Don Juan, Op. 20 (1889) [18:04]
Richard WAGNER (1813-1893)
Wesendonck Lieder WWV 91 (1862) [19:18]
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Symphony no. 1 in C minor op. 68 (1876) [46:19]
Nina Stemme (soprano)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Mariss Jansons
rec. August 2012, Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg Festival
Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound formats: PCM Stereo, DD 5.0, DTS 5.0
Region code: 0
Subtitles and booklet notes: English, German, French
EUROARTS DVD 207 262 [95:00]
This concert from the 2012 Salzburg Festival sees Mariss Jansons
conduct a trio of German romantic greats. The Vienna Philharmonic
are on fine form throughout, producing the sort of golden sound for
which they are famous but with the tight ensemble of which they are
sometimes accused of lacking.
The account of Brahms’ first symphony is a graceful and elegant
one. There is certainly plenty of weight in the more turbulent moments,
but the quality of playing Jansons draws out in the softer moments
leaves a more lasting impression. In the first movement he does not
take the repeat, and so despite giving a meaty and passionate account
of the exposition, the passage seems to pass very quickly. The long
violin lines unfold in a brilliant arc, with even more intensity at
their second appearance, and there were some moments of golden beauty
in the blending of woodwind and horns. By the end of the movement,
the early tempest seemed a long way away.
So it is with the inner movements. The second is taken as a broad,
summery idyll. The solo playing from first oboe, horn and concertmaster
is superb, making for a quiet sense of wistfulness which Jansons lovingly
allows to blossom. There is more energy in the third movement but
it retains a sense of youthful energy and a carefree, pastoral atmosphere.
So to the finale. The stuttering opening adds tension to the
performance without disrupting its overall shape. At first I felt
the ensuing famous horn solo passage to be a little undercooked. It
is taken at a relatively brisk, unsentimental tempo, and though both
horn and flute produce a beautiful tone, the strings do not quite
shimmer as they might. On reflection, however, this approach works
quite well in maintaining the coherence of the symphony as a whole.
By eschewing extremes elsewhere, this passage needs not be as transcendently
redemptive as it otherwise would. The strings come into their own
far more at the noble C major theme which follows. The thick, rich
sound from the violins' low register is wonderfully sustained into
long, majestic lines, and the cellos support with playing of similar
high quality. There is further good playing from all sections in the
remainder of the movement, before Jansons finds another gear for the
final minutes. His drive to a thrilling ending was certainly good
fun, but it felt slightly out of character with the rest of the symphony,
which had mostly been a rather gentle affair.
Nina Stemme brings a display of hugely impressive control and subtlety
to Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder. A consistently beautiful but
pliable tone is produced. The lines are shaped perfectly to suit the
text; a gentle tapering off in sound accompanies a "waft to heaven",
for instance. In the fourth song, there is a bright, steely sheen
to her voice as she sings of sunrises and heroes, rather reminiscent
of Siegfried. She finds a strong sense of drama in the third song,
half whispering at times and with engaging facial expressions. With
some very soft string tremolo underneath, this makes for a beautiful
atmosphere for a few moments. The orchestral playing is always sympathetic,
aided by a slightly reduced string section, and the woodwind add some
fine solos of their own, notably from Principal Oboe in the second
song. The sighing figures of the finale are pleasingly spacious, making
for a very satisfying end to an excellent performance.
Don Juan, Strauss's vigorous tone poem from his early twenties,
receives a well-rounded, cogent reading. The opening charge is slightly
steadier than is often heard, but this opens up a number of windows
onto more beautiful moments from various sections. Don Juan's romantic
endeavours are lavishly painted with finely balanced string and brass
sounds. The horns and woodwinds shine, especially in the oboe solos,
once again. The more exuberant passages are by no means earthbound,
though, maintaining a crisp bounce until the Don's demise. Here, Jansons
takes a huge pause before the dark coda.
The concert is recorded in warm, rich sound, perfect for this orchestra,
who play with little of the untidiness of which they are sometimes
accused. Jansons studiously avoids extremes, but brings out the orchestra’s
best in a golden, warm tone which comes across very well. Semyon
Bychkov’s account of the symphony alongside Brahms 2 with the
West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Cologne, is a strong competitor.
Rohan Shotton
The VPO are on fine form throughout, producing the sort of golden
sound for which they are famous.
Masterwork Index: Brahms
symphony 1 ~~ Strauss
Don Juan
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