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Bruckner: BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiri Belohlavek Barbican Hall, London, 12.11.08 (GD)

Bruckner: Symphony No.5 in B flat major.

It is usually nice to have a shorter classical symphony or concerto as a preface to a huge Bruckner symphony; a Mozart piano concerto, a Schubert symphony, Bruckner symphonies having evolved, to a large extent, from the Viennese classical tradition. But the programming of one Bruckner Symphony, as was the case tonight, can work, particularly with the Fifth, one of his most monumental works. Although the Fifth, from its disastrous first performance in Graz in 1894, was subjected to all manner of cuts and emendations,  it has come down to us almost as Bruckner wrote it, in the 1951 edition of Leopold Novak, which was used tonight by Belohlavek.  

Overall this was a most impressive reading of what is arguably Bruckner’s most unified Symphony, in terms of thematic coherence and overall structure. Belohlavek has obviously studied the score quite thoroughly, and this was apparent when he made the clear transition from the opening ‘Adagio’ to the main ‘Allegro’ – and a basic, steady, allegro tempo was maintained throughout the first movement. After the second subjects statement, for violins over pizzicato chords, canonic ‘chorale’ motifs (in the form of harmonic blocks) initiate the extended and tonally complex development section which encompasses tonalities as remote as D minor, C sharp minor and A major. All this was taken in one sustained line leading quite inevitably to the movement’s triumphant coda. If I have one criticism - and it seems quite churlish to criticise in view of the overall excellence – it is that the canonic string/brass figurations could have been more sharply punctuated; a more cutting edge inflection. This is heard to perfection in the classic 1937 recording with the Dresden Staatskapelle and Karl Bohm, a kind of ‘ Neue Sachlichkeit’ view of Bruckner.

Bruckner marks the second movement ‘Adagio, sehr langsam’ (very slow). This seems quite unambiguous until it is realised that the underlying four-in-a-bar pulse (initially stated by the oboe) is juxtaposed with the opening pizzicato triplets; a kind of dual pulse which certainly registers breadth, but also movement and pulse. It was only later that Bruckner added to his adagio markings ‘doch nicht scleppend’ (‘not dragging’). Belohlavek realised this sense of movement throughtout; the surging chorale statements at the movement‘s climax sounding all the more arresting and noble through cohering with the pulse and contour of the movement as a whole. 

The rest of the symphony went very well, particularly the infectious ländler lilt, which Belohlavek achieved in the D minor scherzo’s second major key theme, and the trio’s 2/4 register. By the time we reached the great chorale peroration finale of the huge fourth movement I experienced that mood of suspense and exaltation which a ‘live’ concert event can, on occasion, deliver. I did however have a few criticisms of Belohlavek’s handling of the rest of the last movement: the massive double fugue, with its variations in F major and the G flat of the chorale which opened the symphony, really needed to be more delineated, more sharply etched, especially in the strings. At times the clearly indicated counterpoint became more of a wash of sound. However this did improve by the time we reached the recapitulation of the main fugal theme just before the coda. Belohlavek also made one big ritardando at the great canonic ascending chorale figure at the climax of the double fugue. This sounded impressive, in a rather grotesque, out of context, manner, as if the growling Fafner had suddenly entered the scholarly fugal terrain! But it was out of character with the rest of the performance and interfered with overall architectural coherence of the monumental movement. As noted Belohlavek excelled in the great concluding chorale peroration generating great power but never sounding contrived, bombastic or pompous as so often is the case. Apart from the criticisms of the last movement this was a most impressive Bruckner 5. With a more delineated and coherent last movement it would have been a truly memorable Bruckner experience. And in a sense it still was that despite these interpretive warts.  

Throughout, the BBC SO played with great conviction and were with the conductor all the time. Belohlavek wisely deployed antiphonal violins. I hope to hear more Bruckner from Belohlavek. 

Geoff Diggines



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