Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Symphony No. 9, in E minor, op. 95 From the New World [44:05]
Cello Concerto in B minor [42:30]
Mario Brunello (cello).
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia - Roma/Antonio Pappano
rec. Sala Santa Cecilia, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome. November 2011
(Symphony) and January 2012 (Concerto)
EMI CLASSICS 9141022 [44:05 + 42:30]
I really do struggle as to where I should begin with this one. Anyway, here
goes.
Any artistic value that these performances may have in their favour is compromised
by microphone placement decisions that I personally find unacceptable. It's
so closely recorded that every little movement of each player is captured
and there's a loud sniff every few seconds along with heavy breathing. I assume
this to be from the conductor. Audience noises are captured in the distance
throughout but it’s the shuffling, clicking and bumping on the stage
that wears you down. Music needs to emerge from silence to have its true impact.
Concentration is destroyed with background levels such as this. There’s
also clearly lots of knob-twiddling going on and every section sounds mixed,
artificial and overdubbed. It brings to mind the worst excesses of Decca Phase
Four. This is not what an orchestra sounds like. The strings have a first
desk quality about them and the dynamic range is such that the climaxes sound
compressed and two dimensional. The brass section doesn’t impose itself.
Woodwind solos are brought forward unashamedly thus removing any natural front-to-back
perspective. What gets to me is that Mercury were producing fabulous recordings
(ditto Everest) in the late 1950s with a 3 microphone set-up. Here we are
in 2012 faced with products such as this. I wonder if some of the engineers
involved in the project are pop music trained? Maybe EMI should sit them down
and play them some of their Bishop/Parker sessions from the 1970s (Previn’s
recordings, maybe) to hear what an EMI recording should sound like. They should
then let them listen to the Rostropovich recording of the Cello Concerto
on DG (still the benchmark) and the stunning Kertesz New World on Decca.
Both of these recordings are very long in the tooth now but they put this
latest effort to shame. The DG is smooth and elegant. The Decca is full of
detail and bite.
Having just about ruled this issue out of court because of its technical shortcomings
it’s only fair to mention the standard of playing. It’s good enough
for EMI to whisk the performers away and re-record the whole session again
under studio conditions to capture the glorious sound of a symphony orchestra.
Pappano has done wonders with his orchestra and their New World interpretation
is very romantic and warm. Some may find the playing a little too indulgent
here and there but it’s all done very tastefully and tremendous care
has been taken in its preparation. It would have been a joy to hear it live.
The final clanger comes at the end. There is virtually no silence between
the last fading chord of the symphony and the applause. The moment is ruined.
Has the applause been edited in afterwards? It sounds fishy.
In the concerto, Mario Brunello’s cello is captured as part of the orchestral
fabric but the stereo image shifts around all over the place. The great horn
tune in the first movement is milked to death but it exactly matches the way
the theme is presented by the soloist later on. It’s consistent but
a bit over the top. The engineering again undermines the atmosphere of the
slow movement which is a shame yet playing of the soloist ismost beautifully
crafted. The finale is delivered with flair but those wonderful Dvořák
orchestral climaxes are not allowed to ring out properly, thus removing all
the excitement. The musicians deserved better. I would love to hear more of
Brunello in the future. Unless you can listen through high levels of background
noise and don’t mind being stuck in the middle of an artificial sounding
orchestra this isn’t for you.
John Whitmore
Brings to mind the worst excesses of Phase Four.
Masterwork Index: Cello concerto ~~ Symphony 9