Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 [40:47]
Leoš JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
Glagolitic Mass (1926, final version 1928) [43:25]
Tatiana Monogarova (soprano), Marina Prudenskaja (mezzo), Ludovít
Ludha (tenor), Peter Mikuláš (bass); Iveta Apkalna (organ);
Peter Dijkstra (chorus master)
Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Mariss Jansons
rec. live, 31 March 2012, KKL Concert Hall, Lucerne, Switzerland
Video director: Michael Beyer
Sound Formats: PCM Stereo; DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0;
Picture Format: 16:9; Region Code: worldwide; Resolution: 1080i High
Definition
Subtitles: GB, DE, FR, Kor (Glagolitic Mass)
ARTHAUS MUSIK 108 080
[88:00]
This highly appealing Blu-Ray disc from Arthaus
contains two works filmed in concert at the annual Lucerne Easter Festival
last year. The world class Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
under their chief conductor Mariss Jansons are joined in the
Glagolitic
Mass by a quartet of Slovak/Russian soloists and the Chor des Bayerischen
Rundfunks quite superbly prepared by Peter Dijkstra.
Opening the concert is the Brahms
Symphony No. 2,
composed
in 1877 just one year after his First Symphony. This D major work was
written swiftly mainly during a summer holiday in Pörtschach on
Wörthersee Lake, Austria a resort that had become a favourite holiday
destination. After completing the score in Lichtenthal near Baden-Baden,
Brahms wrote modestly to a friend, “
I don't know whether I
have a pretty symphony. I must inquire of learned persons!”
It was Hans Richer who conducted the première in Vienna with
the Philharmonic in 1877.
Jansons and his players are steeped in the music of Brahms. It has been
a mainstay of the orchestra since its foundation. Sometimes referred
to as Brahms’
Pastoral Jansons’s endearing reading
radiates an airy freshness and quiet contentment. Here we encounter
an abundance of lyricism and romantic expression coupled with buoyant
textures; never dragging or feeling heavy. A slightly more seriousness
side is revealed in the brooding slow movement. The
Scherzo has
some remarkably vibrant playing especially from the glowing woodwinds.
The opening oboe solo is notable. In the closing
Allegro con spirito
there’s a robust sense of Alpine freshness. The work is ended
in a majestic manner with trumpets and trombones finally letting gloriously
loose in the last few pages.
Janáček’s major contribution to Christian ecclesiastical
music is his
Glagolitic Mass for soloists, chorus, orchestra
and organ
. Janáček reached back to Old Church Slavonic
script (Glagolitic), the earliest written Slavic language dating from
medieval times. Here it could be said that Janáček was highlighting
the communion between the Slavic peoples and displaying his patriotic
desire for national independence. In five sung movements the body of
the mass is preceded by a fanfare
Introduction and ends with
an organ solo followed by a concluding
Intrada.
It was good to have Jansons conducting the Mass. It’s a work that
I rarely see programmed, although I am due to attend a Berlin performance
by Sir Simon Rattle next week at the Philharmonie. In the
Úvod
(Introduction) the impressive brass fanfares strongly reminded me of
the stirringly lyrical opening of his
Sinfonietta. The assured
entrance of the chorus intoning the words ‘
Lord has mercy on
us’ in the
Gospodi pomiluj (
Kyrie) feels just
perfect. Poised Moscow-born soprano Tatiana Monogarova enters with the
words ‘
Christ have mercy on us’. She shows clear
enunciation and matches this with convincing reverence. Right from his
first entry in the
Slava (
Gloria) with the words ‘
Thou,
who is seated at the right hand of the father’ I was struck
by the wholehearted contribution of Slovakian tenor Ludovít Ludha.
He sings with such vivid clarity and compelling piety. In the especially
dark and threatening
CredoSlovak bass Peter Mikuláš
is in firm and secure voice for the words ‘
and the life of
the world to come’. There is some glorious music in this movement
especially the stunning episode for low strings. A master-stroke in
the
Credo is the fairly short organ solo played by Latvian Iveta
Apkalna.
Opening with a lovely solo violin the wonderful yet highly challenging
Svet (
Sanctus) with its layers of repeated motifs for
the instrumental groups is played with unforced vibrancy. Marina Prudenskaja
the Russian mezzo has little to sing in this work which is a pity as
her singing is noticeably rich in tone when it comes to ‘
blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord’. Her contribution
may be modest but it is telling. The final sung movement
Agneče
Božij (
Agnus Dei) feels sinister and is heavy with dark
foreboding. Here the Bavarian chorus and bass Mikuláš singing
‘
Lamb of God thou takest away the sins of the world’.
It’s a splendid example of reverential expression. Making a real
impact in the penultimate movement
Varhany sólo (
Postludium),
a dazzling showpiece for solo organ, is Iveta Apkalna’s glowing
and commanding playing. The final movement
Intrada (
Exodus)
has Jansons bringing the score to a jubilant close dominated by timpani
and brass.
Michael Beyer, the video director, deploys a splendid, crisp colour
palette and the performance starts quickly without lots of irritating
pre-concert activity. The cameras certainly don’t linger long
in any particular area and in that respect interest is engaged and held.
My main problem is that the camera often tends to concentrate extremely
closely on individual players when it would have been more appropriate
to show groups of instruments. I’m unsure if Beyer had sufficient
cameras at his disposal as some additional camera angles would have
helped; for example, the lack of shots of the male choir is conspicuous.
The sound formats PCM Stereo and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 are quite superb
conveying an agreeable sound perspective and plenty of orchestral detail
together with an agreeable balance. The organ solo must have been difficult
to capture but it is superbly put across.
In the
Glagolitic Mass the English subtitles were adequate
although, I would have left them on screen longer when being repeated
and also being used by different groups. The accompanying booklet has
a decent essay but no separate sung texts and translations.
All round these are winning performances.
Michael Cookson
Masterwork Index:
Brahms
symphony 2