SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Musikfest Berlin 10  - Berio and Berlioz: London Symphony Orchestra/Daniel Harding, Philharmonie, Berlin.3.9.2010 (MC)

 

Kelley O’Connor (mezzo-soprano)
Tabea Zimmermann (viola)

Synergy Vocals

Simon Stockhausen (sound director)

 

Berio - Folk Songs for mezzo soprano and seven instruments (1964)
Berio - Sinfonia for 8 vocals and orchestra in five movements (1968/69)

Berlioz - Harold in Italy Symphony in four parts with solo viola, Op. 16 (1834)


The Berlin 2010/11 concert season was opened by the musikfest berlin 10 which is Berlin’s major festival for orchestral music. It is organised by the Berliner Festspiele in collaboration with the Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker. Using orchestras from various countries this two-week festival concentrates mainly on symphonic repertoire. It provides opportunities for rarely heard, forgotten or unusual works also giving weight to programming interesting contemporary works. This season the festival gives a dual spotlight to the works of Pierre Boulez (b. 1925) and Luciano Berio (1925-2003).

This  opening concert of musikfest berlin 10 at the Berlin Philharmonie was entrusted to Daniel Harding and the splendid London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). Ironically the regular occupants of the Philharmonie, the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle, were playing in England in Prom 65 at the Royal Albert Hall. The 2,452 seater Philharmonie auditorium looked like it was around three quarters full. Not bad for a programme of two reasonably challenging and rarely heard Berio scores and a neglected gem from Berlioz. All credit to the sophisticated Berlin audience no doubt curious to witness fascinating works out of the mainstream and a performance from the visiting LSO under conductor Daniel Harding. I love the fact that this type of adventurous and challenging programme attracts a higher than normal percentage of young people; our audience of the future. With regard to the Philharmonie, Berlin I cannot avoid commenting on the magnificence both visually and acoustically of the Hans Scharoun designed masterpiece. I am captivated more by this iconic concert hall each time I attend a concert there.

The concert began with Berio’s Folk Songs for mezzo soprano and seven instrumental players from 1964. In eleven short sections the Italian born composer takes his inspiration from Gustav Mahler who frequently infused folk song into his vast musical canvases; such as Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn). Here Berio has used folk songs in his song cycle from various countries and regions of the world: from the Auvergne to Armenia from Italy to Azerbaijan. American born mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor was accompanied by a viola; cello; harp, three woodwind and two percussionists. That’s eight instrumentalists not seven as an additional woodwind is used. I did note that at one point a spring was used by one of the percussionists; a typical sixties novelty but one that was barely discernible to my ears.

Amongst the highlights was the opening song ‘Black is the colour’ with the prominent and plaintive strains of a mournful viola. I loved the appealing rhythmic contrasts of song III ‘Loosin yelav’ and in the strident song V ‘A la femminisca’ Kelley O’Connor takes on the part akin to a howling fish wife with piecing accompaniment. Appealing in song VII ‘Ballo’ was the crazy strings set against the mezzo’s forthright tones. An engaging oriental feel with droning strings dominate the song VIII ‘Motetto de tristura’. Here the introduction of the percussion and woodwind offer an ethereal feel. The final song of the set titled ‘Azerbaijan love song’ reveals dance-like revelling with prominent lively strings and ardent drumming from the two percussionists.

The cycle Folk Songs is accessible music from Berio who in each song fashions an impressive variety of mood. Kelley O’Connor’s moderate weighted voice filled the auditorium splendidly. I found the colour of her mid-dark timbre to be highly attractive together with a reasonable diction. Given the challenges of the various languages of these Berio settings this was a compelling performance from the mezzo-soprano. The eight instrumentalists of the LSO equipped themselves splendidly under Harding’s unassuming yet highly effective direction.

At the behest of Leonard Bernstein the score’s dedicatee, Berio’s Sinfonia for eight vocals and orchestra was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic as part of their 125th anniversary celebrations. Originally cast in four movements after the 1968 premiere of the score a fifth movement was added a year later. The huge orchestra was joined by the voices of the London based ensemble Synergy Vocals assisted by sound director Simon Stockhausen who had his mixing desk offstage at the centre/top of block A. An eclectic work of a somewhat fragmentary form Sinfonia consists of several styles from the pastiche to Ligeti-like experimentalism. In the manner of Shostakovich’s Symphony No.15 I was fascinated with the numerous quotations from well known scores notably; Mahler’s ‘Resurrection’ Symphony. Much of the texts are from the book Le cru et le cuit (The raw and the cooked) by French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss and also from Irish playwright Samuel Beckett’s novel The Unnamable.

In the large orchestra I was struck by the sizeable battery of percussion comprising of a wide variety of instruments including gong and the profusion of bottom heavy strings that included eight double basses. The eight amplified voices were utilised in an unconventional manner mixing their delivery of the texts with traditional singing and employing styles that including speaking, screeching; humming and whispering. In section I the rapidly changing orchestral textures dominate Berio’s dark and aggressive soundworld. The music is constantly on the move, ever changing. A gathering tension explodes into a brief but menacing eruption. Section II - O King is dedicated to the memory of Martin Luther King the African-American civil rights leader. This is chilling and ghost-like music providing all the suspense of a Hitchcock psychological thriller.

Berio described the weighty section III - In ruhig fliessender Bewegung as his tribute to Mahler. Dominating the pages are recurring quotations from the third movement Scherzo marked In ruhig fliessender Bewegung from Mahler’s Symphony No.2 ‘Resurrection’. Section III also contains numerous quotations from works of prominent composers namely Ravel; Beethoven; Berlioz; Richard Strauss; Berg; Stravinsky et al. Exploding into action this multi layered music of great power and vitality is frantic with activity. Berio’s abundant ideas come to the listener thick and fast. At times the LSO brass section sounds like a curious mix of Tijuana Brass and a Colliery Band. I particularly enjoyed the brief quotation from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 ‘Pastoral’ and the proceedings lighten with a welcome waltz passage from ‘Der Rosenkavalier’ by Richard Strauss. The eight voices of Synergy Vocals simultaneously recite texts mainly from The Unnamable by Beckett and from a variety of other sources.

In the opening of the brief section IV one immediately notices how the music has the nature of a Gregorian chant from the vocal soloists with a contemporary twist. Again brief Mahler quotations are employed to impressive effect. Harding’s large orchestral forces provide a lighter and submissive platform to the floating vocal effects. The closing section V is dominated by massed low strings and percussion battery. Here Berio reuses texts from previous movements. The prickly sound shifts briskly from one instrumental group to another. Nervous tension just builds and builds in power and intensity to an impressive climax that quickly deflates leaving calmness and a ethereal sense of suspension.

Throughout the considerable challenges of Berio’s masterwork Sinfonia Daniel Harding directs the LSO and the amplified Synergy Vocals with his usual unruffled authority. This was a superb performance, perceptive and controlled with considerable appeal. The amount of enthusiastic applause was testimony that Harding won over the audience to Berio.

After the interval with Harold in Italy by Hector Berlioz,  we entered into a very different soundworld to what had gone before. The German born viola soloist Tabea Zimmermann has performed the score on numerous occasions. I recall her acclaimed live recording with this very orchestra under Sir Colin Davis from the Barbican in February 2003 on the label LSO Live LSO0040. For this performance under Daniel Harding in Berlin, Tabea Zimmermann has chosen to play her favourite modern viola made in 1980 by the Paris luthier Étienne Vatelot. She was award the instrument as first prize in the 1982 ‘Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition’ in Paris. When Tabea Zimmerman wasn’t playing in Harold she took the opportunity to sit down. Something you don’t see very often from instrumental soloists. Tabea informs me that she feels that owing to the symphonic character of the piece and the long scenes that have nothing to do with the hero Harold it is appropriate not to stand unless she is playing.

Berlioz described Harold in Italy as a symphony in four parts with solo viola. It originated as a commission from the virtuoso violinist Paganini who had been impressed by hearing Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and wanted a work himself that featured the viola. As soon as Paganini saw the sketches of the opening movement he lost all interest as it was not a work that would allow him to display his scintillating virtuosity on his Stradivarius viola. What Berlioz had provided was a work that emphasised the poetic and passionate attributes of the viola that plays at times as part of the orchestra or in interwoven dialogue. Unbridled from the commission Berlioz subsequently in 1834 composed a score of four scenes/tableaux inspired from his experiences travelling in the Abruzzi region of Italy in the manner of Lord Byron’s hero from the narrative poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. Throughout the score the viola plays a recurring theme (idée fixe) that embodies Harold the sensitive artist. Some years later in Paris, Paganini after hearing a performance of Harold in Italy knelt at the feet of Berlioz pleading forgiveness for ignoring the score. Later Paganini sent Berlioz a letter comparing him with Beethoven and gifting him 20,000 francs.

In the first section ‘Harold in the mountains - Scenes of melancholy, happiness and joy’ any fears that Tabea Zimmermann might be overpowered by the sheer weight of the large orchestra proved unfounded. The beautiful nutty rich sound of the Vatelot viola was astonishing, just cutting through the spaces of the Philharmonie, especially with the melody of the Allegro section. The mellow viola in the hands of Tabea Zimmermann just glowed and flowed seamlessly with the greatest artistry. I felt the LSO brass have never sounded finer providing a lovely foundation for the solo viola. Flowing and genial in the section ‘March of the pilgrims singing their evening prayer’ the solo viola plays mainly with the orchestra. When Tabea Zimmermann plays as the soloist it is to mesmeric effect.

The opening of the third section ‘Serenade of an Abruzzi mountain man to his mistress’ is brisk and rousing having a somewhat martial character. A pastoral quality rises to the surface with some splendid woodwind playing. The solo viola enters almost shyly and with a degree of reticence. Here the viola is certainly playing with the orchestra as opposed to against it. The mournful atmosphere of Tabea Zimmermann’s viola is achingly felt. A galloping section is played with taste and elegance with the soloist at one with the orchestra.

In the final section ‘Brigands’ orgy; recollections of the preceding scenes’ the agitated strings provide a wild duel against the vigorous brass only to be broken up by the tender strains of the solo viola. Here Tabea Zimmermann was literally sitting out the vast majority of the movement. The solo viola glides dreamily into the conclusion of the score but soon loses out in the forceful riot of sound. Throughout the performance of Harold the Vatelot viola of Tabea Zimmermann beguiles and enchants. Harold in Italy is an excellent and underrated work where the woodwind section does however tend to get swamped by the mass of strings and brass. It was unmistakable that the LSO responded with significant enthusiasm to Harding’s confident conducting.

What of Berio? One of the featured composers of musikfest berlin 10. Branded with that off-putting description as a 1960s avent-garde Berio’s music deserves a far wider circulation. His fascinating music never disappoints me, although its accessibility is dependent on a reasonable degree of concentration from the listener, which is why I believe his striking music is heard to greatest effect at a live concert.

Daniel Harding can take great credit for these superb Berio and Berlioz interpretations with the LSO. His unassuming approach provides a sharp contrast with other more flamboyant conductors at the musikfest berlin 10 such as Vladimir Jurowski and Daniel Barenboim. Calm authority and assured persuasion combined with immaculate preparation are key to Harding’s success.

Michael Cookson