BBC: BBC NOW, Thierry Fischer. Stunning realization of Berlioz Romeo et Juliette (complete). Cardiff, Wales. 15.4.11.

Whenever the occasion arises Thierry Fischer conducts something major Berlioz, this performance of Romeo et Juliette further proved all should get put aside to attend or hear such an event. He borrows from the ‘period’ movement somewhat in how to conceptualize how Berlioz should sound to modern ears, but less as a musicologist, ideologue than the unusually insightful flautist he has been – under Abbado and Harnoncourt (with Chamber Orchestra of Europe). The results reflect subservience of what we know about playing nineteenth century music ‘period’ – on modern instruments here – to music composed instead of vice versa.

Nothing Berlioz composed better explains how genuine the working out, attainment of his goals than his ‘dramatic symphony, Romeo et Juliette. Fischer, while at helm of the BBC National Wales has prudently waited until after programming several other major works, notably the less evenly inspired Damnation de Faust (for which he had better vocal soloists than for this). Berlioz, with Romeo et Juliette – inspired by insatiable infatuation for Harriet Smithson – ratcheted up what expectations he had for performing this from how he composed Symphonie fantastique not long before.

Among settings of Shakespeare’s tragedy to music, including Gounod opera inspired by this, this instead of being conventional setting of synopsis to music is transformation of sorts instead. The premise for their being purely orchestral movements enclosed within external frame of this work is highly unusual. They exist to suggest a level of expression that words, in breaking off, fail to express, even perhaps still as set to music - why performances of just the orchestral movements fail to satisfy. Truncation away from what – even in a rarefied way – prepares the listener for hearing all of this music, combining chanson, orchestral form, chorally accompanied cortege, purely scenic music, and finally cantata never seems quite right. Calling this the greatest genius in having set Romeo and Juliet to music understates the case.

Keen anticipatory sense informed dueling fugato opening the Introduction with violas and cellos chomping at the bit - keeping all incisive and firm at once. Spring to the rhythms more than how hard Fischer’s musicians can dig in became paramount – with paprika from woodwinds stirring up agitation from within. Brass triplets accompanied marcia, at cut time, elicited fine swagger, while firming up all about. Lean brass nobly profiledthe Duke’s edicts – strings daringly very light with broken ‘fight’ music beneath. Anticipatory sense through simple textual pointing replaced going at choral prologue ‘church style.’ Susan Bickley, lightly intoning her distraught lines expressively, matched choral work well. Brief interlude previewing the Capulets’ ball was well animated with BBC NOW winds slightly lengthening out their staccati. Inhalation, exhalation informing choral lines opening with ‘Helas’ conveyed the mystery of Berlioz’s writing, with meaningfully ‘scene d’amour’ preview natural outgrowth of all having preceded.

Much febrile wistfulness informed sighing violins opening ‘Romeo seul.’ Winds next sighing cantilena refrain on simple four note figure – limned by fine violins’ obbligato, helped complete the picture. Rustling preview of ball scene neatly limned continuing spinning out in oboe of cantilena above – ending with suggestion of ‘Scene aux champs’ from ‘fantastique’ well delineated here. Precisely terraced forth party music helped bring all out in the open, for dizzying vortex encircling bacchanalian main idea taking center stage, suffusing every level. Incidence of intrusive dissonant explosions always clearly emerged without blocking surge forward. Razor sharp incisive engagement while keeping all light left developing energy through all this left in check. Formidable chorale in unison brass took forefront over continual repeat of revelry theme, just having passed through upper woodwinds lightening it over deft pizzicato. Muffled rumination in bassoons, lower strings under momentarily deeply subdued wild revelry prepared final lift of blazing intensity to playing, scenography represented thereof.

Besotted post tonal haze engulfed all air about – strings marked double pianissimo to segue in ‘Scene d’amour’, trailed by more alert remaining allotment of carousing revelers well off in the distance. Berlioz had already written his choral bacchanale in Benevenuto Cellini (popularly known from the ‘Roman Carnival’ Overture). Imagine how well less of an impression he may have made had he included choral parts for wild party at the Capulets. Berlioz perhaps improved a little upon Shakespeare here without such.

Wafting in with ease then emerged ‘Scene d’amour.’ Distraction comes to mind of the inane ‘shadow play’ of previous action in the Ring at the Met to pictorialize narration by Siegmund and Wotan - Wagner, in need of props, in other words. Narrative sense combined with never layered on, but fully suggested eroticism provided complete picture with all color to infuse it, including very light murmur filigree in violins placed far back. Lift over crest or refrain to main subject happened with great ease, through achievement of full flush in C Major (minor key mediant). Short figures then intimated Juliet’s deferring reply to Romeo’s impassioned entreaties. Anguish in violins’ suspension laden ascending line gradually intensified. Affectation of ‘period’ throughout Scene d’amour, while played on modern instruments and without handicapping feeling this music should evoke was most, instead of least effective here; one would not need any props to be able to visualize picture in mind. Regret, desire for all to linger on beyond indefinitely acutely highlighted all expressivity during what followed.. Fischer informed the self-transformative character of material on display here, what made it ‘new music’ the time it was written, with plethora of detail micro-managed deep from within this music’s fabric, for it to all speak eloquently on its own.

An almost Webern-esque pointing of sonorities opening ‘Queen Mab’ Fischer handled just as such. Presto marking got understated, but much light pointing constantly shifting colors made all appear as though going by more quickly than it was. Middle section, mournfully intoned from winds beneath sustained pedal of harmonics in the violins was equally rapt – at tempo hardly slower than for outer sections – ‘Mab’ still lightly pulsating underneath. Descant chording in winds subtly obscured full resumption of ‘Mab’ followed by bright caccia horns’ episode moving toward sudden blaze in full brass – understated here – shock of making dissonance of common chord sufficiently compelling instead. Surrealistic lighting to infuse further caroling of ‘Mab’, decorated by harp and contra-bassoon, was very distinctive, then working way itoward slow drifting away into the mists of encroaching daylight. Jean-Paul Fouchecourt ideally made tripping arabesque out of Mab scherzetto ending Part One, with alternatively pointillistic diatonic and filled out chromatic sonorities behind him - toward very brief visited foreboding close to this interlude.

Into cortege opening Part Three, overall spell still carried over. Seldom a chorus on too often self-important repeated sustaining pedal of one pitch, sings softly enough to naturally place behind sinuous lines in strings and winds – toward having repeated pitch intertwined all within – but it happened here. By time choral and orchestral forces trade places, all usually has started sounding vaguely Brahmsian instead. Rapidly repeating E’s up higher, carrying drifting spectral line off well into the distance, at last avoided sounding merely silly.

Connecting line through ‘’Romeo au tombeau des Capulets’ was, comparable to during preceding cortege – again something to behold. Mystery engulfed low bass chords in very foreign keys, coming off ascending agitated sequence of tremoli led by the strings. English horn led lower winds dolefully lamented Invocation to follow with neither pause nor stylization, but with color between combined unison winds very rich. Through several acute final episodes, intensity of the playing, backed by security equalling that of any modern orchestra, was amazing. Fischer’s achievement of harmonic ear, way of providing illusion of sustaining overtones beyond dry grounding in groaning contra-basses far underneath, through broken wild interjections from especially the strings was practically surreal – for music seemingly impossible to ‘get right.’ Romeo’s invocation provided Fischer ideal sense of sustaining impetus throughout all this.

Until forthright benedictory ode to complete, frame both Part Three and symphony itself, Fischer in accompanying baritone Jonathan Lemalu (Frer Laurent), unstable vocally, became helpless in how to sustain any further musical interest, with Berlioz having left it to the soloist to do so here. This cantata, with its concluding ode, is musically the most conventional portion of this work. Fischer’s flowing and sinuous accompaniment for Susan Bickley through Strophes (Part One) was valuable in preparing what would follow. Encountering slight effort around the break, Bickley, vocally plain overall, was expressive, faithful to text, understanding well its meaning.

Among three Colin Davis recordings of Romeo et Juliette I have auditioned, the one with the Vienna Philharmonic, with fine soloists, has proven the best. I still have yet to try his first Philips recording. Furtive glance can be made back at comprehensive Berlioz legacy Davis has assembled, as to how he approached this music - and proto-period accents therein – before we had ‘period’ interpretation of music written (well) after 1800.

There is, apart from Les Troyens, no more a tour de force musically, aesthetically within the Berlioz canon than Romeo et Juliette. Berlioz had indeed reserved a most rarefied quality for achieving what opens out here. Thierry Fischer painstakingly revealed here how one can open out some truly incredible insights, toward making the radicalism of Berlioz’s vision seem entirely fresh. Fischer is acutely sensitive to Berlioz having drawn upon music, tradition of the past – especially Gluck, whose aesthetic invocation of antiquity spurred on Berlioz’s vision, radicalism thereof. Fischer’s grasp of the simplicity deeply ingrained within this sphere, as something inhabiting a different dimension than any ‘period’ practice can alone convey was very telling - Berlioz’s vision paramount, indisputably of sole importance – most sublimely effective with ‘Romeo et Juliette.'

BBC - BBC NOW, T Fischer. G Capucon. Probing Shostakovich Sixth central to program of crisply evoked Russian moods. Cardiff, Wales. 17.9.2010

Motivation not to miss this - season opener at St David's in Cardiff - was clear - the Shostakovich Seventh that became major highlight of the BBC Proms. This all-Russian program featured instead the Shostakovich Sixth Symphony – one of his best.

Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain was first of two pieces on this program to conjure up the supernatural; with utmost simplicity Thierry Fischer and BBC National Orchestra of Wales caught it. Like Vladimir Jurowski at the Proms, Fischer opted for the Rimsky-Korsakov orchestration of this piece. Fischer's means, with the more smoothly executable orchestration of Rimsky-Korsakov to bring out much still remaining savagery was the simpler, less contrived - better, more clearly thought out than with Jurowski. Insistence on drier sonority than is perhaps norm with the more Romantic orchestration of this piece was just partly key, alongside bracing capture of the music's insistent rhythms. Under-girding of most animated, agitated passage-work was solid, supplying means by which orchestral voices above could find easy lift and bounce. Without needing extra boost or being worked in the least, the ferocity of this music spoke forth in fine relief. Strings opened lines in the tranquil epilogue to this piece with retiring stance, opening space for most expressive playing, handled limpidly by both flute and clarinet, answered by light harp arpeggios and bell tolling in the distance.

The diabolical frolic to open this program got immediately followed aristocratically by the Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, played by Gautier Capucon. Most evident at first was the ease with which Thierry Fischer and his Welshmen picked up on the simplicity of the Romanticized classicism behind this piece. Some lingering over sub-phrase endings in the violins happened normally as expected. Gautier Capucon matched well at first, and with minimal bow pressure, with what was accompanying him – all with polished affectation of rustic air to the phrasing. With upbeat accent on octave jumping bassoon, concertato of winds starting interlude and also postlude to first variation had almost equally good say as did soloist, with fine lift over variation formed over long sequence of triplets, and forthright tone and direction for the second variation – well accompanied until hard push on concertato of concluding flutes. Expressive, supple shape was made of following C Major romanza with fine decoration to line from light winds, with soloist also deftly making long descent in triplets with fine staccati light, as verging on spiccato, anticipating full spiccato in brilliantly running up and down fingerboard for quasi-cadenza material in gently gavotte-step variation to follow.

Principal flute, making simple reprise of main theme, was excellent, over felicitous caprice from Capucon - some of it then beginning to sound worked and extending caprice a short ways into largamente transition to the slower melancholy D Minor variation. Capucon started this exaggeratedly soft, but with clarinet principal to match his tone in responding so very well. Final variation started dryly with good propulsion, but then with intruding rough negotiation of double-stops, octaves off ascending trills - making less confident conclusion to the Tchaikovsky than how things began. Faure's Elegie in C Minor, with dark tone, strong profile of its melancholy, nobly served as encore, with fine introspection from clarinet and oboe principals to supplement Capucon. Broad feel for transition to conclusion of this piece kept all mostly intact, overlooking some roughness for cadenza like passage therein.

Shostakovich’s Sixth comprised most of the second half. Fischer got some criticism for his Shostakovich Seventh at the Proms being a little too dry, perhaps even unfeeling – a little dry, yes, but the rest I did not sense. Here he has followed up with the Sixth. For someone not akin to the idiom, Fischer certainly chose a broad enough tempo for the opening Largo – similar very slow pace as Metzmacher took with San Francisco two seasons ago. Less controversially, Metzmacher caught the music’s Romantic overtones more fully than did Fischer - so for the opening Largo, it was Fischer who took the greater risk. Lean quality to the music-making, ascetic, even acerbic at certain junctures was striking - such that Fischer was able to sustain through quiet, almost entirely still spaces during especially the latter half of this opening Largo. Toward eventually making lean, arched shape of lengthy reach for first loud ending of a phrase, Fischer brought out of his violins fine glimmer of light, to avoid anything becoming too detached; violins became then both supple, distraught, plus lean, to sufficiently cap off the grand line.. Harmonic spelling of undulating horns under ascending winds toward second crest within such line was clear and firm, then naturally making space for violins to ruminatively break in with strands of the first theme, mostly the cadential ending to it, spinning out from there and so darkly echoed by lower winds with same manner of entering, over more filled out undulation in triplets.

Fischer marked very well episodic piccolo first theme reprise, making how well it delays more conclusive, incisive climax felt very well - with its descending trills from upon high over devastating interjection from brass and timpani. Remindful warning from full orchestra Fischer had frame, away from doleful English horn solo and duet between flute and bassoon to further comment, from expansive space made for lengthy flute cadenza over sustained quiet trill and tremolo. This was framed on other end by warm horns slowly and warmly marking single pitch dotted rhythm that marks opening of the first theme over octave trill to - avoiding banal overstatement - naturally gild them in celesta.

After long retransition violins then calmly, resolutely recapitulated the first theme - with as though all fire taken out of them. In answering comment by mourning low bassoon, strings made all spectral and anguished, febrile of their broad final line – all hovering beyond moment last chord has sounded with something definitely foreboding.

At decent Allegretto pace, solo high clarinet and flute circumspectly tossed off opening lines– supplemented by fine sense of naiveté. For elaborate development to ensue, Fischer made acute our catching his still ever fluid ear for the special language in which this music is written - a Shostakovich debt to Carl Nielsen. Wiry run in strings, making all sound precarious, spun off xylophone toward preparing curiously weightless brass in making half-trivial, ironic refrain to follow, that followed soon by very animatedly on purpose matter-of-fact dissembling flute and piccolo first theme and runs. Full climax to this maelstrom of a scherzo was just sufficiently regularly paced toward austerely provoked climax - while recalling, uncharacteristic for him, Metzmacher’s larger than life approach to same passage – opposite approach - with purposefully banal fugato to have preceded all this (under insistent repeat note tremolo in strings from both). All coming off then had a light, dissembling air to it - Fischer profiling quasi-glissando runs incisively in several winds, especially high clarinet and flute over great void. Capturing high endings to these helped make them resemble meteor showers or shooting stars on a cold, clear night, as though all untethered, ready to collapse over the void. Steady pulsation through the end, contextually helped make sense of pointed piccolo solo refrain framing conclusion to mad scherzo - with then all dissembling into thin air over insistent timpani.

Insistent trot to step, pulsation marked good light bounce and lift to opening lines of the final Presto. Very incisive winds paprika’d their off-beats marking second half of first subject to the fore, with their succeeding runs capping all off as off-kilter as Shostakovich wrote them. Fischer made stretto endings to it all very incisive and lean. Heavier dance in three Fischer also kept light, while avoiding turning it into resembling cheaper brand of Prokofieff. Danse macabre spinning out was instead striking, with raft of pitches in winds and brass unusually heard over firmly insistent and ominous intimations of D-S-C-H in brass and percussion. Reprise of opening to the finale surreptitiously made its way back in - deftly by concertmaster Lesley Hatfield in reply to doleful bassoon. The carnival-like coda to this had a very Circus Polka feel to it – with snarling brass in mid-ground underneath – with the dry sound, texture Fischer can favor, that final strands of this turned excessively brash on him. Fischer still had fine success with this Sixth - supplementing well the Seventh that so notably this year preceded it.

Revelation of an uncannily innate sense of how Rimsky-Korsakov’s music works made May Night Overture to open the second half an unqualified success here, to supplement altogether wholesome interpretations for so much of this program. Intimation of Weber’s Oberon on opening horn calls, answered so ardently amorously by languishing strings and winds, was rapt, even exotically so. Thierry Fischer revealed a special knack one associates with Russian conductors of more than fifty years ago, albeit they offered richer color, nuance than one can expect from Fischer. In development, mostly if not entirely reprise of especially lyrical subjects, extracted from two major duets of romantic interest during opera to follow, Fischer lent a transformative sense to how they recur, plus a piquant sense to woodwind then stern brass interjections.

Fischer’s way of making transition from often expansively lyrical ideas to vigorous dance-like conclusions and episodes just so independent thereof was very supple, as combining ardent line in cellos with divisi violins on dance rhythms right above not long before concluding the overture. All came to a conclusion that was very winningly both vigorous and fresh, rapt with color and febrile line, infused by (Ukranian) folk-like spirit - with dance rhythms especially. The vernal spirit, freshness of music to introduce the first and tbetter of Rimsky-Korsakov’s two far too neglected village operas Fischer met with ideal simplicity. This could have made a wonderful closing piece, parting shot - suffice it to say it opened an altogether fine second half.

BBC Proms 2010 - Proms 6 and 8. BBC SO, Jiri Belohlavek, Paul Lewis (Beethoven cycle opener). BBC Nat'l Wales, Thierry Fischer. Alexander Toradze.

Prom 6. Beethoven Piano Concerto cycle. Paul Lewis. BBC Symphony Orchestra. Jiri Belohlavek. Royal Albert Hall, London. July 21, 2010.

The BBC Proms continued festive with opener to complete Beethoven piano concerto cycle – one better in having Paul Lewis as soloist. Two of the concerti comprised this series opener - the First and the Fourth. As Lewis explains, the First is obviously the more outward looking of these two, the Fourth the more inward, but enough to trade off between them as opportunity for Lewis to work in much subtlety, if not quite to fully academically achieved level of his mentor, Alfred Brendel - with that from Brendel sometimes some spontaneity abandoned.

The prom opened with Egmont Overture, some luftpausen - lyrical receding from which compelled some interest - toward start of it coming off indecisive. Jiri Belohlavek resorted to a little clipping to attempt firming up shape to first tutti in the Exposition - following noble arch in line for his cellos to introduce the main theme. Underlying accents with the main overriding line in tutti above got calibrated less fully than optimum. As matters wore on however, things gradually began to adopt more definitive shape with goal of achieving for the noble Egmont Overture a bright, heady conclusion.

One however had to wait past the First Concerto to find Belohlavek near his best. He had nobody better to emulate than Paul Lewis in this collaborative effort. Paul Lewis, much in alla breve manner of early Brendel, lavishly played up the brilliance of the solo writing and gregarious opera buffa element to this concerto’s outer movements. Occasion even to be outlandish, including big glissando into decisive start to the Recapitulation – as to have burst out of the shadows lurking about right before – was always right on target.

Belohlavek attempted making the BBC Symphony phrase about exactly as Paul Lewis was streaming all forth himself – albeit without their parts being functionally alike to his at all. With so much internally worked in device and rubato, the effort for orchestra to keep up with or capture much of the same became futile – glad nevertheless that soloist and maestro should indeed be very like-minded. There was much delightful here – the winsome smile with which Lewis characterized his opening solo, the on purpose garish brilliance with runs, rapid sequences and other feats of display. Belohlavek rendered phlegmatic a few introspective moments in the orchestral exposition, but Lewis searchingly, poetically the more deeply probing Development. Cadenza optimally came off with great wit, brilliance, and panache.

Bellinian line and reverie, never encumbered by any layering on - such as may have run Lewis aground on handful of movements during traversal of all the thirty-two sonatas two years back - characterized the Largo here in full. Sensuous duet with principal clarinet offered very pleasing equilibrium, tranquility, both soloists interchangeably enhancing the other's expressive efforts to the uttermost.

The rondo finale here continued the overall high spirits, with after Schnabel’s example, light, playful rushing down on bouncing accents at opening thereof, to make all jocular and light. Paul Lewis was also lightly brash, angular with middle section, retreating lines from both him and winds ideally balancing with poise much shaping they contributed here. Zip through ascending, smoothly terraced upward runs toward ending the rondo, playing off reprise of its main theme, was infectious. Lewis sang out last phrase to fine bel canto length, with only furious, rousing affirmation left to go.

Belohlavek then hit his stride with more vigorous than norm account of the Prometheus Overture, as to hint at much fire to draw up from underneath in the Fourth Concerto to follow. Belohlavek’s getting mix of both Italianate leggierezza and sturm und drang just in sync set all ablaze, as to make all galante or Biedermeier accents retreat. In doing so, he cut neither himself nor this music, its inherent charm short. All sufficed certainly well here to give the dilettantes in first audience ever for this a good jolt, Lord knows, what we always need these days, from anywhere, to do the same afresh.

The Fourth Piano Concerto turned out altogether a fine warm, glowing success. An unerring simplicity in setting all up quickly became rule of the day. The necessary poise was there for the opening unaccompanied soloist entry, without any affectation in the least. Lewis, after gently allargando inflected ritornello from Belohlavek, infused much opening elaboration with excellent singing quality to draw in full upon the roots from which this kind of writing lies - light air of fantasy infusing the arpeggios to spin off from that. While maintaining complete classical poise, Lewis expanded out for transition into the flatted mediant with open freedom, space liberally allowed for such. Lewis clearly provided this place specific shape regarding this music’s classical proportions, and at same time, indicate how they on a grand scale verge on bursting apart. He then scaled down virtuosic right-hand figuration to mid-ground behind prominent line in the woodwinds toward closing the Exposition. As though observing the solo part from alternating prism angles, Lewis ideally proportioned opposing tendencies under-girding much here.

A hushed sense of wonder, of foreboding opened the Development. Agitato ascending arpeggios Lewis played as only slightly more prominent toward crest of each sequence of these than overriding line orchestrally. After passionate spinning forth of ensuing mini-cadenza, Lewis then made retransition gleefully light into stretto to open the Recapitulation. Spinning forth of descending elaborate writing off the second theme was brilliant, but as to avoid calling attention to itself. Lewis prudently framed opening of the cadenza with its alternating octaves, and then made Lisztian fancy of what then spins off from them to gently limned reprise of the second theme. Capricious agitated writing in the right hand very proportionately contrasted with sternly enunciating first subject, with stylized quasi-operatic turbulence to follow - all as though to clear the air through spinning forth single line through level upon high to limn orchestral re-entry.

Prudently enunciated intermezzo followed, with beautifully timed, proportioned rhetoric from both Lewis and Belohlavek. What virtues had transpired thus far infused the sonata-rondo finale with airy lift and winsomeness, while still in context of music turned more inward than that for the First Concerto. Fine, excellent calibration of agitato passages in mostly the Development Lewis made open in their impulsivity, contrasting them with unaffected soaring line up high over long pedal point in the lower strings. Reprise of the main theme, especially one variant on it with light melodically broken octaves, became exceptionally playful and witty. Belohlavek contrasted hushed rustle to opening of the finale with fine heft with matters arising toward direct confrontation between soloist and orchestra. Cadenza went by forthrightly - fine virtuosic spinning off the octaves and deftly upward bouncing trills to lead into Elysian legato singing of the main theme from woodwinds in reply. Spark infusing huge secondary dominant clash helped inexorably bring all to a fine conclusion, making overall conception of the rondo complete. Among three very fine performances of the Fourth lately, the Elysian Freire/Metzmacher and more impassioned Barenboim, this one captured the Fourth with fullest sense of perspective. It all proved very satisfying – anticipating a second all Beethoven evening from Bremen-based chamber orchestra that in affecting much accomplished very little.

Prom 8. BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Thierry Fischer. Alexander Toradze. Royal Albert Hall, London. July 22, 2010.

In order to hone in better on central work on this program – Britten programmed as its direct accessory, good to start by discussing the Prokofiev First Piano Concerto placed in-between. Thierry Fischer is frequently welcome guest at the Proms for his very formally astute, rhythmically incisive, and dramatically insightful to even searing interpretations.

Alexander Toradze, who recorded all five Prokofiev concerti with Gergiev and the Mariinsky, asked rightly so for more orchestra behind what commonly is very forceful playing from him on Prokofiev. Fischer accommodated Toradze best he could, therein helping develop quite a meeting of the minds, as can be expected in imaginatively approaching Prokofiev’s music from contrasting angles. Whatever few notes were missed, a few chords stumbled over, much imagination and vitality invested here into a slightly off-center interpretation of early Prokofiev, neurotic and plentifully insightful, paid off. BBC Nat’l of Wales sounded slightly thin for the very start of this; Toradze's pro-actively helping make his playing of the often clangorous introduction integrate with the rest, from a customarily heavier approach one is accustomed to from Toradze, was most beneficial. Toradze played scherzo passages with spiky incisive wit – precariously arched negotiation made of ascending passages toward arousing much excitability.

Without being as self-conscious as Gergiev, Fischer gave this music a restive sense of nervous anxiety already near this music’s surface - to run as strong undercurrent to much at hand, in joining Toradze toward intimating what is ahead in the G Minor Concerto. Peppered by upward glissandi from Toradze, all lurking shadows for first somber intermezzo were intact. Fischer’s feel for romanticism may not be so naturally full-throated as from a Slavic podium for extended slow passage midway through; Toradze presented himself fully poised to bring it all out - with Fischer his very close ally in fully reassuring all it would. Stringent push forward into final scherzo reprise toward segue into grandiose reprise of the opening of the concerto was riveting. This Prokofiev proved informed energetic antidote to sobriety of the two works book-ending this program, major work in key semitone lower than this concerto - opening Britten in key a semitone above.

Kurt Masur’s Orch Nat’l de France Shostakovich Seventh became outstanding climax to recent Shostakovich centenary year at the Proms. Before discovering Mravinsky’s recording of the Seventh ten years ago, I hardly at all well reckoned this work's very real importance. Mravinsky gets to layers beneath others a little beyond how I had ever heard anybody do the Seventh before – really since. The not particularly Slavic Thierry Fischer gave the Seventh an unusually probing look. Such was halfway expected, but extent to which he took matters was truly outstanding. With lean textures, even slightly detached quality Fischer opts for, one had to wonder how he might fare with such epic Shostakovich. My gut had me think back to, in wake of devastating Eleventh Metzmacher did last year, to retrying an old Andre Cluytens recording of again the Eleventh, beautifully transferred (Testament) from muddy sonics before (EMI).

A drier quality of the playing, rhythmic, expressive simplicity and substantial emotional reticence Fischer and Cluytens now share, quite inimitably so. They now both have made music of something justifiably reckoned of encompassing historical relevance. When one hears ‘cosmopolitan’ referring to Shostakovich, one often first thinks Haitink or Simon Rattle, who each can rise to the occasion, less the agit-prop, shibboleth of a Rostropovich, Bernstein, or of even Toscanini – latter whose Seventh the composer despised (should Solomon Volkov be trusted).

Fischer began the symphony in somewhat ironic style – majestic start to ‘calm before storm’ episode – in giving it a regimented feel and even lightly interjected brash lift to succeeding line – that all with crisp gesture and much insinuation underneath fully started getting various points across. Fischer traced lines through contrasting orchestral voices with acute sensitivity – with much ominous hint of what is to come infusing so very much, as in almost comparably individual way to Ancerl or Mravinsky on disc. Richly voiced interaction between winds and lower strings well anticipated the gently limned second theme plus much else.

With Fischer, one had not the voice of the people so to speak, but that of the individual, that of a small voice through it all - without cheapening anything, humanizing Shostakovich in the process. Uneasy peace prevailed well until the ‘war march’ with out of all development of lyrical and melodic strands also would come on another level the darkest and most sinister motifs to emerge here as well. As has been said before, it is two sides of one coin that get depicted here. The Seventh is not quite two types of music that all as though through happenstance got stitched together to make some program out of it; it certainly was not here.

After benighted good cheer from piccolo and tense, thinly played high cadence by Lesley Hatfield, ensued the non-Development ‘war march.’ Fischer was unabashed in giving first full brass variation of it good swagger, and at what uncertain goal he hears everything here - with it no longer specifically the Wehrmacht any rationalization. Shostakovich, in writing the march, more likely had much noise, celebratory balloons surrounding Stalin’s five year plans in mind - source for the march being both German and Russian (including motif from Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk). A certain cool, glibly detached steady push forward on Fischer’s part here accurately depicting such behemoth - suggested mechanization, bureaucratization of society, of all human impulses thereby - moved forward to crush all. Without inculcating any untoward accelerando, Fischer had all inexorably strut forward through passing terror to very impassioned grief, especially in trumpets and high strings. Following somber long bassoon solo was most eloquent - amidst much sullen, numbed, shocked grief; it was starting with the loud opening of the Recapitulation at which Fischer logically found the heart of this sprawling movement. Expected reprise of opening material followed - with mildly less thrust, thus plentiful space for single pitch warnings in lower horns over low tremolo in timpani to sustain full sense of foreboding to its conclusion.

Fischer wisely chose to take the scherzo moderately swift - it too easily achieved some bonhomie, bourgeoisie sentiment in keeping with this music’s supposedly populist appeal otherwise. Even in single line in the violins approaching pizzicato reprise of the opening to segue in the middle section Fischer found element of harmonic impetus behind it, not just that of the Scherzo, but of continuing train of thought throughout the entire symphony. Fischer made for middle section insistent rocking motion forward with shrilly played piccolo clarinet high above agitated and very stark. He gave middle section of the Adagio - with its close-interval trumpets over driving percussion – similarly vigorous, virile stringency, despondency. The shudder, choked back tears associated with flutter tonguing in the flutes toward end of the Scherzo was subdued, as instead to sparsely depict numbed frozen expression of grief. If less moving than example set before, there was still the somber, distraught bass clarinet to eloquently fill all out.

Fischer’s keeping line very well sustained through the Adagio - with stark, Stravinskian austerity with which he infused its opening heavily doubled chorale for winds - was most convincing. He settled for gentle lift to accompany long spun, developed several pitch falling figure Tchaikovsky Third String Quartet quotation. Cellos provided Tchaikovsky quote second theme fine tonal warmth to fill out what first flute stand had rhapsodized five minutes earlier. At moderately slow pace, this Adagio coming in close to nineteen minutes, Fischer let nothing meander off for anything merely incidental or to risk untoward over-emphasis. Better the simplicity this music conveys so well on its own. If not quite Shostakovich’s most inspired Adagio, it still has plenty to say, doing so most freely with much prudence regarding its construction - as encountered here.

The finale rustled with lightly setting off, urgently insistent press forward through the ‘battle music’, but toward no clear goal of victory in sight. Rapid swirling about, approaching fugato, turned furious – albeit wisely at level of controlled inexorably organic press forward. Fischer made very underlined and insistent his transition into the preponderant Moderato epilogue to both the finale and entire symphony – as for it to carry very significant weight as to counteract what false has often been construed of this finale. Fischer was so very specific, purposeful with it all to even have set in relief measure or two of caccia style triplets in the horns to catch all off guard. All remained lean, very tense through the end, as opposed to all loud and chutzpah, with fortissimo trumpets hanging on to dragging, but firm dotted rhythms on pitches of E and D-sharp to refer back to, crying out over all the rest, Fischer’s very dogged start to the Moderato. At pacing of the finale a little quicker than usual with pounding timpani to drive everything home at the end, all became much enhanced here, never short-changed.

Here was then indeed a resolution on purpose insufficient at resolving earlier accumulated tensions, thus as close to definitive an account of the finale I have yet heard. Fischer honed such with an ear for relationships at semitone, whole tone, tritone between harmonies - also as spun out in (quasi-) a cappella lyrical passages. As again voice here for the small voice or simple individual to carry weight, through such very thorough preparation Fischer provided here, there is unsuspected by dull-witted coterie of apparatchiks an ever strong element of formalism – more probing at it than possible earlier with the more popular Fifth.

For greater eloquence, Fischer might invite some of his principals to sing out their lines a little more fully. Ancerl’s opening out of space for fierce high trill in flutes above much racket had more fire (with such ample space Ancerl provides). than from tighter embouchures at work here. Such quip here is churlish, in context of everything here – a real ferreting out of all text that lies beneath other text; look of exhaustion, including very minor incidence off final chord, was fully earned. All most necessary to communicate here remained steadfast, paramount.

The program though opened with the Sinfonia da Requiem by Benjamin Britten. Thierry Fischer refused to comfortably settle with standard idiom for conducting Britten's music – complacent level at which can make Sinfonia da Requiem sound utterly formulaic – as happens so often. The fleshing out of the internal harmonic structure of the music and motion carrying through it, whether fast or slow, was highly compelling here, and impetus for Fischer to take slightly more extreme than the norm in what tempos he chose. Nothing stood out as being particularly at either extreme. It was most of all Fischer's tenacity to maintain his tempos in interest of a rock steady pulsation to persist through the outer slow movements. Such simply provided bedrock, against which all voicing, even open singing of the lines throughout spoke with febrile line to the uttermost - for what novel writing lies beneath and within to also fully register.

Jaunty ease with ‘Dies Irae’ death-dance of sorts got traded in for something more incisive, telling as such. Breaking apart of much activity at the end sounded as though having organically processed out of abundantly clear tendencies to all have emerged right before. Precision of ensemble, with everything very doggedly worked out, was indeed remarkable at the fast clip Fischer took, all for most musical of purposes. Especially in the Requiem movement, noting subtle dark coloring with which the winds underpinned ascending strings, things hinted at very similar harmonic relationships spelled out and developed in the Shostakovich to come. Such a purpose driven, historical and time relevant account of this piece - as to have fit entirely well the expressive to symbolic purpose of programming arranged here – seems rare indeed.

Such fragile impression of life communicated in febrile limning of very steadily paced chorale by which Fischer led the slow finale, highly affecting this way – several remaining voices at the end distinctive while fading away as well. Played with such conviction, all sense of foreboding emerged complete.

BBC Proms 2009 24 and 25: Beethoven/Berlioz between Malkki/BBC SO and T Fischer/BBC NOW

Prom 24. BBC Symphony Orchestra, Susanna Malkki. Jorg Schneider, Simon Preston, soloists (Berlioz). Royal Albert Hall. August 2, 2009.


Mere combinations of orchestral choirs, how they interact too with solo instruments – as affected by frequent changes in pacing – was partly impetus behind Ben Foskett’s From Trumpet that opened Susanna Malkki’s one Proms visit this summer. Triad intervals starting with a mid-register A, spanning a minor ninth, build to overlap between E-Flat major chord and dominant seventh of D Minor and fill out circular motion through which woodwinds proceed very slowly. Strings then break in with formations of sevenths and ninths, with more frequent but at first still light pointing of accents from the percussion. Muted brass alternate with winds in spinning out closer intervals and thus help to step up the pace with sharper, more frequent dissonances. Violins then play simple ostinato between G-sharp and F-sharp, to buttress overt brief toccata of loud percussion.

A high register trumpet trio fanfare five minutes in marks a signpost, over strings pulsating over whole tone of C and D, underpinned by pounding timpani. Oboe forms a lyrical descant leading into by now a dissonant C Major chord in high winds - as though starting an episode of ‘night music’; the chord then easily separates itself out; then all momentarily is at rest, with a wide open spaced chord one semitone off melodically traced in lower registers. Past a cumulatively dense climax, Foskett settles for remainder of this fourteen minute piece becoming an exercise in chant-based minimalism, suggesting his having run out of ideas early.

Spiritual or religious fervor, enthusiasm was apparently not the principal calling card for Malkki in taking on Hector Berlioz’s Te Deum. Here nevertheless was a performance of sufficient scale and grandeur to be memorable. The forthright clarity and bright vigor with which sopranos began their lines in “Te Deum” (first movement) augured much of what would follow here, but not to an extent to betray irreverence, even with things getting placed slightly far forward. Malkki, within fine grasp of line and overall conception, found suitable introspection for “Omnis terra” and also then for uninterrupted transition to “Tibi omnes” (second movement). The lines of “Sanctus” building each to a straightforwardly imposing “Pleni sunt coeli” let off in lovely underpinning by strings a hint of the poetic landscape for Faust that starts “Damnation” - choral lines further lit here by gently downward arpeggio cascades by quartet of flutes. Nuance for Berlioz’s dark shading of otherwise an overtly bright supertonic of C-sharp major (while in key of B Major) in the second verse of “Tibi omnes” was insightful as well - with further nuance provided by having string pizzicati antiphonally answer flutes hovering about.

Supple organ arioso and entrance by sopranos over simple woodwind textures helped lend pleasing simplicity to the notion of the prayer, “Dignare” - of true penance bringing some form of spiritual replenishment or refreshment. In approach to “Miserere’s” in the text, Malkki underlined the dark color of modulation to E Major as Neapolitan to E-Flat Minor, but as harmonic weight also suffused with light in completing full modulation to C-Sharp Minor. Without sounding as unified in purpose as a well-seasoned Colin Davis on disc, reassuring balm was found in the cadential response that then occurs in A Major for a movement of classical construction having begun in D. There is hardly any movement in French or any choral music more expressive than this one; hardly anything in its way of being sublime got missed here.

“Christe, rex gloriae started off bright, but lightly textured in its fervor - as to keenly save a more satisfactorily complete enthusiasm over subject matter and lines of text for last. The quasi-Mozartean cadential preparation for reprising of its opening was potent too.

Jorg Schneider, tenor for “Te ergo quaesumus”, so musically capitalized upon his resources that without resorting to falsetto, crooning or anything weak, made something most pliable, flexibly expressive of his assignment including therein what lies near, around the top of the staff. Any hint of trouble around the break could have gone completely unnoticed. He made the most in the right way of chromatic turns in the exposed, at times long-breathed melodic lines given him. As suffused with light as identifiable perhaps with Wagner’s swan knight was the overall approach to the soloist’s final stanza starting with “Speravimus” over hushed, subdued legato choral response. One should not read into the above promotion of Schneider to take on Lohengrin (as of yet). With voice and musicality as pleasing as his, one looks forward to his Mozart, lyric French, bel canto - and lieder as well - before long.

“Judex crederis”, with its imposing grandeur and working out of thoroughly in-depth involvement of enharmonic relationships, proved no challenge for Malkki. She, however, could have been cited for tendency to underline brass or trombones’s frequent doubling of leading choral line, and perhaps being mildly too direct with accenting it as well. The vigor and tremendous weight of such music, of such a conception as this finale is certainly nothing to be denied and it most certainly was not here. It is something though that with time will grow to eventually speak more eloquently with more subtle command of it in the future. In Malkki’s best interest, it should be said too however that the overall sound of the BBC Symphony Orchestra is slightly dry for Berlioz - as such some liability in getting across all that this music must convey. As understated as some qualities were about this performance of Te Deum, there was very little – with very fine contribution of Simon Preston at the organ and of extensive choral forces here – with which one could go away feeling unfulfilled by hearing this.

Nothing could have prepared better for the Berlioz than what proved perhaps the most surprising performance of the evening, that of the Beethoven Fourth Symphony, for which the emcee who announced it, unsolicited, apologized. Pardon that it is indeed an equally important work as the two admittedly more imposing symphonies that bookend it; it certainly is too the most subtle and in a way most inward looking of any of them. If anyone did not need convincing I am right, it was Malkki. It ranks along with the Eroica as one of my two favorites among the nine.

A less than entirely full contingent of forces were used for this Beethoven Fourth, but little in the way of being dry or austere in doing so. An especially fine ear for all subtle harmonic change in the introduction, color therein, was clearly evident. It was comprehensively such, interpreted so well, it could have been written to prepare the way for “Tibi omnes” or “Dignare” from the work to follow here. With appropriate space allotted sinuous lines in mostly a re-transition of a Development section, the bracing vigor for the body of the first movement was also undeniable. Malkki also made vigorous play of light staccato offbeat half notes for closing theme to Exposition and Recapitulation without giving in to or leaving one the impression she was clipping these - certainly not to excess, as for instance might be expected of an Osmo Vanska or Paavo Jarvi. Malkki, with apparently a more thoroughly intellectual (and heartfelt) grasp of this music, is knowing enough to eschew the excesses of playing Beethoven ‘period’, whereas others do not. It was only the opening of the Scherzo here that might have pointed accents slightly too brusque, but the harmonic and sinuously drawn follow through with melodic lines therein - fully to its Trio section - was most assured.

The acute contrast between accompanying dotted rhythms, of quasi-militaristic austerity - in best Haydnesque sense, as infused too by sense of revolutionary, Napoleonic air to world about depicted here – and more sublime and flowing utterance of the Adagio was spelled out in beautifully well proportioned relief. Sensuous quality to principal clarinet’s tracing of the second theme was such for which one can not ask any apology, along with time to linger over completing certainly expanded retransition in this Adagio as well.

By way of contrast was the bracing perpetuum mobile finale, taken certainly very fast, not excessively so, but perhaps almost made to appear so by an unbroken inner vitality to it - unerring in Malkki's grasp thereof. Nothing got shortchanged, at least until poor principal bassoon was given second half of its opening theme to match the drive which the BBC strings were injecting into it all by that point. He was excellent, nevertheless, in for instance how he handled just as rapidly the entire theme a moment earlier.

This prom did not overshadow hearing the Boulez/Birtwistle prom Malkki and London Sinfonietta offered two summers ago. Even that this one could have started with a more fulfilling, even if shorter example of contemporary music than it did, one had to be grateful to have what proved here such unassuming, but very fulfilling grasp of the traditional repertoire. For Malkki, one world hardly exists without the other.



Prom 25. BBC Nat'l Orch of Wales, Thierry Fischer. Emmanuel Pahud, Francois Leloux, Paul Meyer, soloists (Jarrell). Royal Albert Hall - August 3, 2009.

Thierry Fischer’s Beethoven/Berlioz prom followed almost too hard on the heels of Susanna Malkki the night before, given such very high standards to which hers rose. Nevertheless, for Frances-Juges overture that opened Fischer’s, here was a highly spirited, if mildly detached account of it, with much varied and incisive color, notably dark from lower brass for especially their more sinister utterances. Accuracy with very tricky string writing might have though at a couple of places come into slight doubt. Fischer highlighted Berlioz’s uniqueness as a composer therein very well, with for instance brief trio of flutes over chromatically descending triads as dovetailing eruptions from the brass. The academia parodying second theme played as obbligato in the cellos to nothing during the Recapitulation was yet another example. Much fun and clamor was made with the cheeky while fully achieved second theme for rousing close to it all.

A now completed version of Sillages (or Traces) by Michel Jarrell followed the Berlioz, for what proved to be an often quite inscrutable piece. Scored for three high woodwinds and large orchestra, much of it plays as transcription into humanly achieved pitch from music written for IRCAM and associated hardware. This piece makes sublime the fragility of music, that too of holding onto a human voice - to extent that such may still be possible. There is a plethora of toccata writing, especially for solo oboe, among trio of flute, clarinet, and oboe, likely as such to equivocate its own self with oscillating sine waves or what have you. More clearly than before in the new second movement - with its offbeat dance steps near its outset are there moments that very well intimate human gesture Such intimation could occasionally be felt during the first movement - as played here picking up if still dryly on the deception that intent here would be to play much intricacy wrapping around everything as though merely mechanical, when this is likely not the real intent. Even without trying, that as from a machine and in inherent dialectics, there is a perceptible human voice that still makes itself be known or heard.

Tonal centers are (as though anomalously) set up, such as on a long held, repeated A at the beginning of the piece, for much stirred up linear and contrapuntal activity to envelop them. Lower rumblings from brass and percussion practically almost suggest a new language of overtones in a world of ever expanding vision and possibilities, to add to the one that already well enough exists. Combination of sonority, timbre, space not only recalls some of the best compositions of Boulez, but also of Messiaen. Moments of long held tone, sonorities with sparse activity circling about seem to expose where there are gaps or even holes perhaps. They perhaps too suggest areas through which sound can not quite effectively travel. Except for extra concertato of soloists within, orchestral parts in this piece tended to follow a statelier pace in echoing, inverting, mirroring, amplifying what the principal soloists presented.

One enigma perhaps is the difference in characterization between the three soloists, except for some flute playing held quite aloft and oboe as relentlessly virtuosic at times as to resemble in effect mechanistically giving output. The ephemerally very rapid and brief stretto of horns off single note tremolo in the violins on C-sharp near the end of the first movement was also noteworthy. A slurred retreating flurry of stretto then emerges over a harmonically extended pedal - remindful of the close of the Berg Chamber Concerto and thus almost giving the impression that the first movement of this was over four minutes before it really was. This is instead followed by one last very elaborate contrapuntal episode that then breaks off to nearly two minute episode of stillness. Elaborately intertwining polyphony for the three wind soloists then spins itself out, to conclusion of leaving solo clarinet high aloft.

Jarrell composed the second movement especially with in mind expanding the role and individual character of clarinet and flute soloists. In doing so, he only partly succeeded. Lines of broad lyricism could limn - including even during the first movement for oboe - what might traverse so much space - as for what we might imagine could be there. So much else only gets strongly implied to be so dense. Such lyricism above could also be noted for the extensive closing pages of this work, if seemingly disjunctive in spirit, organizationally so, from what lift has been provided such lyricism earlier.

Fischer and his forces certainly proved non-ostentatiously faithful to the composer’s intent, if from dry or detached perspective. It is open question how much more can happen here in terms of infusing such music with more color, character, and driving force. Here was as good a stab at it as could have anywhere been anticipated.

It perhaps might have been to err on the side of being cerebral for audience to return from the break to immediately take in the Beethoven Eroica Symphony, so inserted between on this program was the Berlioz Symphonie funebre et triomphale. This marked only the Berlioz symphony's second outing at the Proms, with called for its full complement of eighty winds, 18 percussion players, but no strings on a large Royal Albert Hall stage. Presenting this music with the simple dignity, nobility it deserves seemed to be the best strategy - which Fischer with more varied forces followed. Tenor trombone solo, taken from the no longer extant opera “Les Frances-Juges” had the right eloquent simplicity to it, as did preceding noble cortege with varied divisions of its stanzas into two parts.

An indeed immediately bracing account of the Beethoven “Eroica” after one further break then got under way. The specificity one gets in phrasing so often from Thierry Fischer sounded just only three-fourths there for good portions of the first movement. The heroic element here was something freely to be understated, and as such is a welcome approach, over and above the standard garden variety heavy rhetorical cliché one runs across often with this piece. Some accenting here did become crude at times, but overall the goal with conducting this music seemed mostly clear, if not as thoroughly worked out as certainly could have been the case. Fischer clearly avoided taking the marcia funebre second movement too slowly, but with near as certain shaping of the opening theme as happened for Ingo Metzmacher in Berlin as performed there last fall; there was minimal fuss with phrasing here to detract from the solemnity and gravitas of this music. Fugue and recapitulation however were straight-forward to an extent of threatening to give us somewhat a streamlined, glib approach to assignment even here.

Smooth articulation by valveless horns for trio of the Scherzo was a highlight, in the midst of relaxed trio and contented outdoors feel to what Fischer made the scherzo, even if cheating a few rhythms here and there at getting it. The finale, excusing that the Prometheus theme, first time to be heard, got rushed off its tether a bit at one point, was excellent here. The fugue, following a still quite high level of speed, circumspectly maintained its own internal vigor, instead of cheaply having anyone bully accents for it. Pacing, combined with thorough preparation to get accents right here, was very adept, but moreover, fearless. Such held very true for the G Minor dance variation, in attempting to get the bucolic merriment of this passage just right.

Though working out of a different playbook than Metzmacher, Fischer equally eschewed making too ‘eroica’ augmented ‘Prometheus’ in the brass, connecting it instead quietly with the preceding gentle but still connected lilt to all that transpires here and into nearly ending the Andante in G Minor. Such was limned with fine poignancy and exemplifying all that this music can and should be. The Presto coda, without it getting pushed too hard, maintained for not being hard-nosed ‘period’ its becoming a hearty peroration of bracing and compelling vigor to all that had transpired.

Fischer/BBC NOW: Tribute for what debt Dada, Poulenc might have owed Stravinsky

This highly interesting, provocative program started with a new piece by Michael Berkeley, son of Lennox Berkeley, mourning the deaths of a young close family friend - sudden victim of freak cart-wheeling accident - and that of Richard Hickox.

A natural history unit of BBC off the coast of Alaska took recordings of humpbacked whales for what here was ‘Gabriel’s Lament’, lasting sixteen minutes. Broken antiphonal or responsorial choral singing breaks in upon music well organized, but clearly emphatic on creating a mood conducive to meditation or reflection. Aggregates of thirds are built into the texture and scale-wise fragments of often five notes winding up on tritone from starting pitch usually below. Elements of there being chords of different tonalities break in, more to the effect at least of being pan-diatonic nearly as often as chromatic.

The recorded whale calls come in succinctly timed, as do broken ostinati in winds, trumpets, etc. Moment or two of Elgarian writing lent this music an air of a distinct feeling of nostalgia as well. Fischer kept textures not absolutely light as possible, but clear and with also with proper necessary weight. He thus connected the different strands therein with a fine, never overbearing sense of line. He also ensured well a readily apparent exactitude to choral and solo entrances, to refreshing extent most desirable.

One could not be quite sure how this opening piece prepared one for the rest of the program here, but the Berkeley, half as long as each of the other two, lent the program perhaps a much needed air of sobriety before continuing on. Putting it in-between the Poulenc and Stravinsky works would’ve made the Poulenc the last light moment on the program. I perhaps had a uniquely uncanny sense that this program by BBC Nat’l of Wales at St. David’s in Cardiff seemed to comment upon what was so below par about the all Russian program Rattle conducted for the annual Waldbuhne within days of this. Each program included Rite of Spring.

There could’ve been nothing more midcult, conformist, completely devoid of meaning – the pairing from Berlin of the two Russian composers, with several Nutcracker excerpts thrown in, making sure nobody missed how thoroughly tired, decadent such an arrangement could be. Here, however, the inclusion of Poulenc’s complete Les Biches with chorus fit beautifully with Rite; it made perfect antidote to Waldbuhne of so recently - very humorously so.

Just one thing about Les Biches briefly mystifies me – the title above one movement – Rag-Mazurka – that I marked as ‘tarantella’ in my notes; listening more closely, hints of ragtime do indeed appear, along throughout with or encircling the debauchery that is Les Biches other dance steps, hints thereof.

Fischer, while maintaining a wonderful balance between running a tight ship and flexible beat, in comparison on disc with the more straight-laced Georges Pretre, put a finger on just about all the wit one can find in Les Biches. He did so deadpan, thus without underlining anything more than at a minimum. Brass, in particular lower brass, had all varieties of insolence and impudence to give, and then some, packed for them. They played it all as perfectly unaware to themselves that it is funny – as though instead on best behavior - but with all making sure it came across perfectly hilarious. There were certainly a few moments that were over-the-top, clearly intentional – such as a real bump tango for about ten seconds from fine brass concertato soon before the end of Rondeau. Moments of as though something hoary from the deep would occasionally break in on the bourgeosie glibness and complacency of it all - to siphon off before either final cadence or the next thing as though not having ever appeared at all, at least as in way apparent to any character onstage. One could almost be revisiting Angel Exterminador or L'Age d'Or of Bunuel.

No doubt still lurks in about all of us something of the primal savage or Neanderthal – with any of us stripped down too easily to our natural instincts - perhaps most of all among people in 1920’s Paris or, as an aside, in corrupted-turned-neocon parliamentary life in both Paris and Berlin anymore - of course hardly anything to mention having gone wrong with interwar Berlin.

Not quite all here is quite farce, what lyrical, pensive moments there are, but lurking beneath - not far behind - is also a clear sense of the mock-serious. The height of hilarity however with Les Biches, in context of even so much deft nuance, was when called for broadly caught as well, with brass, cacciatore horns ripping into gigue and chorus racing along with them in ‘la chasse’ mode. Fischer merrily lent both marche and gigue gratuitous swagger, in contrast with graceful step of other baroque dance forms, including the gentle musette of the Adagietto. High whinnying clarinets therein, to upset the balance, plus touches of calliope, Moulin Rouge and swing elsewhere (too) made up the sundae toppings, with helping of bad nuts (or of bad notes) on purpose thrown in.

Following the break was Rite of Spring. High register bassoon only held first note for four seconds; he did not seem to know there had started a contest, such as between Maazel’s New York and Rattle’s Berlin principals, as to who can hold it the longest. Fischer, several very minor slips aside, approached the opening music, so heavily scored for winds, in subtly detached manner, not to (seriously) clip anything. Fischer’s way of understanding woodwinds - how they work, and how this music for them works - was very obviously complete, and very insightfully infused things very well throughout this Rite. Sense of inner pulse thus far was close to exemplary. It seemed, even with Fischer’s use of the 1911 score, that clarity of execution was paramount in his mind - much to one’s amazement as well.

One could feel with Fischer percussion and all else being marked so precisely - clearly to indicate the stamp of feet around the medieval Russian hamlet, when one reached ‘Augurs of Young Girls.’ Hardly any enveloping of this at all was the case here, as you might find on, aesthetically, the classic Fricsay recording; such was the case here in order to preserve textures as dry, even approaching classical, as opposed to with Markevitch the force with which some of this music, its chords and rhythms can explode right in front of you. Animated triplet figuration for violins with very rapid tonguing in trumpets in Jeu de rapt was very brilliantly played. “Spring rounds”, with no bloat to it anywhere, with stamp of feet prominent below surface, was excellent, which along with “Rival tribes” to follow, ended with urgent pacing and alone on purpose a dragged postlude. Opening dotted half notes to melodic figure that goads the Procession of the Sage on sounded undercut. However, through propulsive start to Dance of the Earth, with mysterious, long held chord right before to the end of Part One, hardly any more could have been asked of this.

Introduction to Part 2 sounded plenty mysterious, but with perfect guarantee of simplicity for its purpose and design. Acrid sounding high clarinets seemed to depict some stench, as from toxin adrift above. One had overall sense of much damage and decay to the landscape in one’s midst, unlike with any Rite that (crudely) romanticizes this music. Horns and violins sang their lines toward end of ‘Circles’ very sensitively with a deep tristesse, and without gilding a thing. Diaphanous cover over depicting such sense of loss one got from Fricsay and then also from Metzmacher (with London SO in 2002) was somewhat cast aside - thus leaving a more sickly, wan impression of all landscape around, All this music's latent potency in preparing for what was to come was fully intact.

Fischer played the turns at the spinning off crests of Glorification de l’elue riskily a bit quick, but with precise rhythm. Not quite the most volcanic impression could be made this way, but one could not help but be thoroughly engaged with how even this went.. Marking of Invocation of the Ancestors was excellently spaced, with then Fischer making gradual crescendo of the stamp of feet to mid-ground or just slightly above it through Ritual Action of the Ancestors to make complete menace of what had started much earlier with ‘Augurs of Young Girls.’ For what had been a somewhat held back performance of Sacre du printemps thus far, Thierry Fischer sufficiently let loose so that ‘Danse sacrale’, though slightly rushed in a few spots, was anything but anticlimactic toward ballet’s conclusion - huge tutti therein making use of the full orchestra at full tilt. Fischer had no reason to hold back at this point and did not.

Fischer had his woodwinds practically shriek their cries at the start of ‘Danse sacrale’, absolutely on pitch, to harrowing effect. Triplet drum beats during closing pages of ‘Danse sacrale’, were instead of being hit as hard as possible for all they are worth, were clearly heard and restored to their proper rhythms (more barbaric then hearing much vague pounding resonance instead) - different from what often is the case.

For one piece as inspired by Diaghilev, one had the polite veneer, cover for sake of modern-day bourgeoisie comfort covering much even ogre-like savagery underneath. For the other one had such even primitivism, barbarity with the cover or veneer completely removed – interpreted, played here by Fischer and BBC NOW in such a way that would even in its own unique way eloquently speak to the vernacular of the time all this music was written. No better advocate could have been found than Thierry Fischer; both major works here are expected on disc soon from these forces.