Dr Kultur: Gustav Mahler Todestag Konzert. Glowing valecdictory 'Das Lied.' Claudio Abbado. A.S.von Otter, Jonas Kaufmann. Philharmonie. 18.5.11

Claudio Abbado accepted honor of doing 2011 Mahler Todestag concert for Berlin – commemorative of his passing one century ago. Two works from Gustav Mahler’s late period occupied this program. Adagio from the unfinished Tenth Symphony opened. Ample, well varied tonal opulence made interpretation here distinctive. A sense of contaminazione – through developing thematic material - became something with which to reckon. Lushness from the strings hearkened back to days the Berlin Philharmonic could play this music with still greater ease. The Philharmonic grew in other ways more attuned to playing Mahler under Abbado - its boorishness, klezmar, eccentricities all becoming more of a natural than during tenure preceding his.

Opening violas resounded distraught – searching, trailing off during introductory idea provided – then to fully realize obbligato to opulent first subject. Abbado deliberately marked recurrent theme for B section during its first visitation. More fully harmonized, brass increasingly prominent, Abbado slightly set back restatement of first theme to build early melodic intensity before through variation process thematic elements then begin disintegrating. Violins passionately sang descant over main theme, for all then to abruptly dissipate into trailing off recitative. Outpouring of emotion henceforth sounded put somewhat at an aesthetic distance, as though to temporally observe from afar.

Any deconstructionist feel is really Mahler’s own – that Abbado let speak for itself – also to eschew notion, even after numerous completions of the Tenth that it is still anything but a torso. (I believe Mahler Ten, though arguably could be completed through the third movement – there seems almost enough there for even the obviously uncompleted first scherzo second movement, but still silly to have attempted completing anything past ‘Purgatorio’ - brief third movement interlude.

Color during quasi-Allegretto-like Andante pages was piquant, with pizzicati in violas and cellos enhancing spectral pre-Messiaen bird call, flutter in woodwinds. Voicing in lower strings, doubled sometimes in the bassoons that often get covered up in an ersatz-Brahms or perhaps Reger like dense texture got fully drawn out to both expand upon the opulence of Mahler’s rhetoric while making one hear from beneath what also tears at, rends the fabric. Chamber groupings of winds with concertmaster strung out light febrile lines between dense tutti.

Any sign of insecurity here was likely due to nature of the material itself. One might have sensed matter-of-fact trailing of unaccompanied violins' duet right before damply realized organ like progression leading into the Adagio’s dissonant climax. Light Abbado shot through such accumulated dissonance then infused lines of peaceful resolve through the remainder of this while keeping violins restrained with their vibrato – until chromatically leaning into low harp starting cadence preparing evocative chord to follow. Brief moment stable in the key of E-Flat high in the violins provided fine benediction – Abbado following Mahler’s instructions to keep matters here simple. This place can ideally, hypothetically provide the listener glimpse of the other side – such a way the Tenth’s very incomplete finale gets spoken of. This Adagio, under the right circumstances, will say all that Mahler Ten can say; here it did.

The other symphony on this program was one alongside that of the Eighth Abbado has conducted least frequently of all of Mahler’s symphonies – unofficially his ninth - just called ‘Das Lied von der Erde.’ Numerous early Abbado Mahler performances were with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A cool temperament, grasp of atmosphere was paramount then, stressing the surface brilliance, linear clarity of Mahler’s writing, its virtuosity more than other factors then. A more thorough musicality, emotional depth he has eventually well provided, especially through again the Ruckert and Ninth symphonies with Berlin.

A glowing opulent radiance suffused the first movement, ‘Das Trinklied von Jammer der Erde’ throughout. Such in Mahler from the Berlin Philharmonic often gets replaced nowadays by something drier or urbane Things on top lines here started forthright in one, with feeling of some dragging (far) underneath. With this opening movement, Abbado seemed restrained about opening out very much, preferring to defer to his tenor Jonas Kaufmann. Kaufmann with lean tone and a ringing top brought out, unusually febrile, great expressivity of timbre while sustaining good legato and keen, impassioned attention to text. The forced joy on for instance ‘Herr, dieser Haus’, anti-heroism, deep angst came across completely. This piece can hardly get sung better than this.

Kaufmann resounded forth at ease with a ringing ‘euch Klingen’ – long sustained appoggiatura on (B-Flat and) A to fill out ‘Welkt hin du stribst. While stopping short of emphasizing surface brilliance at the music’s expense, Abbado continued slightly cool, detached, while always attentive to Kaufmann. English horn solo/obbligato during central orchestral interlude of this helped fill matters out, complemented morosely by Kaufmann on ‘Das Firmanent,’ for all to then fill with menace for ‘Du aber Mensch’; and ‘following.’ Even with Abbado deferring just emotionally one or two layers back, Kaufmann made very intense the start of last full stanza to this, then to gently back off at tormented brindisi’s conclusion. Abbado provided strong profile to dramatic utterances during its closing stanza.

In contrast with the more contralto like Thorborg, Ferrier, or Ludwig, we had here near as illustriously Anne Sofie Von Otter. “Einsam in Herbst’ here started off at easily flowing pace, never rushed - all orchestrally continuing to leave, likely deceptively a weightless impression. A richer quality to mezzo of choice’s middle register might be coveted, but pay-off in phrasing this music from a more youthful, intimate perspective here was very clear.

Between woodwind and string sonorities from the Philharmonic and Von Otter, there was in some of the modal harmony, lines a blended sense of capturing the blues, greens, rich lavenders of Mahler’s sonorities here. Gentle sense of naïve wonder filled Von Otter’s voice at ‘man meint ein Kunstler.’ Through passing indications of despondency, Abbado connected through overall flowing line without undercutting their emotional or expressive content. “Mein Herz ist mude”, coming off such a moment Von Otter darkly intimated in place of heavily underlining it. Contrast between achieving a brightly plaintive ‘Ich komm zu dir’ and finding deep sadness for ‘ich weine viel’ was excellent.

One had to rely upon the Berlin Philharmonic for sufficient lightness on ‘Von der Jugend.’ Deeply expressive was Kaufmann’s handling of sudden infusion of melancholy halfway through – after starting this reticent, heavily on purpose, over Abbado and Berliners lightly pointing the chinoserie; they then joined Kaufmann in lingering over melancholy of having encountered something deep, so unknowable midway through.

Lightness through ‘Von der schoenheit’ was, especially from woodwinds Mozartean - youthful stance of Von Otter to match. Several weak low notes apart, all gradually opened out to a world half-opiate, half-transfigured. Abbado wisely chose to keep slight lid on bacchanalian accents during middle section to this, both without losing character or instead unduly rushing Von Otter through it. Combined deep yearning and brightly rich colors infused closing stanzas, passing moment of occluding despondency in postlude to this - not shortchanged - only to highlight expression, sound world in very strong relief.

“Der Trunkene in Fruhling’, slightly deliberately paced, anticipating ‘Abscheid’ somewhat, sank things in more deeply. Kaufmann, equally as earlier, was again perfect. Something of a truly besotted Chinese temperament strongly rubbed off here – something all at once reticent, stubborn or distraught – drowsily reticent Kaufmann’s handling of ‘Der Lenz ist da.’ Indication of distraction from the wonder of Nature all about an irony-laced Kaufmann potently picked up - with honeyed tone several places. Abbado calibrated the bright chatter of woodwinds against both lighter string and more foreboding sonorities with utmost simplicity.

Abbado set his interpretation of ‘Das Lied’ – what may have been allusive to Bruno Walter and/or Herbert von Karajan already – slightly more apart with ‘Abscheid.’ Sense of the fragility of Mahler’s sonorities over deep undertow remained mainstay here. More radical sounding still was, in specifically spacing everything, austerely a sense of vast empty space – without any massive slowdowns to achieve it.

Von Otter, with lighter voice than perhaps customary, while completely filling out her lines, meaning within, sang somewhat obbligato to overall orchestral line This held true, at ‘O sieh; Wie eine Silberbarke’ – spinning forth at once lighter tone and intense word painting. Berlin woodwinds emerged deeply expressive, such as lied-like oboe at ‘Der Bach singt’ – Von Otter extending, floating out continuing line thereof. Von Otter then found it more sublime to instead of overstating despondency with ‘Die mude Menschen’ to, more potently, merely suggest it.

Anticipating dry, utterly desolate rendering of ‘Die Welt schlaft ein’ was Abbado to evocatively highlight, set up in foreground various strands of horn and lower woodwind obbligato over muffled strings. Other sudden change of perspective, switching what may be in background with foreground, or sudden emergence in fore of something absent a moment earlier was but one subtle means Abbado employed to draw all he could out of the ‘Abscheid’ – Abbado also less the novice with Mahler’s music than was Karajan when he helped give the world the Berlin Philharmonic’s very first commercially issued rendition of ‘Das Lied.’. The greater emotional, psychological engagement Abbado strongly insinuated hardly held back any secrets. Certainty restating opening recitative (‘Es wehet kuhl’) concerning much grief was complete. Beseeching friend final time before parting became, by still lighter means, most intimately expressive – without breaking line.

Coming off Von Otter’s dry, but fully engaged ‘Lebenstrunkene Welt’, arrived abruptly recapitulatory cortege interlude forthrightly issuing forth ongoing tread. Reach for deeply chromatic intervals in lower instruments underneath, naturally compelled much despondency to the fore. A plaintively febrile Von Otter re-entered with ‘Er stieg von Pferd’, all then quietly distraught with ‘Er sprach.’ Even with tone light, sentiment expressed continued to be deep. Arising, emerging from desolate landscape was Von Otter’s febrile, Schubertian impassioned ‘Ich wandle auf der Heimat, with winds left to fill things out further. In a way Von Otter’s interpretation of Mahler’s ‘Das Lied’ resembled Stotijn’s – perhaps a little more Stotijn as she performed this for Metzmacher than the more tragically weighted performance in London under Bernard Haitink several months later.

Coda starting with ‘Die liebe Erde’ with Abbado restrained from having strings dig in too deep, preferring to more sublimely suggest their doing so instead – all lingering, from Von Otter included – quickly turned all febrile. Through obbligato in mandolin, celesta, all emerged radiant and warm – blues through overall perspective gradually turned up without gilding anything - Von Otter’s ‘Ewig’s’, all melting into soft down Berlin provided, still had allotted to them modest remainder of the way.

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?

DSO Berlin: Schumann Szenen aus Goethes Faust - in most holistic perspective - Ingo Metzmacher, Christian Gerhaber - Philharmonie 26.02.2010

One of the most unqualified triumphs that Ingo Metzmacher has had in the U.S. was his rendition of Der Paradies und die Peri with San Francisco in 2006 – work he repeated two years later in Berlin very successfully as well. That now makes it that I have heard very nearly complete both Schumann oratorios from him. No (other) conductor I can recall has recorded both oratorios. Giuseppe Sinopoli certainly would have found his way to Scenes from Faust, had he lived longer - having only instead recorded the earlier oratorio of the two – based on Persian Islamic morality tale of sorts.

I have yet to hear Metzmacher on any of the symphonies; a friend of mine in Florence heard him conduct the Rhenish with the May festival orchestra there last fall. Perhaps the most elusive among Schumann’s choral works, most aesthetically fulfilling too is indeed Scenes from Faust. It is intriguing how with dulled mind he suffered that Schumann accomplished – process disjunct over period of years – so very much in writing it.

What attempts there have been at Schumann’s Faust on disc have been curious thus far. Most eccentric in forcing conformism with personal model of historically informed practice, though on modern instruments, is Harnoncourt with Concertgebouw. Abbado, sensitive to other elements, impetus with this music, also ultimately comes across a little self-conscious this way too. Boulez, in 1973 from BBC, combines being literal minded with making a little extra special effort to indicate what progressive tendencies the music contains, in classic teleological fashion common during earlier (and more fiery) phase of his conducting career. Bernhard Klee, at least superficially, sounds most at ease with Schumann. Just about enlightened enough Kapellmeister to conduct this, Klee does so just about competently. He misses some elements of this score, that without Metzmacher today, we might not suspect are there.

Wolfgang Marx’s annotation for Abbado (Sony) raises several interesting points. Schumann first set to music the final scene of Faust and somewhat thus from the get-go had the theme of redemption, Marx explains, in mind as paramount. Schumann’s great respect for Goethe’s text is also cited. Starting off from just these two facts alone, our information about this piece will still most certainly be incomplete - of how to effectively approach it. Whatever mental lapse Schumann may have suffered during the late 1840’s, this work certainly must have given him both some respite and some hope. Very seldom in either pedantic or servile way does the music only serve the text. Marx speaks of the very through composed setting of the ‘Mater dolorosa’ scene for Gretchen. Metzmacher uncannily found way through rests, not missing them, of connecting disjunct violas' upbeats in introduction to overall orchestral line for this scene - very hard to hear achieved this well elsewhere.

A more strophic form setting of this scene would not have served Schumann’s purposes, toward adequately depicting the shifting psychological map that he explored in further revealing Gretchen here. Important too, the transfiguration scene, though this portion of it written before the fact, with subtlety cross-references back to early scenes of this oratorio. Schumann, though somewhat (Lutheran) tradition bound to even Christologize Faust at end of Part 2 with ‘Es ist vollbracht’ for Mephisto (quoting Christ's last words from John's Gospel), definitely had his mind too, in how he crafted this work, on the visionary qualities of Goethe's Faust. He clearly did set such genius to music in such a way that indeed would see ahead – and so subtly certainly partly succeeded in doing so.

Ingo Metzmacher is clearly who to seek toward getting get Schumann’s Faust in way that takes absolutely nothing for granted. In achieving such a fine interpretation of this (qualified) masterpiece, he has also avoided seeking any kind of personal stamp to place on it, to mark as anything belonging to him. He goes about it, keeping in mind very well the utter simplicity of some of the writing, with the same respect as has come from him before for Berg’s Wozzeck. It would be the easiest thing in the world to go about Scenes from Faust as being felicitously Biedermeier for much of it; Metzmacher just would have been the last person around to have stood for doing so.

The overture to Scenes from Faust was composed last, and derives sturm und drang elements from both Faust’s dichotomous, fractious scene in Part 2 of debate with the ‘superstitions’ and from example of composing the Manfred overture. At little more than half of Manfred’s length, Schumann did so in a perplexing compact manner. Metzmacher announced from the outset, without either compromising line or weighing the music down, much interest in reaching from just slightly beneath the lowest recesses of sonorities from amidst his forces for proper impetus to propel this music forward. He also thus gave sufficient weight to what framing Schumann's overall harmonic scheme and patterns thereby provides so well. He then was able to eschew having to overtly prove how supple a hand he has at making transitions between theme groups in this sinfonia.

Most notable therein was achievement of strong dramatic contrasts, i.e. two or three subito’s toward change of tempo that happened very effectively. Propulsion through violin section tremolo runs, abetted by flowing rubato through second theme group each time, carried forward to an elementally exciting conclusion to such perilous example of a Schumann overture. Warm glow throughout DSO Berlin remained confidently assured the entire way through this.

Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund, so experienced in heavier repertoire, was the Gretchen. Nylund conveyed very well the conversational tone in Schumann’s writing, very winningly during early courtship with Faust, and element of Gretchen’s self-doubt as well. Expansion, filling out passages of anxiety made for a little heavy going around a slightly tremulous break for her; working with such optimum cushion behind her from DSO Berlin, she fearlessly took on the high B-Flat at end of the ‘Mater dolorosa’ scene with fine assurance. The confidence she took forward from this with long rest in-between reassured Nylund an excellently achieved beseeching tone for Gretchen’s entreaties as Penitent (“Neige, neige”) in Part Three.

Werner Gura made a most confident Ariel, Gura a tenor whose voice can take on some hardness in its middle to upper reaches. He avoided all that, even in skillfully making Pater Ecstaticus’s Part 3 opening lines – and something incisive as well of depicting a fairy’s cramp-stiffened limbs within fresh naivete of Ariel’s music. Gura reveled in the warmth of Elysian atmosphere, sonorous plush all about (though with harps slightly obscured in Philharmonie acoustic behind strings and flutes). With spirit ears well tuned, Gura as Ariel greeted dawning of a new day with both lyrical and heroic assurance.

Mojca Erdmann made her sweet toned higher lyric soprano ideal in this cast of soloists, with only slight hint of acid to her sound as Sorge (Worry) - leading superstition vis-à-vis Faust at midnight. Such amounted to little more than just a fine, though sharply applied Vienniese accent to her diction and production. Making for foreign, contrasting color to more Northern accents all about, it worked ideally well. Georg Zeppenfeld made subtle, straightforward, case for nemesis to Faust. While showing himself always ready to stand his ground to Gerhaber’s Faust, he very prudently waited all the way to very close to end of Fausts Tod (end of Part 2) to show his fangs otherwise. He then provided fine sonority, introspective gravitas for Pater Profondus; his voice blending very well with Gerhaber soon thereafter. Ingeborg Danz provided steady hand and voice for supplemental mezzo parts, including Mater Gloriosa near the end – part to help one also recall the ethereally written similar moment in finale to the Mahler Eighth Symphony.

Any baritone, taking on Faust, is prone to look to Fischer-Dieskau as model. Christian Gerhaber proved hardly any exception. His is a lighter voice than that of Fischer-Dieskau – such to at times work somewhat to his advantage in some repertoire. Results for him for at least the first two parts of the Harnoncourt concerts in Amsterdam were curiously similar, very choppy, to those for Fischer-Dieskau (other than his fine Dr. Marianus) in 1973 with Pierre Boulez –only time I recall hearing these two artists together (as caught on reissued BBC air-check of this).

Gerhaber made very clear and welcome well inflected eager, ardent suitor of Faust to open this in Berlin. Taking in Alpine meadows, peaks and valleys in Faust’s midst filled Gerhaber’s voice with wonder and awe, following cushioned relaxation into Faust's opening lines. Like the Ariel right before, Gerhaber so freshly greeted the dawning of a new day. One hardly ever misses certain qualities from an often overbearing Fischer-Dieskau. Making recall of, as Queen Victoria assessed, Disraeli’s manner of addressing her, Bryn Terfel (Abbado) most certainly has done just that. Gerhaber, with der selige knaben round about, gently proved school-marmish as anybody else as Pater Seraphicus. It is curious that he must show up again moments later as Dr. Marianus, part which Gerhaber endowed mellifluously with fine legato and rarified sense of having acquired a higher level of wisdom than Faust could ever humanly know. His sensitivity to dynamics, simplicity of manner during Parts 1 and 2 was consistently highly assured.

In addressing the superstitions for 'Mitternacht', Gerhaber revealed a gift for scaling his voice way down to a vibrato-less pianissimo, while keeping his tone still alive - even again through very long held note at end of Part 2. Gerhaber made so clear Faust’s greater wisdom of distinguishing between what of superstition to shake off and then of what is valuable to be reckoned from it.

Through both stated and implied excursions through the Neapolitan, Schumann proves most subtly an adept player of opposites, vis-à-vis one another, in setting up modulation here for instance from B Minor to, tritone apart, F Major. This modulation is achieved at “Das war ich sonst” during 'Mitternacht.' Gerhaber made Faust’s finding rest to his soul, concerning what he should reckon, both benevolently reassuring and not. Other conductors who have recorded this pass over this transition as merely incidental. Metzmacher hears such a place as essential piece to the internal musical and psychological fabric of both this scene and oratorio at large. It also simultaneously became so clear here how much Gerhaber was committed to and giving the fullest sense I have encountered thus far of living the part of Faust, as set to music here.

Metzmacher made build-up to climaxes for “Hinaufgeschaut’ (within Faust’s Ariel scene monologue) turn out ideal. Metzmacher managed to deftly draw out so much color and find most aesthetically achieved and characterful placement of so much contrasting going on. One had DSO bassoons heard just a little above doubling basses and cellos – and also violins on yielding offbeats in mid-ground all just absolutely supple and succinct. Mendelssohnian filigree for strings starting ‘Mitternacht’ (with the superstitions) was perfectly light and incisive, to resemble flickering of light much more than mere note-spinning. Rundfunk Chor Berlin, including always fine choral and other soloists, was always euphonious and strong in rhythmic profile; childrens’ chorus (or seemingly so) varied ideally well from sounding on purpose raspy, mischievously so, to perfectly cherubic or seraphic only page different between such contrasts. Metzmacher found much spring and lift to what he took on as dance rhythms, even almost as well for his very forthright, swift pace through Dies irae’s in the cathedral scene.

Anything that sounded detached never detracted from dramatic argument overall There were several places that momentarily Metzmacher seemed to find no better solution than to understate the case, for good of the longer view or bigger picture. Such that did occur this way only turned out more the exception than the rule. Even so, in addressing there being an element of dance in Schumann’s oratorio, most obvious for instance in the scene with Ariel, but also in the transfiguration scene, one was not about to address a newly found ‘jolly Roger’ take on Schumann, such as with early Norrington or from John Eliot Gardiner - what is so frankly two-dimensional as such. The simplicity with which Metzmacher infused this certain extra lift to animated passages he did so unabashedly, unapologetically.

It was even to holistically achieved extent - what spiritually hieratic elements are in play - that Metzmacher even continued with such infusion of dance for extended episode or two in the Chorus Mysticus – all toward bringing it and whole oratorio to a most harmonious, internally restful close. Boulez, at other extreme from for instance Norrington, kept his perception to hieratically the worked out harmonic scheme to the final chorus, until accelerando toward climax right before the end. He thereby missed some of the overt joy or making heard satisfaction what goal musically and psychologically is achieved - in which Metzmacher and his forces indulged so very well.

Through substance of melodic motif, not yet leitmotif, and overall harmonic structure, and ever subtle layout of dualism in Schumann’s conception of Goethe, it is obvious this is music demanding some reading between the lines. It still seems almost miraculous that we can have ourselves provided such this well as have Metzmacher and his forces on this occasion. The quality of what ear and intellect was at play in taking on Scenes from Faust was very clear. What also became so evidently clear was the dualism in the inspiration of Robert Schumann, touching upon traditional spiritual qualities in both verbal and musical text vis-à-vis more progressive, futuristic qualities infusing it as well.

Here was indeed a veritable feast aurally laid out before us. There was something of the idyllic world to contrast with, yet informed by the demonic, the earthly and then also the spiritual or transcendent - all as though dialectically part of one and the same. It is all there to so richly unveil what it does indeed mean to be fully human. Scenes from Faust proves so very well a most satisfactory culmination to Schumann’s art starting back so far as the early piano masterpieces we know and love. Its relative neglect, even patronization, has been ill-founded for such long stretches of time until recently.

Whoever has even minimal interest in Schumann scholarship should join in calling for this to get released on disc; failure for positive outcome would certainly make for serious gap in what Schumann exists before us today. Such would be the least way this experience - encountered so recently over Deutschland Radio – www.dradio.de - could have been so valuable.