Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Symphony No. 4 in A major Op. 90 Italian [28:50]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Symphony No. 3 in E flat major Op. 55 Eroica [48:31]
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra/Bruno Weil
rec. live, Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performing and Learning, The Royal
Conservatory, Toronto, Canada, 24-27 May 2012
TAFELMUSIK TMK1019CD [77:37]
First let me assure anyone who avoids live recordings on principle that there
is no sign whatsoever here of a live audience - no applause, no coughs, no
creaks - and any slips that may have occurred in the heat of the moment have
been unobtrusively edited out. Nonetheless these do have the feeling of being
live and spontaneous performances. That applies especially to the Beethoven,
where the sheer scale of the first and second movements can be daunting and
can inspire conductors to give so much there that the last two movements can
involve a reduction in tension. That is emphatically not the case here. The
first movement, complete with its essential repeat, may seem underpowered
at first, but nothing is missing from the funeral march and it becomes clear
that the conductor sees the real climax of the Symphony as being the finale,
where the complex slow section just before the end carries unexpected musical
and emotional weight. The conductor balances the orchestra with great care
to ensure clarity in the inner and lower parts, always ensuring a difference
between forte and fortissimo, something essential in this of
all works, and - a rare joy - makes only the briefest of gaps between the
last two movements. As in the Ninth Symphony this is an important part of
the musical argument and is arguably the point of the composer putting a single
silent pause bar at the end of the third movement. All in all this is a powerful
and thought-provoking performance. No serious collector of Beethoven will
be satisfied with one, or even a dozen, performances of this work on disc,
but this is one which is worth adding to any collection, however large.
The Mendelssohn is perhaps not so striking, or perhaps I have a prejudice
against performances where each movement is taken so quickly. Having said
that, I have to say that the usual objections to that practice - the loss
of detail and inability to phrase with elegance - do not apply here as much
as is usually the case. I did feel nonetheless that some relaxation in speeds,
especially in the middle movements, would have yielded great dividends in
terms of the music’s character. You may well feel differently, however,
and this is certainly anything but a routine read-through. The disc however
would be well worth having for the Beethoven alone, with the Mendelssohn essentially
a generous filler.
John Sheppard
This Eroica is worth adding to any collection, however large.
Masterwork Index: Beethoven 3 ~~ Mendelssohn 4
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