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Shostakovich : Cello Concerto No.2
Mahler :
Symphony No.9
Whichever way you look at it, Shostakovich's Second Cello Concerto is a tough work. It is long and involved, and most of it is in that inscrutable and attenuated style that typifies his last symphonies. It is a product of the Brezhnev era, and many Russians will tell you that to that to make any sense of the art of those times you have to have been there. I wasn't (thank God), which may explain why listening to the work felt more like a spectator sport than an involving musical experience.
That said, everybody involved in this performance went
out of their way to foster empathy between the audience and the
music. It was written for Rostropovich, whose name is repeatedly
checked in the programme and whose playing is continuously evoked by
the playing of soloist Mario Brunello. Like Rostropovich, Brunello
is the kind of cellist who can evoke every possible sort of mood and
colour from his instrument, and who can instantly establish a
rapport with his audience by making everything look easy. It turns
out that Brunello consulted Rostropovich at length about this work,
and one the most interesting results was the suggestion of a
narrative programme based on Gogol's story The
Overcoat. Brunello outlines this idea in an essay in the
programme, and to be honest he pushes his luck with the level of
detail in the analogy. It is a useful handle though, especially
given the work's length and wayward form.
Brunello put in a fine performance. It wasn't note
perfect, and the first movement in particular suffered from a number
of intonation slips. But the spirit of Slava shone through in the
combination of graceful lyricism and decisive intonation. For
Shostakovich sceptics (myself included), the saving grace of many of
the composer's scores is the moments of levity where his
self-awareness transforms the dark mood into sardonic irony. There
are precious few of those in this score, but when they come,
Brunello is sure to make the most of them.
The LSO were on top form throughout the evening,
especially the woodwind, who had few moments of respite in either
work. Shostakovich often expects loud and decisive gestures from
them, and despite the seemingly impossible high dynamics, they
retained their composure throughout. There was some excellent
percussion playing too. This work uses what must be among the
largest percussion sections for any concerto, with many passages
scored for just the soloist with percussion accompaniment. Or is it
rather the soloist under siege from percussion attack? Whichever
way, the sounds from the back of the stage were always clear and
decisive, yet always precisely controlled.
Listening to late Mahler in the proximity of late
Shostakovich illuminates the work of both composers, especially with
Gergiev at the helm. Other conductors may emphasise the continuity
in Mahler's Ninth Symphony, but Gergiev instead emphasises the
uniqueness of each gesture and the various structural oddities that
make this work unlike anything else the composer ever wrote. And
like Shostakovich in his later years, the ailing Mahler takes the
musical vocabulary of his earlier work but rearranges it into a
completely new syntax where nothing quite adds up the way it used
to.
Gergiev again takes the woodwind section to their
limits here, cranking up the dynamics in their various solos and
ensembles so that many of their entries seem to come out of nowhere
to change the course of the music. In these times of Mahler
saturation, it is reassuring to know that Gergiev can always do
something new with these well-known scores. You don't expect any
pussy-footing around the issue from him; you expect clear, decisive
interpretations and plenty of energy. That's exactly what we got
here and, as ever, the clear focussed sound of the LSO served his
purposes magnificently.
Predictably perhaps, the inner movements benefited most
from Gergiev's approach. His incessant driving tempos and dynamic
extremes really accentuated the scherzo character of both, and there
were many moments of divine inspiration. The opening of the second
movement, for example, exploded on the scene with that thundering
yet controlled power that is the trademark of Gergiev and his LSO
forces. And just as importantly, they managed to maintain the
concentration throughout the movement. The coda of the third
movement was another Gergiev classic. Where other conductors (and
very possibly the score itself) aim for a gradual build-up to the
earth shattering cadence, Gergiev reaches that maximum intensity
about two minutes before then maintains it right up to the last
chord. Excessive perhaps, but utterly convincing.
Microphones were placed around the orchestra for the
concert, and in the absence of any Radio 3 or Classic FM logos in
the programme, I'm assuming that the Mahler performance is scheduled
for inclusion in the LSO Live cycle of Mahler recordings that has
been on the go for the last few years. The sheer visceral energy of
this performance is going to make it the ideal Ninth for that cycle,
and the lightning bolt that they will no doubt put on the cover has
never been so appropriate. However, the outer movements may prove
controversial in the long run, because Gergiev ramps up the power
there too. That isn't necessarily a problem as most of the music can
take it. To see the symphony as two scherzos surrounded by two slow
movements diminishes the paradoxical complexity of those outer
movements. There is plenty of energy and power in both, and Gergiev
makes sure we get every volt of it. I wasn't convinced by the very
opening, which lacked the mystery and ambiance that other conductors
can find there, but otherwise the approach worked very well.
Thankfully, Gergiev had the good sense to pull back for the coda of
the last movement, demonstrating that he can do the quiet and the
atmospheric just as well when he wants to. Up till then, the evening
had been dominated by the woodwind and brass, but in these last few
minutes, the strings came into their own with some beautifully
controlled pianissimo playing. A magical conclusion, but also a
reminder of the delicacy that this orchestra is capable of, but
which Gergiev rarely gives them the chance to demonstrate.