SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Mahler, Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”: Anastasia Kalagina (soprano), Olga Borodina (mezzo-soprano), Orfeón Pamplonés (chorus), Igor Ijurra Fernández (director), The Choral Arts Society of Washington (chorus), Norman Scribner (artistic director), Valery Gergiev (conductor), Mariinsky Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, 20.10.2010 (BH)

 

This uneven yet fascinating reading of what is perhaps Mahler’s most popular symphony fell in the mid-point of a mini-cycle presented by Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. (Starting with the Sixth, Gergiev followed the Second with Nos. 8, 5, 4 and 1, in that order, and will conclude the cycle next February at Avery Fisher Hall, this time with the London Symphony Orchestra.)

 

The first movement was given a rather startlingly slow pace—not necessarily a minus, but in this case it did seem to amplify a sense of taking time to be fully borne aloft. And despite the virtues of the orchestra—and there are many, such as some supernaturally tangy winds—I felt occasional deviations from the ensemble unanimity that might have helped convey more persuasively, given Mahler’s instrumental demands. Further, Gergiev’s thoughtful conception—and I don’t use the word “thoughtful” lightly—resulted in enormous underlining of some big moments, while others were glossed over completely.

 

The second movement Landler was very gently handled, at a leisurely pace that made me slightly impatient, but the Mariinsky strings were worth the wait. But all that was soon forgotten by Gergiev’s violent, slithery reading of the Scherzo. Here the timbres of the orchestra were particularly welcome, including some demonically appealing brass and some earthiness in the strings. From the percussionist, the clacking rute accents were more prominent than usual—a nicely piquant touch.

 

The renowned Olga Borodina did a fine, majestic job with the “Urlicht,” leading immediately into to the magnificent explosion that blasts listeners into the finale. Here, the ensemble finally came into its own, creating a turbulent palette of indigo and charcoal in the opening pages. In their late, great entrance, the combined choirs Orfeón Pamplonés (from Spain) and The Choral Arts Society of Washington (DC) acquitted themselves with ardor. Soprano Anastasia Kalagina finally joined the party, adding a welcome layer of clarity to Mahler’s dense vocal pile-ups. If the orchestral execution wasn’t always note-perfect, the compensation was a spine-tingling urgency. The final chorale, taken at a quicker pace than most, still carried the radiance and raw emotional power required to make its impact, and from the roaring response at the end, virtually all in the audience seemed to agree.

 

Bruce Hodges