BBC Proms 2010: Prom 34. Triumphant adieu to DSO Berlin for Ingo Metzmacher at Proms. Leonidas Kavakos. 10.08.10.

Certainly hallmark from Ingo Metzmacher lately has been his interpretation of the Mahler Seventh Symphony. Here we could hear it again from very different sonic perspective than from the very warmly reverberant Muiskverein Wien last spring. Differences between the two, suitably accommodating both halls, were subtle. Metzmacher too it seems, can sometimes be the least of anybody satisfied with his own results. With music so well-nigh perfect as the Seventh, perfection in how to approach it is and will always remain slightly elusive; there is the finale deemed so problematic – often inexcusably taken for granted. Metzmacher achieved still greater refinement with the Seventh in London – some of it taken slightly quicker than before.

It was a natural last March to capitalize upon the Musikverein’s warm acoustics as did DSO Berlin. Here one picked up Mahler from a more linear perspective. With how the Mahler played in Vienna, there was same goal in mind. In making overt the darker undercurrents in the Seventh, as more overtly, less subtly happened in Vienna, Metzmacher’s interpretation still distinguished itself from that of Michael Gielen. Whether heard in Freiburg, Berlin or L.A. Gielen’s interpretation ranks prominent to many Mahlerians. Placing music on the first half of this program of sunnier quality, greater kaleidoscopic variety than the Hartmann Kavakos played in Vienna also may have contributed to what subtle transformations occurred here for the Mahler.

Heard from London was drier, more stringent string section engagement of their grizzly sonorities, edge to figuration to start the first movement - together with still distraught tenor horn solo. Perception of being out over deep waters still registered, even if provided warmer resonance in which to wallow last March. Rhythmic markings in Vienna to begin the Exposition were more forthright, but very well marked here too. Noticeable improvement in London over Vienna was also most supple handling of the second theme, still with slight slow-down, yield into it, but played here on purpose as though to float a little more above harmonic underpinnings beneath - and with improved rubato now, to run Gielen very close. Arched leaps for high dissonances in the violins became more acerbic, making slight jerk back into main tempo more sharply characterized.

Metzmacher handled awkward transitions working their way into pastoral episode less emphatically - with inner lines better helping carry all forward. Spacing was slightly more distinct for the pastoral episode, approached again reticently, but with Wei Lu making starker contrast of his solo midway through it here. The ‘Sehr breit’ reprise of the second theme, so undercut by others by making too much retard on the second theme earlier, here in the cavernous space of Albert Hall floated more aloft in the violins, above ultimately better marked sonorities (seemingly) farther beneath. Metzmacher then handled remaining transition into the Recapitulation, avoiding better the trap with violins entering high to respond to extended brass cadence - that never achieves recovery of main tempo quickly enough – more distinctively now, with terracing of jagged fanfare stretto into the Recapitulation now more acutely realized – where ‘Leidenschaftlich’ indeed is marked. Neurotic current carried through inner voices toward making sharply coherent all upcoming awkward transitions, through finally very supple handling of recapitulation of the second theme, and searing, well marked sinister, (mock-) heroic ending to now a most fully realized first movement.

Sinister accents opening first Nachtmusik got less underlined toward subtler building of more suggestive feel for what may lurk beneath – and with less arched buildup toward long, freely rapid descending scale into horns here most warmly intoning principal march theme for this movement. First episode, characterization of what underpins it quite pungent before, was more subtly flowing over all that goes ’bump’ underneath. Feel for empty space all about with horn calls heard as from afar achieved better simplicity this time. Very stark pointing of trills in lower woodwinds was indicative, flagship for more lightly achieved, more flowing elfin feeling for the entire serenade – at surface.

Less of early unmarked slowdown was made of firm bass clarinet underlined segue into spectral, plaintive Wunderhorn second trio section. Klezmer feel for continuing march and forthrightly affirmative, very stridently woodwinds’ decorated reprise of the main march idea here helped confidently traverse all of the rest. More spectral and widely spaced was the brief episode answering klezmer cortege announced on light violin and harp tremolo on high B natural and then later on final concertato of winds spinning all off. All contrasts here got as incisively marked as before, where what fuss did occur was great fun; all became subtler, thus still more sinister in London.

At surface, with drier resonance, ‘Schattenhaft’ may have overtly spooked less here than in Vienna, but through this and the second and warmer Nachtmusik was at last what just got mostly achieved before. What must have impressed Schoenberg, even including the finale - carrying same trait forward - was the great achievement of linear counterpoint on Mahler’s part, where you have so many lines course through both clear texture, implicit overtones as though all free of harmonic moorings underneath. The art of making art out of the finale to the Seventh lies precisely therein. Icy shiver through the Scherzo contrasted then so well with wafting breezes through Nachtmusik II, the latter in reply to drowsy malaise on snatch of Traumerei as captured by Wei Lu, with no effort to underline anything. If anything, the Scherzo here brought with it a greater lingering effect on the psyche – as not quite fully been able to come to grips with which one has been struck until little stretch afterwards; stronger underpinning before of erratic rhythms produced oddball the more visceral effect.

Guitar and mandolin, with piquant irony, answered equally so by winds, tuned and strummed away disingenuously unaware of better places to land harmonically than Mahler has them. Singing ardor for Schumann-esque trio was still most supple, within pace slightly breezier for Nachtmusik II than before. Caught most ideally was the slight shudder, inhalations right at its conclusion – answered by long ardent exhaling line in low register clarinet – all as out of ‘Ich atmet einen Linden duft.’ There was even perhaps hint of Gallic feel – i.e. the extra airiness of texture for the cello/horn led middle section and contrast of pointed acrid winds therein - for Nachtmusik II’s neo-classicism that made so elaborate such fully infiltrated detachment and linear freedom here.

Rondo-finale merrily jostled forth, this Seventh again at slightly quicker clip than when played in Vienna. Now both Gielen and Metzmacher have made the argument that this rondo is no way inferior to other Mahler. It is just in being able to hear all of it that this is so. Hubbub, some blur thereof emerged in full relief, but with practically all voices, harmonic spellings, however awkward or eccentric, speaking through it all. Half ironic framing of chorale entrances by brass, calliope effects, operetta references and other parody resounded forth in full relief, with many lines running through it all - to be as sophisticated at play as informs the rondo-burleske in the Ninth Symphony.

First-movement caravan episode - less overt a shudder to it in London than in Vienna – became eerier for sensation of all interweaving lines through all preceding it arriving at such an encounter. For as notably revelatory a Seventh this was, the interconnected feel overall without any smoothing out was most unique. Remarkable was the greater sense
of play, frivolity with it here, with pointing of humor therein at one point – high and dry solo flute making widely spaced cadence to match Gielen – but truly risible now added a most besotted slurp of portamento up from violins during final ‘operetta’ episode. Lightly inebriated pointing within the brass right before ‘the caravan’ episode also caught one unawares. Most grotesque of all was this being Metzmacher’s final concert as in charge of DSO Berlin. There’s now one more story to tell from this rowdy finale bringing all to a close more than Mahler might yet have reckoned.

Drier acoustic of the more reticent Royal Albert Hall made delicate to more fleshed out Mahlerian and Schrekerian textures sound forth from DSO Berlin - as more illuminated from within - than at Musikverein or Kurhaus (Wiesbaden). Metzmacher made his debut conducting opera with Der Ferne Klang in 1988 (Brussels); it may have helped as well to conduct the Nachtstuck here, in wake of recent Zurich run with the complete opera – employing lyric voices for Fritz and Grete. It is hard to grasp how this music can achieve at once the most aesthetically true and pleasing results - as such avoiding trap of acoustical hedonism to which Michael Gielen has made reference.

Some greater repose at this music’s surface got achieved here, prevailed better than at Wiesbaden. Wafting sense of reverie through much arabesque, development thereof and interplay with repeat and development of the piece’s opening cortege motif for got provided better relief here. Such made jagged, sudden shifts and turns, for remote tonal centers, in such a way to intrude upon the psyche, more unsettling, disturbing this time internally or subconsciously – as most likely intended. Logic of what decisive turns occur then would lodge in memory as immersed in illogic – as even opportunity to reflect upon the character of the turns that take place in the opera’s narrative. Such notion reflects discourse less along lines of traditional morality and logic than along such to reflect varied mental states. Rationale for my calling Schreker impressionist may be loosely corroborated with Alan Lessem’s comments in his book on Schoenberg music and text (UMI Rsch Press 1973, pp. 71-72) on recurrent timbres reflecting new sensations, even perhaps a new spirituality - moreover suspending tonality - being that out of which is built formal cohesion, independent of motivic or thematic content.

The trick in interpreting the music of Schreker (and of Korngold) is being able to separate out emphasis on such sonorities, truly novel relationships between them from cliché, to which Schreker’s music can still easily succumb. The oxymoron is that in making too harsh or jagged or a clash where sonorities intersect or interlock will inadvertently lead one’s ear to naturally, devoid of any concept of spirituality, rely on its more suave harmonies, cadences, where Schreker allows a certain element of cliché – situation made worse by so much music since cheaply derivative of what have become very time-worn devices or crutches one finds therein. This latest take on Nachtstuck, following strong guidelines instead, made one at last yearn to hear more.

Oasis between tumult of the Schreker and Mahler here was the Violin Concerto of Eric Korngold, written post-war well after the traumatic (initial) phase of expressionism, even as persisted between world wars, was over. Most characteristic here was, within precisely tuned shaping thereof, strong emphasis on both the modernism and angularity of solo lines on part of Leonidas Kavakos. Such playing, without layering on any extra sentimentality, let in more probing air of nostalgia than is clichéd norm. Kavakos handled very masterfully the negotiation of runs in melodically awkward figuration, even through the double-stopping and then free swagger with which the ‘concerto’ finale come across. Kavakos and Metzmacher made well varied between them the numerous repeats of swaggering first theme of the finale animatedly with vigor. Kavakos’s spinning off arpeggios, decorated by so many dissonant or off-chord chord exotic intervals from main idea, was spectacular.

Most distinctive was the echt-Vienniese ardor with which so many elaborately rhapsodic lines were filled, from initial reach through wide span for eventual major seventh to help open the first movement. All got achieved by other means than infusion of artificial sweetener to bring out the ache in the sound, even an intermittent harshness of tone. One can achieve even a bitter taste with such nostalgia – here the sense of world lost far beyond what can ever be recovered, personal loss felt as well for home as it was before exile, without tastelessly going about it. Kavakos and Ingo Metzmacher both proved this as impetus for the lavish care they bestowed upon Korngold’s music here.

This concerto has so frequently become star vehicle for generous technical display – with orchestral accompaniment, so often reckoned pointlessly ornate, elaborate. Metzmacher proved ‘gold standard’ in picking up the Hollywood cliché, especially in the finale, with its ‘cowboy’ swagger - especially when reaching the horns - glittering strings above - in grand style on big sky, ‘big country’ theme that sends all the music wide-screen for good moment or two. Such was followed by fine drop-off highlighted by half-harmonics limned consequent by Kavakos, to riveting effect. Interplay between low trilling clarinet generated light obbligato in high winds to wide dissonant interval figuration in Kavakos’s part scintillated halfway through first section of the opening Moderato. Change from austerely realized long held trilled C-sharp following elaborate cadenza, to very bright clearing of the air for D Major opening to Recapitulation was acute – in part for backing off from softening up change occurring there.

The Andante opened atmospheric, toward preparing sweetly sung entrance by Kavakos. Quite pointillist, widely varied figuration limned exotically colored E Major ‘nocturne’ - coming off somber pause midway through, having all take on a neurotic tinge or edge underneath. Follow-through thereof of flighty alternation of caprice and deep yearning from Kavakos remained forefront. He then achieved over shimmer in vibraphone elegaically restful reprise of the main theme – to develop into making exotic, drug-induced his closing lines. All at high level of simplicity got cosseted by evocative spelling of so much from DSO Berlin forces right behind, making things seem all ready for the Mahler – yet with ‘cowboy’ rondo ahead instead.

http://thedavidsoperaworldblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/orf-dso-berlin-musikverein-mahler-7.html

DSO Berlin: Visit to Wiesbaden of thought-provoking clash, incongruities - Metzmacher, Tetzlaff - Webern, Mendelssohn, Schreker, Debussy - 26.08.09

Agon, battle for choice of aesthetic calling (applying also to how music is interpreted) between achieving precise formal rigor and sensual appeal – while taking on different properties, parameters, characteristics - still rages on. One became acutely aware of such incongruity with this program. Three works on the program here, written within space of eleven years, were composed on the dying breath of Romanticism - with what burgeoning Expressionism and Impressionism to develop alongside.

Such conflict was felt in how all this program got put together and music therein got interpreted. The most free, supple, even rhapsodic I have heard Ingo Metzmacher yet on the Passacaglia of Anton Webern is now as DSO Berlin played it in the very acoustically warm Kurhaus in Wiesbaden. How performances of this from the very same team have differed has certainly not been great. Pace at Wiesbaden was certainly slightly broader than six months earlier in Berlin. A week after Wiesbaden at the Edinburgh Festival, the Passacaglia was taken equally broad again, but approached in slightly more strictly hieratic fashion, as part of same quasi-Bachian program as got played in Berlin and Hong Kong last spring – with Berg concerto and Brahms Fourth Symphony. One here got in Wiesbaden the little extra space, beyond that of the highly linear, pushed forward go at it last spring. One relished here slightly more the inherent colors, nuance through process of being put through so many variations, over ground bass.

The diaphanous color of central episode in D Major received slightly more relief here than earlier, as did mirroring descant earlier of solo flute over bassoon. Febrile duet for French horns, playing in high register, was equally notable. The structural rigor so implicit in this music did not get undercut by freedoms taken here. Instead Metzmacher relaxed to make such internal rigor sublimated – approximated at best from anyone less well-versed at handling the language of later twelve-tone compositions. Ingo Metzmacher is clearly superior r among his peers, in his ability at making such repertoire and his intentions therein clear. There was also some risk-taking here in a few places, especially toward crest of the last loud tutti in the work, which excitingly became almost too propulsive this time. Culmination of stretto with seventh variation – similar enough moment - happened spot-on, variation with broken dotted rhythms in excellent stringendo fashion, as well. Pointing of colors, motif, last strands of activity in the passacaglia’s closing pages was deft and piquant. With solo work always exemplary, the Webern, though ironically, benefited the most by appearing on this program.

The Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, featuring Christian Tetzlaff as soloist, was nearly as successful. The headlong pace, with which this started, without grand-standing, was immediately arresting. The idea consisted predominantly of moving forward still well-delineated first subject of the first movement through well and incisively marked figuration as it builds up into the first orchestral ritornello. Freedom with rubato in shaping relationships between themes in the first movement was at once wide, open, and supple, all natural within the shape of the music. Though noticeably the lyrical second theme moving more broadly than the rest, Tetzlaff supported warmly by DSO winds maintained at once sufficient life and poised line running through it. The centrally located cadenza in the first movement and lack of break into the second movement certainly supports to some extent such a fantasia approach to shaping this piece. Tetzlaff and Metzmacher, however, only put at risk so far very inherent elements of classicism in the Mendelssohn. I was taken aback - referring to the classic Schneiderhan/Fricsay recording - to find less wide-ranging freedom in rubato therein than what Tetzlaff and Metzmacher very successfully achieved here.

The second movement, with expansively paced segue into it and beautifully moulded melodic line, very expressively caught one’s ear in its sub-mediant tonal relationship to the rest of the concerto. This is quite unusual - in place of the Adagio sounding as though to perfectly stand by itself. Matching of running tremolo during middle section under primary line in both Tetzlaff’s part and of DSO strings parallel to it helped keep one’s attention rapt to the melodic line.

While brisk, the elfin step through the finale elicited much more charm than it did empty show of virtuosity – it still in mind the conspicuously brisk treatment of passages and grandiose rhetoric (though with several strained acuti, pitch-wise) for nodal points from Tetzlaff during first movement as well. Some dust was sure to get blown off this warhorse, with it in mind how the two took on the Berg concerto during the same touring maestro and soloist did together last year. Astonishingly, Mendelssohn here got played with as much supple ease as would a fully traditional interpretation of the concerto.

The second half of this concert met with qualified success. Schreker’s music for Der Ferne Klang (‘The Distant Sound’ – loose translation) has often been alluded to as Impressionistic – comparative mention of Paul Dukas’s Ariane et Barbe-Bleue being more apt than of Debussy’s Pelleas. No doubt, however, Schreker is betterat being Impressionist than Claude Debussy. ‘Franz Schreker? Oh, I’ve never heard of him’ one can hear from near back of music appreciation class. Debussy, sublime classicist too he was, was the much better, more objective realist of the two. Debussy most certainly can be played overtly Impressionistic; except for isolated places in which it might be apt, it serves as good time to run for cover.

Schreker and Debussy do not normally work well adjacent to one another. Only to a qualified extent they did here. Getting past that, the virtuosity of DSO Berlin in playing this, and surplus of energy that they invested in Nachtstuck (Act 3 Interlude) from Der Ferne Klang, was something at which to marvel. With Metzmacher in this repertoire, thinking somewhat far ahead, one picks up perhaps a little more than the individual listener can digest of this music. Certainly a most dramatically relevant unnerved quality, anxious tone was felt throughout. It was more subtly the case than with Die Tote Stadt, last year, because that at full length is much longer than such expansive interlude (at 17 minutes) from the Schreker. The warmer, more pliant approach of DSO Berlin, compared with orchestra of Royal Opera in London, also fits much better.

In taking this on somewhat academically, Metzmacher unwittingly gave us a slightly two-dimensional perspective on this. He certainly knows his way through harmonic thicket present; we clearly hear the multi-faceted, interwoven enharmonic, tertiary and at tritone harmonic relationships infusing it. Mild intrusion of portentousness emanated through opening cortege in clarinets - built on triads, subtly buttressed by extra third beneath.

If however Metzmacher wanted to convey the fractured psyche of Schreker’s characters, Fritz and Grete in particular, the element of fragmentation he disclosed here was most apt. Place or two suggesting Act 3 of Strauss’s Frau ohne schatten had me surmise that any complaint made before about Frau being over-scored sure must be churlish. With such exemplary playing, it could hardly be Metzmacher alone who makes Schreker arduous listening. Having the stage picture in view, such as will happen soon in Zurich, should ameliorate matters. Whatever Daniel Herzog’s production offers, images via google of Peter Mussbach’s out of Berlin (conducted by Pedro Halffter) are very striking.

Hopefully, Metzmacher for complete opera in Zurich will rely more greatly on the power of suggestion – in place of making so much overt out of its innards, nooks and crannies. There was nothing near so crude here as the idea of appropriating equal weight to everything in this score. Certainly darker, more widely spaced moments, contrasting well too with fine tracery in the most delicate pages in Schreker’s writing, spoke in greater relief than in taking a lighter, more hands-off approach. Essentially, this music is not so much full of a plethora of ideas as music constantly in state of motion between, at a handful, different strands of material. So much often superficially seems in constant state of flux. One can very seldom keep attention to any one thing for more than ten seconds at a time. Such a superficial take on Schreker, you say, but there is some grain of truth to this – considering the glaring light up to which Metzmacher can subject this music.

Protagonist Fritz is seen just past where this music has finished playing, in final scene of the opera old and almost crashed out, so to speak, on a sofa. He is despondent over both his loss of Grete and failure to finish his own opera – project part of his sole obsessive quest on his own to find the ‘distant sound’ he can not identify until moments later right before the end of Der Ferne Klang. Not uncommon in Schreker, there is in the mean time much debauchery that has happened to Grete; such need not detain us here.

Anecdote out of biography of Richard Wagner is relevant – with as an aside some of Der Ferne Klang taking place in Venice. Wagner could not think of how to start composing the Ring until overnight cheaply lodged in La Spezia (on opposite coast) trying to sleep on a very hard sofa or couch. Output from the effect of his head swimming was the ‘water music’ to begin Das Rheingold – all for three or four minutes thereof stuck on chord of E-Flat Major. First hearing of Nachtstuck makes such notion inconceivable for Schreker – of composing music at all similarly. In mind of the diaphanous mists that momentarily occlude tonality in Das Rheingold, Schreker with no reason to doubt was a master impressionist - very apt at the power of suggestion, something that hopefully Metzmacher will tap into more when he soon conducts the complete opera.

‘Ls Mer’ reappeared from final concert of 2008-09 subscription series in Berlin (programmed then with Wagner, Mahler, and Strauss - Deborah Voigt giving eloquent voice to both Liesbestod and Four Last Songs). Perhaps to compensate for the Philharmonie’s diffuse acoustics, Metzmacher’s interpretation on that occasion seemed angular close to point of being stilted. Improvement, at Wiesbaden, in making more of the mystery and elusive qualities of this music, and more play of much arabesque through its textures was very notable. Strong delineation of this music’s proportions was almost too luxurious earlier last summer at home. Shifts in color, especially from the strings spoke at Wiesbaden with most subtle refinement. Truly achieved pianissimo from DSO violins with clear shimmer above the staff was very impressive - at restful moment halfway through ‘Jeux de vagues.’ Without self-conscious pointing of motif, the very opening of ‘La Mer’ formed out of beautifully probed recesses from the deep; all in supple proportions developed organically, very effectively from there on out.

Still there were moments in this ‘La Mer’, where Metzmacher might still mistake hard push forward for true animation that in French music must almost always emerge from within. One then can easily run risk of excessive reveling in how lavish, even svelte Debussy’s sonorities can be. When however such arrives as compromise to inner flexible rhythmic pulsation, upon which this music must rely to remain alive, cause for it all then runs risk of becoming lost. The only places where this here became an issue were two spots in ‘Jeux de vagues’ – one almost rescued by beautifully calibrated, light harp glissandi following it - and then always risky coda to the finale of ‘La Mer.’

Building of climactic stretto right before calm mid-point in the finale was impressive. Light bird-call descant in flute spoke very freely in open relief far above. DSO winds made the opening then to ‘Plus calme’ remote upon high all very arched and languorous - remote from high pedal in violin section harmonics and quiet undulation well beneath. It was from shaping this so, however, that playing turned phlegmatic, rough, for later accenting.

Metzmacher, granted, is not quite entirely to manner born to conduct Debussy –that putting him in good company. Precise pitching and calibration of numerous percussion effects throughout certainly belied the fact; there was still much here with which to be impressed. Play of waves through ‘Jeux de vagues’ and lusty appeal with shanty tune that starts from divisi cellos midway through the first movement all came across unabashed. Registration of most timbres, sonority throughout, best when informed by complete rhythmic sense, was clear. The elemental quality of this music - much of it so well breathed from within, spoke eloquently throughout.

In the fine acoustics of the Kurhaus, one got treated to lofty feast indeed of incongruities – program in hindsight not to be reckoned as having merely been thrown together. Even with what risks get taken, one is very seldom the loser to attend something like this, to become very confounded by the effect of it all.