Full disclosure: Alexander Borodin is one of my favourite neglected
composers; all right, you know his
name; but when did you last hear
his music in concert? From the time I heard Ernest Ansermet's Decca
recording of the Second and Third Symphonies, I fell in love with this
composer's melodic gift and sparkling, variegated colours. So, while I
always look forward to hearing Borodin's music, I'm fussy about it.
Mark Ermler's cycle begins auspiciously. In the E-flat Symphony, the
composer hasn't yet found "his" voice - it's Generic Romantic Symphony,
Russian Nationalist division - but his melodies nonetheless lead the ear
onward, while his sense of orchestral colour is already masterly. In
Ermler's hands, the slow introduction builds inexorably to the pulsing
syncopations of the main
Allegro, avoiding the
longueurs I
noted in Plasson's performance (
Berlin Classics 0013962BC), which I'd improperly
blamed on the composer. The scampering
Scherzo is set off by a warm,
folk-like
Trio, with conductor and players adroitly manoeuvring
through the metrical irregularities. The
Andante sings fervently,
while the finale is, by turns, vigorous and delicate. It's a first-class
performance, on a par with Rozhdestvensky's classic account (Melodiya and
various licensings; try also his
Chandos set. Ed.).
Unfortunately, in the B minor Symphony - arguably Borodin's
masterpiece - Ermler's touch is less sure. The opening movement is basically
fine, but the way Ermler rolls through the development sounds uncomfortably
fast for the brassy flashback of the second theme. In fairness, the
woodwinds handle the official recap of that same theme later on with
delicacy and charm.
The
Scherzo is a trap for conductors: too quick a tempo turns
the climactic syncopations into scrambled eggs, with Rattle (EMI) the most
egregious recent offender. Ermler errs in the opposite direction: he chooses
a judicious starting tempo, but allows the movement to lose all momentum.
The
Andante begins with a unique hushed reverence, but it, too,
gradually devolves into an uphill slog. The
Finale, finally, has the
right propulsive energy, and the trombone-and-tuba octaves at 2:14 are
impressively brazen.
The start of the two-movement Third Symphony, completed by Glazunov
from the composer's sketches, is so spacious it's practically becalmed; but
the beautiful, expressive woodwinds hold attention, and the music eventually
gets going. The quirky 5/8
Scherzo begins with the right sort of
playful vitality, but it, too, loses impulse, so that, when the theme
returns at 2:39, Ermler has to give it a little push back into the original
tempo. The central section, practically a slow movement in its own right, is
sensitively phrased.
The Bolshoi Orchestra, unlike some others, seems not to have been
affected adversely by the post-Soviet exodus of players. The string tone
remains warm and vibrant; the characterful woodwinds can sound full or
delicate, as required. The brasses have, if anything, improved, taming their
raw tonal edge while maintaining their impact and brilliance. Discipline is
good.
As a filler, the producers have thrown in the tone-poem
In the
Steppes of Central Asia. Loris Tjeknavorian's performance is
affectionate, though there are more polished renditions around. A few
nervous horn attacks are of less moment than are the Armenian Philharmonic's
tuning disagreements in the
tutti at 3:12.
The sound is gorgeous in the Bolshoi recordings, though the
producers haven't quite covered up splices at 1:59 of the B minor's slow
movement and at 1:08 in its finale. In
In the Steppes, it's clear
enough, but less vivid.
At Brilliant Classics prices, this might be worth buying for
Ermler's excellent First and for parts of his Third. Still, completists will
want the CDs, or the original LPs (RL 25098), of Tjeknavorian's lovely RCA
set from 1977. Dubbed "The Complete Orchestral Music," it adds
Mlada,
the
Nocturne for strings, the
Petite Suite, and selections
from
Prince Igor to the works recorded here (
review), all suavely played by the "National Philharmonic",
a London-based pickup group
Stephen Francis Vasta
Stephen Francis Vasta is a New York-based conductor, coach, and
journalist.
