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Wolfgang Amadeus
MOZART (1756-1791) Symphonies vol. 5 (1772)
Symphony No. 15 in G major, K124 [14:15]
Symphony No. 16 in C major, K128 [11:56]
Symphony No. 17 in G major, K129 [14:27]
Symphony No. 18 in F major, K130 [17:59]
Danish Radio
Sinfonietta/Adam Fischer
rec. Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen, 2006. DDD DACAPO 6.220540 [58:45]
Though
numbered volume 5 of 11 which are to comprise a complete
Mozart symphony cycle to be recorded over the next five years,
this is the first volume to appear.
‘The
sun bursts out even in the fifth bar’ Adam Fischer says of
Symphony 15 in his brief but entertainingly lively booklet
notes. That’s at track 1 0:05 and the burst is ensured by
the attack brought to the appearance of the tremolando strings,
creating a sforzando effect. By contrast there’s delicious
garnishing from oboe duet and suave violins. The development,
a quiet interlude (1:30), vanishes almost before you can
take it in. Fischer revels in all these changes. In the Andante Fischer
keeps the sweet, wispy violins’ tune flowing without sentimentality.
The change of tone from earlier, now silky and very soft,
is as if the violins are reduced in number or even muted.
Fischer softens the tone further in the second half (tr.
2 3:19), obtaining a pianissimo effect. While being
jolly and robust, Fischer also gives the Minuet a nice lift
with dapper horns and strings neatly clipped in dynamic contrast.
In the repeat of the first section (tr. 3 0:19) he introduces
an effect in the strings’ accompaniment akin to col legno.
His Trio, for which he uses solo strings, has a regal, sunny
quality, sounding more relaxed without any change of tempo.
Fischer’s rondo finale is unmistakably very fast, the theme
with a scrubbed abrasiveness about it, the paradox of the
coda (1:36), both lively in manner and inconsequential in
matter, comes across exactly.
I
compared the 2001 SACD recording by the Mozart Akademie Amsterdam/Jaap
ter Linden (Brilliant Classics 92543). Here are the comparative
timings:
Timings
I
II
III
IV
Total
Fischer
4:44
4:15
3:15
2:01
14:15
ter Linden
5:30
4:35
2:13 (2:42)
2:04
14:22 (14:51)
In
the first movement ter Linden is more measured and portly
in a more glowing acoustic, the dynamic contrasts magnified
by the vivid surround sound. His period instrument strings
are more incisive but he places more emphasis on melody than
vigour, soft pedalling the tremolando effects. Fischer
is more animated yet also shows more nuance in the more
smoothly shaped string descents (eg. tr. 1 0:20). The slow
movement
has more breadth and grace in ter Linden’s hands. Its wind
punctuation glows more and its easygoing, open perspective
is very agreeable. I also prefer his faster, racier Minuet
and more liltingly curvaceous Trio. Unlike Fischer he doesn’t
provide repeats in the da capo, hence the bracketed
timings above for exact comparison. Fischer reserves his
raciness for the finale, yet also gets across the humour
of the quieter passages where ter Linden is content with
contrasting brisk scintillation and niftiness.
Symphony
16 Fischer shows, after a fairly gentle preamble in its opening
movement, works itself into a rigorous second theme from
the first violins (tr. 5 0:36) which he treats as if marked pesante. Fischer
enlivens the development (2:22) with gruff strings tremolando attack
and quizzical violins’ response. Neither Fischer nor ter
Linden make the second half repeat, suggested as optional
in the Barenreiter Urtext, though they do in the slow movement,
scored for strings only in intimate, delicate imitation,
though occasionally more assertive. As in Symphony 15 Fischer
softens the tone midway through the second half repeat (tr.
6 3:24). Fischer enjoys the boisterousness of Symphony 16’s
finale which is all bounce and shimmer.
Here
are the comparative timings of Fischer and ter Linden:
Timings
I
II
III
Total
Fischer
4:18
4:15
3:23
11:56
ter Linden
4:44
5:25
3:57
14:06
In
the first movement ter Linden smoothes out the second theme
a little more and the wind contributions are a shade more
explicit. His slower second movement is more formal, rather
more aristocratically self-conscious, yet thereby its surprising
variety of rhythm and manner is more explicit. Fischer
goes for a more gossamer, tripping nature and makes more
use of
dynamic contrasts albeit consistently underplaying the
loud elements. The finale is more sunny and festive in ter
Linden’s
hands but Fischer’s rhythmic interplay in the second section
is neater to iridescent effect.
Symphony
17 stands out in Fischer’s bold characterization. Almost
immediately you notice the rather skittish semiquaver/dotted
quaver rhythms in the violins which are then used in imitation
to create a second theme (tr. 8 0:29) before the vigour
of a Mannheim crescendo. The dotted rhythms then
dominate the development (2:25). The slow movement is simple
and sweetly
flowing: ‘nobody can banish the theme from his mind’ writes
Fischer. He treats it with affectionate gentleness, making
its returns softer so the final one (tr. 9 3:33) is hardly
present. The finale finds the violins in yelping syncopation
(tr. 10 0:18) and a brief gallop but the quieter passages
are intimately contrasted by Fischer using just solo strings
for them.
Here
are the comparative timings of Fischer and ter Linden:
Timings
I
II
III
Total
Fischer
6:08
4:41
3:38
14:27
ter Linden
6:23
5:29
2:53 (4:05)
14:45 (15:37)
Although
ter Linden’s first movement is slightly slower, there’s
more brio about it because of the greater sonority of his
performance
and recording. His crescendo is more exciting, his
development of stronger dynamic contrasts and his greatest
focus on the melodic triumph of the penetrating period
violins. Fischer is equally satisfying by being lighter
and more humorous.
Come the slow movement ter Linden makes a good case for
an easy, flowing unadulterated approach with lovely gleaming
string tone. Fischer goes for the fragility of a winsome
soft focus but also firmer shaping. In the finale ter Linden
is forthright and fresh without Fischer’s sophisticated contrasts
in forces but doesn’t repeat the second half, so the bracketed
timing above provides an exact comparison. Fischer is more
incisive and his presentation more virtuosic.
Symphony
18 seems the most experimental, partly because of the unusual
scoring, oboes being exchanged for creamier flutes and
4 horns required instead of 2. As in Symphony 17 there’s the
Scotch snap dotted rhythm opening but here more lightly applied,
to friskier effect, especially in the second theme (tr. 11
0:47) with the second violins echoing the firsts. In this
slow movement Mozart asks for muted violins and Fischer provides
a very soft, demure effect, quite a contrast to the open
air quality of the flutes. The Minuet would be orthodox except
for a fretting viola line of continuous quavers. Fischer’s
use of solo instruments in the Trio suits it well, giving
a folksy slant to the first violin melody. The finale upstages
the first movement in its sense of purpose and profusion
of themes. Notable are the second (tr. 14 0:27), coy and
brazen by turns and third (0:55), more wistful and at first
sinuous before Mozart starts a game of using pauses as
an expressive effect. Fischer omits the second half repeats
in the first, second and final movements: this could be
a
very long symphony.
I
compared the 1973 recording by the Academy of St Martin in
the Fields/Neville Marriner (Pentatone PTC 5186 112) which
appears on 4 channel SACD from its original quadraphonic
master. Here are the comparative timings:
Timings
I
II
III
IV
Total
Fischer
5:08
4:15
2:13
6:23
17:59
Marriner
5:44
4:49
2:28 (2:55)
7:37
20:38 (21:05)
Marriner
is consistently more easygoing. In the first movement his
second theme is more sparkling but his development more
square than Fischer who shows more humour and grace. Marriner’s
slow movement is more sedate, Fischer’s more tender and with
clearer contrast of the strings only and flute dominated
textures. Marriner’s Minuet is more disturbed by the violas’ shadows,
his Trio more formal yet still reflective. Marriner doesn’t
make the repeats in the da capo so the bracketed
timings above show the exact comparison. The breadth of
Marriner’s
finale makes for a firmer structure which lacks Fischer’s élan,
finesse and attention to pauses. Marriner gives us a sweeping
parade of themes whereas Fischer differentiates them more.
To
sum up, Fischer provides excellent performances, full of
character and intelligent variation of tone and dynamic.
In addition to Fischer’s notes there are informative ones
by Claus Johansen on the cultural milieu of 1772 and conventions
of orchestration with particular focus on the oboe. This
disc is unusual in that it’s a two-layer SACD hybrid, so
you get CD and higher definition SACD stereo which gives
clarity
to the comfortable forward placement and glowing ambience
of the recording. But there’s no multi-channel, surround
sound version as there is for the recordings I’ve used
for comparison. In that respect those offer the more vivid
listening
experience.
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