Sandor Végh is not the likeliest of artists to receive
the star treatment, with his odd facial expression, multitude
of chins, disheveled hair, and habit of conducting with his spectacles,
but his name here is printed larger than Schubert’s, and
his photograph graces the cover. Végh is not the star
here because someone thinks he is photogenic: rather, this release
is a testament to the importance of his artistic legacy. The
longtime violinist from the Végh Quartet put over five
decades of service into the world of classical music before his
death in 1997, and these performances of the four last Schubert
symphonies are a testament to his elegant, ego-free work with
the Camerata Academica des Mozarteums Salzburg, which he led
for nearly two decades.
The
Symphony No. 5 gets off to a rocky start, the violins
not perfect in their intonation when they make their entrance;
from there, however, it is mostly smooth sailing, in a genial
and perfectly paced performance that is a testament to Végh’s
sensitivity as a Schubertian. He will be let down by his violins
again, however, in the finale, when they occasionally develop
an unpleasantly scratchy tone.
The
Sixth fares better: with a substantially larger orchestra
- Schubert’s Fifth doesn’t call for clarinets, trumpets
or timpani - and the strings in better form, this performance
is substantially more enjoyable. The slow movement’s central
episode is brought off with great humor and wit, descriptions
which also apply to the very satisfying last two movements. The
finale, in particular, comes across as a never-ending flow of
jovial ideas.
The “Unfinished” is, to my mind, the highlight of
the set. Played here with integrity, solid good sense, and, at
the first movement’s climax, lots of drama, this “Unfinished” confirms
the common remark that its nickname is inaccurate. As I listened
to the stately elegance with which the slow movement sways to
its close, I could not help but think that this, not the Brahms
First, is “Beethoven’s Tenth Symphony”: a work
mirroring, in ways, the structure of Beethoven’s piano
sonatas opp. 90, 109 and 111, in that it begins in turbulence
and heroic striving and ends in repose, in the gentle arms of
a broad, meditative slow movement. Surely this is the closest
orchestral cousin of those magnificent late Beethoven works,
especially in the hands of performers as attuned as these are
to both the fire of the first movement and the ageless beauty
of the second. Ultimately the “Beethoven’s Tenth” title
is, at least historically, folly, because the “Unfinished” was
written before Beethoven’s Ninth!
The “Great” C major symphony is given a suitably
great performance; one of the most magical moments is the very
beginning, with a tastefully hushed horn solo and very natural
entrances of all the other instruments. The introduction is a
bit slower than normal, the rest of the movement a little faster,
but there is certainly no loss of flow or naturalness. Though
the slow movement is much slower than is the norm - Végh
takes 16 minutes, compared to the nearly exactly 14 minutes of
Harnoncourt and both Mackerras recordings - it never loses tension
or becomes boring. Its beautiful second subject blooms with restrained
elegance, as a fragile flower. The final two movements dance
by with terrific rhythm, and the finale is blessed with superb
oboe and flute playing - as is the entire 2CD set, in fact.
Throughout the recording of this last symphony the bass is rather
more prevalent than it has been in the other three, much to my
delight. It is possible, in the first movement’s introduction,
to hear the double-bass pizzicatos all the way through, one of
several delights of the clear recorded sound here. Audio quality
in the other symphonies is variable, as these appear to be from
different sessions or different concerts, but it is never less
than very good and no listener will be disappointed in the sound.
The liner-notes are disappointing, however; although there is
a good essay on the music, we are given no information about
the provenance of the recordings, even what year(s) they were
made. And, although the ‘wallet’ package is much
nicer than the typical plastic jewel box, it is not particularly
appetizing to open the set up and see three identical portraits
of the jowled Végh staring back.
All in all, I cannot imagine this set leaping off the shelves
in the hands of beginning Schubertians, owing to the distinctly
unflattering cover photo of Végh, glasses in hand; I also
do not think these two discs will be fully satisfying to Végh’s
devoted followers, since the booklet notes offer no information
whatsoever about the provenance of the performances: were they
live? When were they made? Where? On the other hand, if the target
audience is a crowd of discerning collectors looking for solid,
sympathetic readings of these symphonies with wit and grace,
this two-disc set hits home.
Brian Reinhart
Camerata Academica des Mozarteums Salzburg/Sandor Végh 
