrebio, conducted better by Marco Armiliato, though hardly less conventionally.

With general period costumes and backdrop (with minimal updating?), Zimmerman employed a feminist meta-textual approach to Lucia, some of which with Netrebko, singing better than Dessay, faded into the scenery. Dessay took her cue on how to interpret Lucia in 2008 with emphasis more on acting than (should be) the norm – in context of how histrionics got influenced Until settling down for the Mad Scene – how ironically this reads – bordering on comical histrionics became partial culprit for precarious vocalism then. Ironically, it was not for Dessay all she could emotionally invest into Lucia, but with state of alienation, detachment to portray to the hilt – putting aside special affection for any man, even Edgardo. Some of Walter Scott, Donzietti’s story hinges on there being some connection – let us hope.

Natalie Dessay’s voice today, less stable between registers to take on such high-lying flights, alone caused her problems this time. Prudently, she decided this year on starting out, as she explained in interview, taking more musical approach, actually trusting the music, God forbid, than during previous run of this and than also of La Sonnambula. Strongly, supportively partnered on stage by Theodora Hanslowe (Alisa), Dessay attended to line for recitative and to open ‘Regnava’ better than before. With employing more tone toward achieving better sostenuto, Dessay filled out Lucia’s lines self-consciously, while encountering tension around the break. Reach into high register, during conscientiously sung cabaletta, became tentative, especially negotiating runs therein. Through duet with the amply supportive, emotionally engaged Josef Calleja, Dessay, after tentative phrasing from both, coasted well free of rigid beating time beneath to fully shape her lines and combine effort very well with his.

Starting Act Two, Dessay, attempting to darkly achieve forza needed, settled for more back, occluded placement for ‘Il pallor funesto’ making obvious a real blandness of tone and of diction to color it (Complaints over holidays about tenor Yonghoon Lee’s dry Italian for Don Carlo seem completely churlish now). After telling moment through expressive recitative, Dessay struggled to keep line together for ‘Soffrivo nel pianot’, for scooping her way in, then making increasingly heavy weather of register shifts through remainder of scene with Enrico.

The ‘Mad Scene’ became as much willed as sung. After expressively starting recitative, Dessay after unsupported high G, turned glib, detached, perhaps anticipating having to emit nonsensical laugh right before scooped into ‘Ardon gl’incensi.” Remindful of common verismo effects earlier - with Lucia imagining it sounded like moments earlier Edgardo entering the room, the thick, quavery tone, sour on low notes, became unattractive. Agility on runs adopted a quasi-improv worked quality. One had to gasp slightly at Dessay bravely taking on her cadenza unaccompanied – though with dull intonation, but managing to keep idea of pitch steady. Agility continued mostly unencumbered into Part 2 of the Mad Scene, except for things continuing to veer precariously toward sounding like Recital One for Cathy gig with handful of lunged at notes, to go with choppy accompaniment underneath, then several changes of placement on one climactic high B-Flat (nearly) – to then shy completely away from highly expressive half step above to instead without moment’s further hesitation drop a major seventh to C-Flat below.

One can hardly doubt Dessay’s dramatic abilities toward winning empathy with Lucia’s plight; how this combined with unsteady singing, however one either takes on faith or does not. No doubt, there are still roles still well suited for no doubt this genuinely gifted, still often charming artist, even while Lucia may no longer really be fully within reach.

Josef Calleja provided the sweet toned, ardent, ever attentive, prudently sung Edgardo. In context of much confusing going on musically, he conveyed well Edgardo’s despondency at his fate, genuine ardor for Lucia during first scene on stage. Curiously, he attempted putting up as little resistance as possible, somehow without missing dramatic intent of Edgardo’s defiance of Lucia, concerning freshly signed contract. He then provided good ring, swagger to scene with Enrico at Wolf’s Crag, starting out, but accompanied by unyielding beat from the pit, all went, dry-toned, unvaryingly flat-line together with Ludovic Tezier for cabaletta to their extended duet. Adding in more vibrato first within natural means, Calleja began the tomb scene with fine sostenuto, expressive regret, For slow cabaletta however, Calleja’s tone became more distraught, vibrato-laden to broader effect. While being as genuinely stylish an effort as anybody here could muster, definition as to Edgardo’s goals and eventual fate got mildly compromised – for interpretation providing just little more than half of what’s at stake.

Ludovic Tezier, with voice perhaps one cut below power required to sing a truly menacing Enrico, provided good snarl and darkened tone for the part. With emphasis on projecting much, line slightly broke up for especially opening lines to ‘Cruda, funesta’, cabaletta to which found him more prudent. His slightly nasal sound helped compromise conveying firm fortitude to Lucia in their extended scene together. In scene with Arturo, anticipating Lucia’s arrival with light snarl Enrico’s hypocrisy carried well, and as bedrock together with the Raimondo of Kwangchul Youn, stayed very well in character and provided good support, better than did man on podium for lyric voices floating above. Similar to Calleja, he started off the Wolf Crag’s scene incisively, to then later match Calleja in dryness of tone, delivery thereof for the rest of it.

Kwangchul Youn best supplied gravitas to this enterprise – hypocrisy tainted though Raimondo may be. Hint of making more nuance, insinuation out of ‘’Cedi, Cedi’ (duet) with Lucia somehow seeped through, with knowledge evident of how to otherwise eloquently shape his lines. He sounded perhaps as undercut as anybody in this cast by an unyielding beat from the pit. Even with a little gravel in the tone - sound Youn also has to plumb fine depths - he provided Raimondo’s Act Three racconta with excellently varied narrative sense, conveying use of rich experience he has accumulated away from bel canto, and providing the best legato and assurance of how to phrase Donzietti of anybody here, cheerfully able to overlook much insistence on beating time underneath.

Mathew Plenk was the bright toned confident Arturo, fearlessly tackling his arioso, what should not be enormous feat for second tier tenors - nowadays often just that. Philip Webb, after getting slightly covered up by ensemble starting Act One, aptly supplied a malevolently conniving Normanno.

On the podium was Patrick Summers. He conducted Lucia in Houston in 2003 - cast led by Laura Claycomb and Vinson Cole - likely better than he conducted this go-around. He spoke in interview of approaching Lucia more as influenced by what had preceded it, such as Gluck he conducted weeks earlier, than as how it might anticipate Verdi. Working with the Met orchestra, one however had trouble hearing what he might have meant. Numerous rhythms got clipped, maintenance of tempo was strict. This was fully modern playing – fully assured of itself - often projecting better than some of the singing.

Most insipid was the special pointing, underlining of orchestral interjections during recitative passages; several choral interludes, by comparison, plodded along monotonously. Rushed endings to especially cabalettas, pushing relentlessly past highly expressive broken appoggiatura during ‘Verranno a te’ too for instance, proved much insistence, but also inattention to supporting singers for naturally sculpting, sustaining their lines, for sake of however ‘correct’ eschewal of rubato. For any bel canto context, not to mention specialist, such is indeed really entirely wrong. Singers seemed compelled to follow Summers here, and seldom the other way around. It became hard to tell whether Summers, though intermittently, allowed his singers to at times freely take command or if they were breaking free on their own toward achieving reasonable semblance of legato.

Kwangchul Youn again most of all explicitly insinuated, then included necessary rubato to shape his lines, to supply for instance his Act Three narration much feeling, insight. Nuptials introducing chorus got marked with forced accenting, then for Summers to streamline most of the rest of his way through what follows, smoothing over important dramatic accents. Dessay and especially Calleja prudently kept their voices light, over much push and shove, to ward off damage thereof.

Somehow, in attempting to break free of Romantic tradition, Summers matched what this production - conceits thereof ubiquitous - attempted to say. Sticking to being a diva-accommodating maestro for a bel canto piece can make for a bland, faceless affair out of such, both dramatically and musically. Summers’s frequent over-insistence though came across pedantic, with playing louder than marked and insensitive ear for harmonic change in the accompaniment - its intended expressive effect toward singers being still able to flexibly shape their lines and avoid strain undercut. Not only were some rhythms wrong, but overall this music’s profile, character missing as well. One could remember at end of the day that Patrick Summers had conducted this, but while asking why, concerning what should come across. This was hardly a Lucia missing shape more than during its first run three years ago, but even with its dogged insistence, ironically seldom providing anything more.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

DR Kultur: DSO Berlin, Jiri Belohlavek. French, Slavic program. Isabelle Faust, violin. 09.03.11 Philharmonie, Berlin.

Jiri Belohlavek, music director of BBC Symphony Orchestra, chose interesting combination of French and Slavic repertoire for this (presumably return) guest engagement with DSO Berlin. Violinist Isabelle Faust was soloist for rhapsodies by Ravel and Bartok. Belohlavek opened with Ma Mere l’Oye (Mother Goose) Suite by Maurice Ravel, the one altogether non-Slavic work on this program. With the warmth, nuance, color with which Belohlavek infused this, especially from DSO winds, a gentle hint for suggestion of patina from the piano music, opera Vixen from Janacek came to mind – fortunately without distorting Ravel’s rhythms, sound world. The clarity of the playing was such, not to fear comparison with for instance a chillier Pierre Boulez. This proved Belohlavek’s most successful contribution to this program.

Such as for ‘Petit Poucet, some of the slower lyricism in Ravel’s suite tempted from Belohlavek a slight tendency to drag – toward very deftly drawing out much color with just lightly gilding it. Pointing of the chinoserie in ‘Laidronette’ along with piquant, light bird call revealed a like-minded, intimate feel for nature this music – as an aside like that of Janacek - openly invites. Trio led by deep toned bass clarinet brought out the equally deep meditative quality of Ravel’s opening out to the Far East. The self-contained complacency of solo clarinet depicting ‘la belle’ in ‘Belle et la bete’ was ideal, as was by contrast doleful, contra-basson tempting to court her – DSO strings leaning a bit hard for her anxious replies. The dreamy conclusion to this, in helping prepare mood for the opening of ‘Jardin feerique’ was perfect. “Le Jardin feerique’ opened with fine solemnity, at only mildly slack comodo pace – with concertmaster Burkhard Hartog sweetly limning solemnity below with sweet consequents. Belohlavek stepped back to let all with greatest ease sink into fully achieved cadence out of which to build fine calibrated opening out of much splendor to bring this suite to a fine close.

It took until orchestral accompanied second half of Ravel’s Tzigane for violinist Isabelle Faust to show resilience toward achieving good confidence in approaching this piece in place of something more brazen, willful - and then through Bartok to follow, all went well. For first half of Tzigane however, with already apparently sufficient technique to conquer this piece, supporting discretion to back it up went missing. There is purposefully the modernism, stylization to how Tzigane is constructed, that it does not need near so much help as Faust attempted providing, with all the back-phrasing, extra shoving on phrase endings, extra-heavy bow strokes, hint of Bing Crosby or of jazz riff at several junctures, etc. The utter wildness of Ravel’s highly realistic opening – not quite genuinely Magyar as Bartok, but definitely a cut above on genuinely folkloric terms over Vienniese café manner of Liszt or Brahms, got lost.

With DSO Berlin harpist overshadowing Faust on segue in – even with intermittent continuation of pushing not achieved from within, all came much better into focus, for Belohlavek’s grasp of color, genuinely Slavic feel for what more genuinely constitutes ‘gypsy’ Concertato light speed up for refrain in clarinets and horns was spot-on – and in particular other contributions from a still very fine wind section in DSO Berlin. Isabelle Faust in being obsequious, then provided fine collaboration for most of the second half of this, and again remained assured during the Bartok Rhapsody No. 2 to follow.

Orchestral adaptation of the Bartok Second Rhapsdy with its deftly added coloration and shift in emphasis, removes a little of the edge of the wildness of especially the stomping rhythms that constantly propel its ‘Friss’ (second) half. Belohlavek’s feel for it, together with Faust was idiomatic for this setting, the only thing to complain about perhaps being a little further softening of this music’s edge and rhythms. The soulful character of this music, especially for its first half, was never in doubt, and in color, and bowing from orchestra and soloist alike, through constant metamorphosis of step informing the ‘Friss’ and its coloristic implications (piano accompaniment is less skillful in achieving - making it different piece this way) – for instance in passage during ‘Friss’ where soloist combines figuration with harps (prickly by contrast in the piano accompanied version), very deftly handled by all three players. Faust and Hartog combined efforts with, as encore, two Bartok duos (out of the forty-four) fully, confidently in mastery of by turns soulful and earthy savagery of the writing. All was limber from both Faust and Hartog – that simplicity Faust denied the first half of Tzigane was no longer in doubt.


Belohlavek, after interval, selected a relaxed, slightly broadening pace for the first movement to Dvorak’s sunny D Major Symphony (No. 6). Throughout, this was a Sixth conscientious to stress its lyrical aspects, only almost making something comparable to Brahms’s first orchestral serenade thereof – or more to the F Major Symphony preceding it than to perhaps the Sixth itself. For good clarity of line and texture, something can be said for such an approach, but here taking it with just barely adequate light and resonance to infuse both. Some stretches of especially the two outer movements of this symphony perhaps only made it one or two cuts above the pedantry of taking it more commonly the brass-driven bombastic way – such as presented at one of two local conservatories here in Houston fairly recently.

Some brightness for crest of opening theme, ritronelli thereof remained, but Brahms Second derived waltz step to first movement’s second theme needed more lift to clearly raise it above what might comet across flat-line. Reflective cast, coming off this and in attempting to find the right mystery with which to open the Development were good, making it perceptible that Belohlavek might be thinking back to example of Karel Ancerl, but as though curiously mixed in with something approaching a purist bent to it all.

Trumpets and horns brightly exuding fervor near end of the first movement, then after much lingering over both bringing it to a quiet conclusion, they framed opening of the second movement well. Pace for the ongoing Adagio, without being fast, flowed well onward – again after a quite broadly paced first movement. Complementing the overall open-air feel, the light perspective through which dialogue between violins and winds emerged here was refreshing. There are no slow movements in the Dvorak symphonies more beautiful than in both this and the D Minor Seventh Symphony that in fact may mysteriously complement each other in several ways. Exchange of sighs between violins and winds abetted filling all out, while keeping texture warm and light.

Mild sectioning off of oboe duet simple cadential lines came across slightly stodgy as did slightly strict reining in of the brief agitated minor key episode. Easing up from this, making supple re-transition back though was very fine, while introspectively picking up good wistful air to infuse this place. DSO Berlin cellos openly then sang forth this movement’s opening theme - little to encumber the magic of once more encountering this music, its innate pastoral intimacy. Repetitive figure through following Furaint got supplied little lift from internal voicing within, making utter joyousness of this mildly reserved – forthright, but somewhat pedantically so. Extra compensating during yielding line from the violins, while expressive, seemed just that. Extra lift, filling out of main Furiant idea provided good oomph to close out outer sections of this – until slightly pushing much final coda to this scherzo. Piccolo emerged a bit high ad dry during Trio for it waiting past dry, slightly flaccid opening to it to develop fine expressivity.

Streamlined feel for the finale’s opening lines, toward keeping textures supple – DSO winds answering with same idea more characterfully, as also with fine spark they provided this finale’s dance like second theme. For fugato, extension of it both, stiffness from DSO string section prevailed, along with some strain at getting accenting right. Wistful episode of arabesque and yielding quality of re-transition off forthrightly, stiffly realized restatement of opening theme in D Minor provided relief. Achievement of festive ritronelli, recapitulating them, became more assured. Coda to the finale sounded quasi-academic in excessive pointing of accents, then also stodgy in so much leaning on final restatement of opening theme, abetting the impression that Belohlavek may not have fully convinced himself that perhaps this music can speak a little better for itself.

All carping aside, this was a sufficiently characterized, decently played Dvorak Sixth, if hardly at all near a definitive one. Some thinning of the ranks, especially among DSO Berlin strings, injuriously so, has indeed become apparent – issue over which Ingo Metzmacher brought to an end his position with this ensemble. The diffuse acoustics of the Philharmoie do not obscure well what does not quite curry favor within how things get performed there. For how things got played here, Jiri Belohlavek should still be welcome back for at least occasional guest appearances again.

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Friday, March 18, 2011

BBC: London SO/Simon Rattle. Revisit of Berlin transfigural pairing of Bruckner and Messiaen. Barbican. 07.03.14.

Transfiguration was apparently order for the day behind program first played under Simon Rattle recently instead by the Berlin Philharmonic. I have yet to hear transcript from that weekend of concerts, also pairing Olivier Messiaen’s winds and percussion scored Et Exspecto Ressurectionem and Anton Bruckner Ninth Symphony.

‘Et exspecto ressurectionem mortuorum’ (1964) represented (start to) phase of new simplicity for Messiaen – toward better refinement, distillation of applying his compositional techniques. Whereas the five movements to ‘Et exspecto’ are untitled, Biblical quotation is cited for each. Rattle was assured deep color from sax-horn player among LSO ranks to open the first movement (‘Out of the depths have I cried’ – Psalm. 130), plus dark, burnished sound from LSO brass. Climactic, multi-layered chords - series of which accumulate a formidable crescendo - got openly projected. All rang out upon high, but traversing lower registers, intonation and grasp of this music’s hieratic sentiments both became slightly compromised.

For the second movement (‘Christ, being raised from the dead’ – Romans 6:9) Rattle made jagged opening unison light melismae and then gilded exchange of monody between principal woodwinds – threatening to make line sag. Fifteen-unit Hindu rhythm, the Simhavikrama, received somewhat extra playful touch, without breaking toward being egregiously so – just enough to have one lightly question to what extent Rattle has internalized matters. For third movement (‘The hour is coming’ – John 5:29) a certain overt quality to the music-making again revealed perhaps putting at a distance mystical sense of death’s inevitability this music better simply conveys. LSO chimes carried a curiously metallic quality about then. Crescendo for full body of woodwinds got slightly rushed, as did (enhanced) crescendo on gong. Uriapuru (Amazon bird) song from concertato of winds received more natural enunciation.

Supple dance like step characterized the more multifaceted fourth movement - with antiphonal calibration between winds and (or answering) bells, cowbells. Chorale beneath in unison brass animated concertato well, providing good frame to the rest.
Higher winds succinctly profiled light tracing of calandra lark; Rattle’s hieratic framing of concluding slow stretto for full arsenal of winds, bright on top, also proved very satisfying. Finale (‘And I heard the voice of a great multitude’ (Revelation 19:6), alongside first movement to this, simple, offered well calibrated richly varied antiphony between six gongs underpinning well measured line from unison horns. Overtones, emerging from percussion below, enriched ability to grasp (or not) ideal experience of, sense of grandeur for concluding thoughts – toward all being able to fit very well.

For being so compressed a work, ‘Et exspecto’ holds formidable, significant perils for those who might take any of its gestural simplicity for granted. Rattle, for having invested some thought therein, came up with performance direct at feigning well simplicity paramount here - better than with two Messiaen full length works he has conducted in Berlin over the past decade. Work for smaller ensemble, of relatively modest proportions, ‘Et exspecto’ fits better Rattle’s capabilities engaging this corner of the repertoire; this was a good performance. Hardly any offense got committed here, but neither was there quite all there could have been toward making more distinctive sense of this unique composition.


What may eventually emerge remains elusive - Simon Rattle savored talking about there actually being (close to) a completed fourth movement to the Bruckner Ninth. This may be due to new unearthing of sketches mostly yet unseen for finale, putting things modestly, to be all but one-tenth of it intact - without massive intervention. According to Robert Simpson, that he noticed a generation ago lack of anything suggesting a coda among the sketches, it would be a daunting task to put one together - to what could perhaps still ultimately become Bruckner’s longest symphony. Good helping of skepticism still remains healthy. Rattle, interviewed, appealed to rhetorical safety net, to prudently proclaim Bruckner’s Ninth still complete, even with still only three movements.

One or two further issues come to mind. One is likely slight over-emphasis on likely the parlous state of Bruckner’s physical and mental state during time of composition. With masterpiece on this level, there are different perspectives from which to reckon it’s meaning overall – and without leaning Pirandellian here how to negotiate inner workings thereof. Quite frankly, a little more than both Robert Simpson and Simon Rattle may reckon, inclusive of considering the weirdness of numerous passages in the Ninth, here was a way too for Bruckner – who had to have been quite lucid to have written much of the Ninth so well – to have looked out far ahead of all about him. In the process, Bruckner achieved sonorities, as also Simpson cites, both out of the ordinary and indeed unique to himself. Even for a dying man, tormented by doubt, there is hardly anything more positive than to be doing this very thing. Simpson and Rattle do not altogether exclude such a consideration, but in part perhaps they do.


Warmly supported by his London Symphony players here, Rattle found within his grasp good sense of ebb and flow through much of this symphony, with almost always good notion of what direction overall the music is headed. Without bringing special attention to it, but especially notable for some of the most quiet, mysterious passages therein, the virtuosity of the LSO never left anybody in doubt.

Betraying moment or two of dull intonation from the strings, the first movement started off slightly tentatively. Moving into climactic crest to first theme group, Rattle began honing in on much detail in scaling proportions overall; at being so painstaking, he momentarily provoked several slips in ensemble. Element of mystery entered into better focus in making transition to sensitively molded, calibrated take on the sensuous second theme. Interweaving voicing became consistently febrile through varying interaction both times it appeared. Third theme group took about five or six measures to achieve good footing, and then relaxation with meandering subject, such as Bruckner conceived it, became very welcome.

Development or extended counterstatement (Essence of Bruckner - R Simpson) had Rattle cut moderately paced path through sequenced re-starts of motto chorale idea from early on, subtly expanding out its restatements. Yielding into transition to storm strewing reprise of first theme full climax, then out thereof was all very good, until moderately contrived, impetuous rush right before then lift added to terrible F Minor climax, weakening overall well grasped effect of coming off so wearily as happens next. For much wandering about through searching third group and building outcry of anguish alternating with despondent expression of resignation, Rattle lent a supple hand - all tight in focus toward ringing, magisterial conclusion.

Scherzo opening received deft, incisive pointing, but perhaps fastidious to extent this music’s demonic qualities, its stamping beat, got minimized - better this than making it chilly showcase of orchestral virtuosity. Letting loose at violent achievement of the minor dominant halfway through Rattle made intimidating, as he should; less maintaining rhythmic focus occurred two accelerandi Rattle too readily applied. Moderating rapid skip to open the Trio slightly minimized contrast from what preceded it; balancing for sighing consequent from the cellos though was scrupulous - supple allowing flute obbligato ample space toward making all his part speak expressively. Scherzo resumed on tighter rein than first time through. Recapture of some vehemence may have registered less assured than before, but all working toward most cumulative buildup finishing trek over much rough terrain.

Londoners then fluidly assisted Rattle in providing us eloquent, at times moving account of the Adagio finale. Watching 1978 video of Karajan doing the Ninth and then observing my notes on what Rattle gave it had me almost reckoning several very similar things to have transpired in both. Karajan, videotaped, definitely shows more involvement, engagement with this music than on cold studio recording made near the same time at Philharmonie in Berlin. With Karajan, one still somewhat picks up, live from Musikverein, a still near-obsessive need for control of sonority, to extent with Vienna of nearly smoothing out several of this music’s more striking dissonances.

Rattle – dry, matter-of-fact with Mahler Third Symphony Adagio very recently with Berlin - here from different angle, definitely provided more filling out. Two episodes midway through Bruckner Ninth Adagio, where one encounters striking cross-cutting sturm und drang between strings and brass, trumpets leading inversion in B Minor of introduction minor-ninth motif, and then where strings cut in on same motif midstream both got played thick to extent of missing optimum detachment of sonorities. Naively with Rattle, impetus of striving to get such right seems paramount. Still, Rattle, at whatever level of awareness, thereby made impression of holding this music out at slight distance removed - with what conflict to be engaged in a good several times during this Adagio.

Following instance, where violins and cellos exchange broad interval motif opening the Adagio, now over repeated hollow whole tone repeated interval in the winds, had strings flesh out deep angst infusing it all, with detachment of woodwinds underneath perfectly realized; Karajan muddies things by slurring the winds (with line headed nowhere). Steep climb was made to harrowing climax to resound forth.

Rattle waited for brightly entering trumpets, to achieve good focus to help open the Adagio Shape, focus to supple line, most everything, then became exemplary, sense of mysterious light infusing much - well before descending principal flute entering as though from afar to help make transition back to how the Adagio begins. Portamento then on yielding second subject sounded slightly applied from without. All carping aside, mostly for Rattle reckoning it aesthetic to apply distancing he has according to generally urbane sensibility expected, Rattle’s elegiac grasp of overall perspective was pleasing. If less than perfectly engaging of all proportions at stake. His Londoners here fluidly expressed, outlined majority thereof. Emotional simplicity, reserve of Rattle’s approach, if only thus far intermittently casting spells, ultimately most certainly did, as if to peer well over the horizon, toward locating fine resolve through this Adagio’s ebbing away - with principal horn’s quote of opening the Seventh eloquently making final say.

Labels: , , , , , ,

Monday, March 7, 2011

DR Kultur: Bruckner neo-expressionismus zyklus I. Jorg Widmann, Bruckner 5. DSO Berlin. Kent Nagano. Philharmonie, Berlin. 28.2.11.

This program began mini-series of three last odd-numbered Bruckner symphonies, programmed together with works by living composers. The Fifth Symphony here got paired with two pieces by Jorg Widmann, the Seventh several weeks later by “Das Gehege’ - monodrama by Widmann’s mentor, Wolfgang Rihm, written on different subject than, but along compositional lines allusive to Schoenberg’s ‘Erwartung.

Much of the Bruckner became showcase to virtuosically display packed sonorities – in accentuating at saturated moments overtly, deeply clashing overtones – impetus too working toward making detached their ricocheting off each other. For his purpose – picking living composer who in fragmented manner has inserted miniature clips from the older classics – i.e. Beethoven Seventh in Con Brio – was in qualified sense apt. Hardly any quotation of ‘the classics’ cropped up in either work chosen here. Impetus for Nagano to do the Bruckner Fifth Symphony was similar to that of his mentor Pierre Boulez – likely heard with the Chicago Symphony several years back. A greater clarity and structural precision indicated as much – with modest nod toward grasping the deeply hieratic aspects of this work. With Nagano, one had to wait mostly until the finale to grasp any (derived) sense of exaltation.

Violist Igor Budinstein and composer on clarinet joined DSO for first, yet more recently composed, pointillistic, less opaque of two Widmann pieces - “Schatten – Polyphonie – Lichstudie II.’ Jostling about of almost exclusively three pitches – with Widmann starting off tonguing an A – A, major third up to C-sharp, eventual tritone up to D-sharp - started things off. Grope upward then made at best thinly harmonized cadence on A – except (as leap of faith) through perceived overtones. Moving about from it in quarter-tones merged with, added, two other most frequently repeated, central pitches similarly explored, manipulated. Snatches of phrase emerged from clarinet, solo flute duo, followed by further sound effects, snatches of jazz riff, decorated by light percussion. Such gesture supplemented wind players breathing into the keyholes of their instruments – buttressed by imaginative lower woodwinds’ obbligato.

Budinstein then brilliantly entered with elaborately varied bow-strokes - legato, martellato, spiccato alternatively overtaking each other – over lower strings obbligato. Toccata then opened the central portion of this fifteen minute work, switching, evolving from much manipulation of broken motif into more sweeping flourish of descending scale-wise runs, arpeggios – type of flourish occurring also in Armonica, but more densely packed therein than here. Interjections of very rapid upward runs, stabbing accent on chords, single pitches made for an ever increasingly mercurial play with light and color in a woodwind, light percussion dominated sonority. For contrast, perhaps for the effect of refracting light, Widmann would then broadly augment figuration in play.

Three, four voiced choirale in the strings assisted in buildup to C Major chord, to break apart into whispered harmonics with low register A Major third to resound from the two soloists. They have been already intermittently caught behaving very skillfully imitative of each other - their own tone colors, effects, sonorities - enhanced by light comments from DSO Berlin percussion. Broken allargando through heavily tenuto marked pitches buttressed a clear ascent into higher, ever growing aggregate of sonorities to ultimately an ear-splitting level. Mostly lower broken sonorities challenged developing broken motif on (mostly) solo viola – toward making final reach to a piercing high C-Sharp. It appeared possible Nagano might have been more engaged with ‘Schatten’ than with Armonica to follow, given the frequently open textures, overt rhythmic animation characteristic of ‘Schatten.’

Armonica (2007) proved the more textured, rhapsodic composition – premiered by the Vienna Philharmonic under Boulez – featuring here brilliantly adept Christa Schoenfeldinger on glass harmonica. (Boulez’s interest in German neo-expressionism seems newfound). Layering of half and whole tone dyads, melisma formed out of which to limn dense texture underneath becomes paramount here. Nagano often stressed citing melodic and harmonic motif to help define parameters embedded therein and characterize individually what colors infuse them. Arabesque introduced on piano and celesta gets mirrored, echoed by internal voicing throughout rich tapestry on display.

Interchangeability of both single pitch and clustered sonorities between harmonica and frequently wind instruments was telling – with, in addition, several electronc imitative repeat-pitch tremoli. Several trumpets cadenced two-thirds through Armonica on a brightly dissonant triad, then cut off for harmonica high and dry to echo them. Violins often high, placed back often on (half-) harmonics would gradually grope toward forming sustainable cantilena - often stifled by much else about. Freely entering concertato of winds beneath would contrapuntally supplement, develop effort.

As though to depict spirit straining to break free, Widmann’s mercurial inclusion of arabesque, especially on celesta, vaguely recalls the music of Bernd Alois Zimmermann. There was in subtler, more enveloped format play with light throughout, even to refract it during closing passages – getting past, two thirds through, pause in the music off muted strings dissonantly echoing E Major triad just accomplished.

This music included inhaling, exhaling wave like motion scattered throughout, while often accumulating, then quickly dissembling aggregates of dissonance, knowingly so. Rise and fall on cymbal clash underneath very first pitches to sound forth on harmonica starting this piece concisely intimated such. Descending scales, intermixed with descending diminished chord intervals prepared elaborate exploration of such device. All faded spectrally away to silence at the end, to at first seemingly establish central point of arrival on E lightly swelled on harmonica. Tone half-tone higher at the very end, recalled in the strings considerably earlier the first quiet major cadence in the piece, encompassing several octaves on just two pitches.

Varied dissociated states identifiable with Widmann’s music meandered into making presence felt during Anton Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony. Nagano had wonderful success with Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony at the BBC Proms six years ago in the drier Royal Albert Hall; two months earlier they had recorded it only near as successfully in the more diffuse Philharmonie. Intimate feel for the outdoors through the Sixth’s internally rich harmonic language, more prominently in London, became hallmark of both.

Replacing wooden Gothic cathedral on display before who wrote this Fifth Symphony came at the Philharmonie approximate reconstruction in steel and concrete. Displaced accenting, while not throwing things off completely, became fairly common, increasing one’s’ feeling of alienation. DSO Berlin here seemed to be making good stab here at emulating the Berlin Philharmonic under late-career Karajan – to perhaps showcase the bombast of doing so. Pardoning some overt rhythmic inconsistencies, this Bruckner Fifth was brilliantly conceived, executed, yet with altered mental picture in mind – for which it might cause an orthodox observer to perceive much heart.

Stoic reply from brass to ascending jagged figures all across provided measure of poise, grandeur for – above marked dynamic levels – a too projected introduction to the first movement. DSO strings infused first subject with fine angst within well sustained fairly broad tempo for Allegro to follow. Provocative was heavily marked detachment of antecedent portion of the second theme, each time, from more easily shaped consequents – slightly throwing one’s sense of balance off. Interlude led underneath by horns between its statement and reprise was warmer. Closing section of the Exposition conveyed the most character of anything thus far. Tremoli filling out closing lines sounded slightly more diffuse than warm.

Further effort toward strictly proportioning argument at hand further prevented thaw from emanating well during Development. Remindful of some vestige of humanity still at stake, ascending forceful dotted rhythm brass sounded loose in grip on pulsation under-girding their lines. For further projected voltage, increasing reach from behind became prominent for what remained. Stark preparation for the recapitulation abetted making stilted projected tremolo to accompany the first theme. Profile of third section became slightly exaggerated, but acclerandi to usher in Coda calibrated toward flutes entering well with first theme - brass then too slurred, projected to well emulate them

Second movement opened suitably austere. Descending solo clarinet sixth and sevenths consequents harnessed DSO strings from beginning to clip their parts. Noble line mostly characterized alternating second theme at least until brass rose to the fore to slur, turn epic repeat of the subject. Simplicity of returning first theme thus became disjunctive. – all then to turn unyielding with as a result violins only initially fulfilling, distinguishing numerous shifting harmonies. Stark dissonances for descending brass got understated, through largely streamlined, tempo marked, heavily slurred approach to much else. Pace for this Adagio seemed slower than it actually was.

Strings on subsidiary lines curiously managed cutting through brass to open a headlong accented Scherzo. Overall articulation was too unvarying for much character to emerge well, with strings bouncing down on Adagio consequent derived staccato, then for principal oboe especially and strings to halfway pick up laendler accenting to follow. Weighting, slurred dragging out of remainder up to where all recapitulates however became tedious. Restoring pacing to headlong emerged mildly forced or contrived. Scherzo reprise after more relaxed Trio had better internal lift applied to how it opened, but with things then quickly returning to how they had been before. Bucolic accenting in the Trio, initially halfway picked up, gratefully improved as it coursed along.

It took until getting Exposition underway for Nagano to find good footing for the finale. Due to good circumspection on his part, the finale, consummating the opening out of hypothetical cathedral in question, proved his most successful movement here Second subject began as open-air as well played as might any more bucolic passage of the Fourth; amply suffused strings in playing full out their extended consequents became slightly syrupy, thick.- but while maintaining good line and pacing throughout. First subject right before, on cellos, basses, was informed by ruddy tone and good swagger. Firm pace and accenting was set for framing, closing third subject, with extra reach from behind in the strings to heavily further anchor things – after threatening to come off previous subject streamlined. Chorale interlude to frame imminent large fugue resounded fully, solemnly.

Nagano then paced, balanced the fugue very well, but with strings showing, after thick slurring through running descant eighth notes, some strain. Larger picture remained in focus with precise, light pinpointing for tricky concertato, subtle harmonic shifts within Nagano almost managed building a non-arched crescendo exiting the fugue, then making rugged the transition off recapitulatory first subject over to second - starting off equally lithe as before, but pressed hard forward toward concluding it. . Making way through the rest, Nagano got slightly stumped by a couple of transitions among good handful – strings slightly too bright in the Philharmonie acoustic - all in sight of supplemented DSO Berlin brass blazing path to fully realized majestic conclusion

While fully adept on Bruckner – Nagano cut an excellent disc of the original version Third - his sympathies with the Fifth were less clear. He no doubt is in good company with other esteemed Brucknerians. .Impressive to me early on was an Ozawa performance for PBS ‘Evening at Symphony’ – my introduction to this piece. Seiji Ozawa, also mentor to Nagano, ranks high among most underrated conductors of Bruckner’s music. i I was intrigued then by the seemingly many out of the way, odd turns this music takes. ‘Evening at Symphony’, nothing commercial behind it, following legacy of Lynne Cheney style ‘reforms’, unfortunately went the way of all flesh.

More supple line, formal grasp will not sink Nagano’s Bruckner into emulating flaccid late-career Wand or Celibedache. Keeping unwritten and written parameters in mind – a modernist approach to Bruckner can still work. In keeping with such, the purposefully mostly unresolved descending gestures in brass nearly closing the Adagio, cutting across thin shafts of light groping inwards, should stand out somewhat more; fuller grasp of this music’s mystery however must first take hold. Much impressive still transpired here - if not always meaningfully so. The Fifth perhaps fits Nagano less well than several other Bruckner symphonies; this was hardly his last chance at it.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

BBC: Urbane Mahler Third from Rattle - Philharmonie Berlin - 05.02.11

What makes what one might esteem a performance of Gustav Mahler’s longest, most epic symphony, the Third, great? Mahler spoke of purpose of writing a symphony to create (afresh) a new world. No symphony better epitomizes this than his grandiose paean to nature - the Third Symphony. Herbert von Karajan was rumored during the early 1980’s to be about to attempt the Third, around time of twice recording the Ninth. Claudio Abbado instead became first music director of the Berlin Philharmonic to have on disc done so. His DGG account, replacing considerably earlier Vienna PO recording (DGG), was less finicky about attempt to capture all detail in this piece. Although it captures line and eventually good sweep for the final Adagio very well, the depiction of this piece’s colors is grayer, in part toward effort to better preserve and sustain line. Even while still somewhat slow, it maintains momentum better than happened in Vienna.

From Simon Rattle, much elaborate pointing of detail, coloration, balancing critically inherent therein was beautiful, especially during the opening three movements. And yet at nodal points returning state of nature from ongoing thaw back to frozen stasis - one picked up, dry, matter-of-fact the nagging sense of there being little fortitude toward effectively steering all forward – Rattle here maintaining a moderately leisurely gait. One with Pierre Boulez expects clinical objectivity throughout, but with him one can discern, especially while working with an orchestra, ironically enough, more sympathetic than the Vienna Philharmonic, what he prioritizes is important.

With Simon Rattle, however, such is unclear; it even makes it tempting to start with the Third Symphony’s finale, for once, except that this Adagio is no better than just one of the two most important movements in this work, so also on Rattle’s behalf, I hesitate. One noticed less with Berlin than from City of Birmingham (EMI) pressing need to overtly scrupulize the weight of accenting, length of held notes between horns and lower strings to open the first movement. Intent seems quite serious both times; as things would then ease up, one could then likely reckon all this passé. Except for mild impetuosity to rush forward early on and through brass entrances closing this section, calibration between sections, marked by incisive trumpet motto here all made apt toward building a good somber landscape. Past first thaw, trombone arioso continued firmly, toward stabbing crest to its lines, all accenting underneath very supportive, with percussion especially expert at marking rhythms, articulation. Reach down to low D in the basses, well inhaled, exhaled emerged measured and full.

Anticipation of ‘Spring marching in’ achieved through strings’ fugato emerged with deft precision and supple line, promising much ease and character for march to follow. Amidst much beautifully limned detail, a lack of sweep and of swagger through marking like ‘Schwungvoll’ through then phlegmatically handled accenting subtly belied that all here still might be alive. Transition back to ‘frost’ was again dry - extra oomph off of which sounded artificial. It took descending string tremolo to recapture good scale and atmosphere - almost too late. For lovely vocalized trumpet and trombone solo, arioso, illusion of achieving atmosphere with fine depth, encompassing myriad detail, emerged well – through heavily sighing English horn helping capture moment of stillness on earlier Mahler derived ‘Weh’ motif. Bucolic mirth heartily infused ‘the Rabble’, followed by naturally rapidly hurtling forth Storm – through fussily accented, but still accurate percussion. Beautifully prepared trombone arioso turned out very fine. Ample scale and character then recapitulated ‘Spring marching in’ – all toward very festive, albeit slightly rushed conclusion.

Flowery minuet intermezzo, in which ideal is to go mostly weightless received deft, elfin touch - varying hued light shimmering through its textures and arabesque – nothing encumbering anything. If Rattle achieved unqualified success on any single movement of this, here it was. Tone from principal oboe was suavely dark - Berlin strings remaining behind, then filling all out through lush refrain – for all again to freshly emerge Bouyant spring,. Mendelssohnian, for trio sections was ideal, with gusty breeze intermittently coursing through – even through trio of freely accompanying flutter tongued flutes above. Weeping on lightly descending high winds into Minuet’s first reprise turned all childlike, naive. Artfully delayed picking up of pace, reinforcing oomph for second trio section refrain, provided moment of earthy vigor. Same device hardly worked well in Birmingham earlier. Equally fairy-land, helping close all this, was plaintive duet for concertmaster (Guy Bruanstein) and principal flute (Emmanuel Pahud).

Merry woodland frolic inauspiciously opened main scherzo. Plaintive higher winds congenially took turns singing ‘Ablosung in Sommer’, over accompanying bird call. Beethoven Fifth parodying trio emerged wittily robust - with panoply of trills springing forth off hard plucked pizzicati – strings during engaging scherzo reprise turning randy, mixed with brass toward - timed better than in Birmingham - the awkward brass octaves descending run – all sylvan then upcoming retreating violins, high winds. Slavic pomp surged off preceding klezmer accents - for coda framing opening first posthorn episode. Its manner of trailing in then seductively took over - haloed violins aloft, warmly replying horns ideal. Brief wistful interlude wafted by, anticipating gently breezy violins’ tremolo guided scherzo reprise - klezmer goaded violins and winds acridly in ‘irdisches Leben” mode then seizing center stage. Slippery trio section fugato reprise however de-tethered pushed transition into passing recall next of fine posthorn episode. Mysterious ‘Nature call’ from horns got rushed - violins above dry, pedantic. Leisurely gait coming off this was fine – fearful perhaps that more thrust toward closing strongly might emerge disproportionate to glib coasting by right before.

Hesitant to sit more still, Rattle began Nietzsche movement with quiet, steady pulsation, but nagging sense of shallow depth. Nathalie Stutzman, aspiring to light and covered tone simultaneously began hooty and flat, waiting for her ‘Gib acht’s’ to find better intonation. Expert Berlin principal oboe upward portamenti, from others often emerging as ungainly squawk, sounded here positively lyrical, expressive - perhaps not such a misguided restoration of tradition after all. Violins entered warmly over horns for interlude, albeit lacking some definition for their lines. More focused, Stutzman, horns accompanying her, beginning verse two, restored to this music at last some air of mystery. Until bearing down on ‘Ewigkeit’, Stutzman made more freely expressive what followed – rapt concertmaster Braunstein right behind. Rattle then slightly rushed fleeting postlude, closing this out. Light bells and chimes illumined the start of the fifth movement - boys and women expressively blending, harmonizing their lines well. Stutzman, until slightly choppy at very end, sounded darkly expressive, stoically, nobly penitential. Light trailing up to shimmering conclusion was very apt.

Berlin strings began hymnal Adagio - moderately paced – with fine solemnity and resonance. Off back-phrasing of consequent to opening lines, line almost gave out regaining antecedent thereof. Febrile lean upward was expressively made to start first episode, but ill advised then sudden switch to foreground for first violins - all affected, vertically episodic. Much extended tenuti over repeated long pitch back into first theme also sounded affected, threatening again to break up overall line. Gentle reach from behind to continue was fine, winds then repeating first theme better defined than the strings, then re-entering at fore too heavily italicized. Reprise from Berlin principal horn, concertmaster of episode introduced by oboes earlier gradually restored simplicity, capacity for line to breathe. Anguished climax on ‘Weh’ emerged well, but in context of much matter-of-fact, slightly layered on. D Minor reprise of once more recurring first movement climax did so stodgily. Pedantry characterized much of what remained – glib over how dynamics had been planned out.

What Mahler may have intended came across curiously urbane, cynical perhaps; return to being reliant on bad Romantic tradition might better fill out things than occurred here. Much well observed detail likely had found poor soil – a stubbornness to yield to innate quality and ability to sustain much long term at all.

The weightlessness of such Mahler appears, in eschewing notion of hearing overtones - sostenuto impetus expected to emanate – as more one arriving from a learned aestheticism than that of a neophyte. One thing should a BBC orchestra’s Mahler sound like this, but yet another should it be the Berlin Philharmonic Here seemed to have merged a British urbane reticence with a Semitic asceticism partly removed from its moorings – stoicism. angst informing Otto Klemperer’s distinctive Mahler most of all.

Plethora of detail masterfully calibrated into semblance of oneness from Rattle revealed an expertise that, working with Berlin, may only keep a handful of peers. It perhaps is very strong purist conceit to not be able to listen to music older than Brahms, barring adherence to historically informed, ‘period’ practices - denying that music should carry any (spiritually) transcendent quality. However with little to replace it, it could be said to be like attempt to find luminous the appeal of taking stroll down a Manchester or Liverpool road on a chilly gray day – to be satiated only by occasional ray of sunlight.

Might’ve we here not traded in one banality for something equally bland, milque-toast?

Labels: , , , , , ,

free counters