Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony No.5 in C minor Op.67 (1805) [33:57]
Piano Concerto No.4 in G major Op.58 (1804) [34:20]
Emanuel Ax (piano)
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas
rec. live, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, 9-12 December 2009. Stereo/Surround.
DDD/DSD
SFS MEDIA 
821936-0037-2
[68:17] 
First impressions of this new disc from the San Francisco Symphony are of
the sheer quality of the production values. The orchestra, especially under
the leadership of Michael Tilson Thomas, has a legitimate claim to a place
in the pantheon of the world's great orchestras, so their own label ought
to be showing off some impressive strengths. That is exactly what happens
here. The sparkling SACD audio does full justice to every section: the woodwinds
are chirpy and distinct, the horns are brazen, the lower strings are given
presence and weight by the strong bass response.
Great as the orchestra and their esteemed conductor undoubtedly are, the best
reason to buy this disc is the contribution from pianist Emanuel Ax. There
is no shortage of recordings of Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto, and even
among the SACDs, there have been two other strong recent contenders, from
Dejan Lazic and Yevgeny Sudbin. Ax is easily the equal of both of these, and
is perhaps closer to Sudbin in his interpretation. Like Sudbin, he is able
to combine muscular pianism with a lyrical melodic style, although he leans
more towards weight than lyricism. He arpeggiates the opening chord, in accordance
with Beethoven's stated, although never written, wishes. From then on his
performance is all about immediacy and agility. It is heavy, but then that
is what the work requires. There is lots of pedal, and the acoustic of the
concert hall also blurs the edges. A little more detail might have been nice,
especially since the SACD audio would be more than capable of picking it up.
But this interpretation is more about the bigger picture, and Emanuel Ax is
more interested in whipping up a whirlwind than pondering over the minute
details of the score.
Tilson Thomas approaches the Fifth Symphony in a similar spirit. Any thought
of period performance is out of the window. Instead we get a turbulent, in-your-face
reading that pushes the drama, especially of the outside movements, for all
it is worth. It doesn't quite hit the mark. The tempos are often slow and
rarely have the flexibility the music requires. Where Carlos Kleiber - to
make an unfair comparison - builds the intensity through carefully graded
crescendos and slight tempo increases, MTT is more inclined to slow down for
the monumental climaxes. A legitimate approach, but not half as engaging or
exciting as it could be.
The orchestra are on top form throughout. Despite the size of the string section,
they never hold the music back and their ensemble is as good as any. The horns
are wonderfully raspy in the second movement of the symphony, as are the trumpets
in the fourth.
If you are thinking of buying this for the concerto, do so. I have reservations
about the symphony, but I have at least three recordings of the work that
are worse, and most other collectors probably do too. Whatever MTT is doing
on the podium, he couldn't ask for a better response from his orchestra. They
sound great throughout, and the audio puts them in the best possible light.
Would that all orchestra own labels matched the quality of SFS Media.
Gavin Dixon
A turbulent, in-your-face Fifth and a very fine concerto.