SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Stravinsky, Schönberg and Mahler/Erwin Stein: Eri Nakamura (soprano), London Philharmonic Orchestra, Clement Power, Purcell Room, London, 29.4.2009 (BBr)

Stravinsky: Eight Instrumental Miniatures (1921 orch 1963)
Schönberg: Three Pieces for Chamber Orchestra (1910)
Stravinsky: Trois Poésies de la lyrique japonaise (1913)
Mahler: Symphony No.4 in G (1899/1900 revised 1901/1910) (arranged for Erwin Stein (1921))


On paper, a fascinating concert, with miniatures by Stravinsky and Schönberg and Erwin Stein’s reduction of Mahler’s 4^th Symphony, made, in 1921, for Schönberg’s Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen (Society for Private Musical Performances). Incidentally, this is Schönberg the Austrian composer, not Schoenberg the émigré composer.

Stravinsky’s Instrumental Miniatures are orchestrations (for double wind, horn, and string sextet) of some piano pieces from the 1920s and they are delightful little thing: there's nothing profound about them, they simply entertain. The Japanese Lyrics (scored for 2 flutes with piccolo, 2 clarinets with bass clarinet, piano and string quartet with voice)  on the other hand, are as aphoristic as anything Webern wrote and are gone before you realize it. They are delicate, tender, flowers and as such need a very light touch. It is unfortunate that  Eri Nakamura was engaged for this concert since her voice is far too big and fruity to do justice to these small pieces. They are too intimate for her approach and require a lighter voice, or else they need much less “singing”.

Schönberg’s Three Pieces (scored for wind quintet, string quartet, double bass and harmonium) are as small as the Stravinsky songs, if not smaller, and we were given the chance to hear them twice – before and after the Japanese Lyrics. This was certainly a help in trying to get to grips with the slight textures and whisps of melody. All three works received well conceived performances, except for the voice.

The real reason, I suspect, for most people’s attendance was the Mahler. In January, in the Wigmore Hall, the LPO presented a less than successful performance of Schönberg’s unfinished reduced version of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde which was completed over 50 years later by Rainer Rhein. The main problem that night was that the stage of the Wigmore Hall was far too small for the ensemble required and at the time I wondered if the somewhat larger stage of the Purcell Room would facilitate a better balance, and thus a more satisfactory performance. Tonight I had the chance to see if my thoughts were correct. Scored for an ensemble of flute with piccolo, oboe with cor anglais and clarinet, with piano, harmonium, percussion and string quartet and double bass, the ensemble did, indeed, have more room than at the Wigmore Hall, and thus the musicians had the space they needed to move and react together.

Unfortunately that’s the most positive aspect of this performance. Mahler’s 4^th Symphony is the infant  amongst this composer’s symphonic works, coming between the huge, and rather unwieldy 3^rd, and the juggernaut works which follow it. It ends with a child’s vision of heaven, which was the first movement to be written apparently intended initially for inclusion in the 3^rd but ultimately not fitting in.  So we have three instrumental movements and the short, vocal, finale. Stein’s reduction for eleven musicians is a marvel of compression; everything which is important is there and it works very well for chamber ensemble. Unfortunately though,  I found the performance to be dull and without much direction. Indeed on at least two occasions I lost interest to the extent that I found my mind wandering and only coming back when I thought to look at the stage.

Clement Power failed to impress here is because he seemed to have no idea where the music was going, nor, indeed, where it was coming from, and didn’t seem to be able to convey to his players what he wanted. The musicians played very well, as we know the LPO can, but merely playing the notes is insufficient for the matter at hand.  Power seemed unready, and totally ill equipped, for this performance, for he appeared lost in the face of Mahler’s ever changing textures and moods. To make matters worse, Eri Nakamura walked on at the end of the third movement, thus ruining any suspense that might have been built through the slow movement, and her singing, although good, was once again far too big for a child’s view of heaven; it was simply the wrong voice for the music.

This was a  valiant attempt to allow us to hear this fascinating arrangement however and perhaps next time such a concert is planned -  and there are certianly other works from Schönberg’s Society which should be heard such as the version of Bruckner’s 7^th Symphony by Stein, Hanns Eisler and Karl Rankl for nonet (!) – a more sympathetic and, indeed, more visionary conductor should be sought.

Bob Briggs


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