Symphony No. 1 in F minor,Op. 10 (1924-1925) [32:03]
Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141 (1971) [46:16]
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Mark Wigglesworth
rec. October 2006, Music Centre for Dutch Radio & Television, Studio MCO5, Hilversum, The Netherlands. Reviewed as 24-bit/44.1kHz download
BIS BIS-SACD-1643 [79:15]
‘Wigglesworth’s Shostakovich cycle is the finest - and most
consistently satisfying - in the catalogue.’ That was my response
to the previous instalment in this series, which included the No. 1 reissued
here (review).
BIS have now covered all these symphonies, a project that began with the
Leningrad in 1997. Even then - with the BBC National Orchestra
of Wales - it was clear we were in for something rather special; that
said, Wigglesworth’s more recent performances with the Netherlands
Radio Philharmonic are in another league entirely. I’ve reviewed
most of the latter, and their artistic strengths are matched by recordings
of considerable range and splendour.
Over the years I’ve heard many accounts of these symphonies, all
of different vintage and some of doubtful provenance. The one constant
is the quality of the music itself; even the Cinderella pieces - Nos.
2, 3, 7 and 12 - respond gratefully to a thoughtful approach. Indeed,
Wigglesworth’s quiet, cerebral progress is part of what makes his
performances such a revelation. Happily that never seems to result in
a lack of tension or drama; paradoxically, such a cool, analytical method
allows the music to ‘speak’ plainly, without added histrionics
or blatant manipulation. That’s no bad thing in scores that, for
the most part, are already so volatile.
In that sense Wigglesworth’s Shostakovich is a palate cleanser,
a necessary corrective to all that’s gone before. That’s not
to say the insights of Kondrashin et al are any less valuable
when it comes to understanding this complex, conflicted composer; if anything
they all contribute to a multi-faceted, always fascinating portrait of
a truly formidable talent. That prodigious gift is evident in the First
Symphony, which some detractors suggest contains less of Shostakovich
than first thought. Surely there’s too much of what we hear later
- the mordant wit, the distinctive sonorities and those familiar progressions
- for it to be anything other than an original, focused and very personal
piece.
As I reviewed this version of No. 1 when it was coupled with Nos. 2 and
3 all I will say here is that revisiting it after a longish break has
increased my admiration for both the work and Wigglesworth’s performance.
No. 15, the culminating work in this most valuable cycle, was recorded
at the same time as the First; collectors may well be irritated by the
duplication, which could have been avoided with a new recording of, say,
The Execution of Stepan Razin. I’d really like to
hear more Shostakovich from this team, but I have a feeling that’s
all we’re going to get.
Given what we’ve already received it seems churlish to complain.
We must also be grateful for the number of fine Fifteenths in the catalogue.
Haitink (Decca) has long been a favourite of mine, not least for his judicious
blend of wit and introspection. Kondrashin’s Melodiya account is
uniquely Russian - sometimes raw, always illuminating - as is Maxim Shostakovich’s
recording of the 1972 premiere (on a Melodiya LP). Of more recent versions
Dmitri Kitaienko (Capriccio) offers both a forensic examination of the
score and top-notch engineering (review).
That said, the one I turn to most is Kurt Sanderling’s with the
Berliner Philharmoniker; first issued on the orchestra’s own label,
this performance digs deeper and goes darker than any I know. Kondrashin’s
1974 Dresden account (Profil) isn’t far behind.
So, how does Wigglesworth's Fifteenth fare in such august company? It
takes a while to warm up - the first movement seems a little po-faced
at the outset - but the mood does lighten thereafter. As always there’s
nothing rushed about Wigglesworth’s reading, with every tic and
nuance laid bare in the most natural and unaffected way. By contrast Haitink
has more point and sparkle, and Decca’s sharpened edges add to the
music’s brittle humour. Wigglesworth’s insistence on more
air around the notes really pays dividends in the strange, disembodied
second movement; the muted brass are unanimous, the twisting cello line
is as wistful as any, and it’s all so thrillingly spectral.
The Allegretto is well shaped and sprung; the playing is wonderfully
alert and precise, and the music’s quirks and quiddities are never
overplayed. I wouldn’t have minded a bolder, more vivid sound -
one has to crank up the volume for it all to snap into focus - but then
this isn’t the mighty Eighth or Eleventh. Indeed, I’ve seldom
heard this finale sound so quietly refined. Some listeners may prefer
the upfront presentation of, say, Haitink, but Wigglesworth’s restraint
and attention to detail are just as compelling. Moreover he builds climaxes
from afar, so that when they arrive they do so with devastating impact.
It’s hard to believe that these performances are sourced from 44.1kHz
originals, such is their presence and timbral accuracy; just sample the
drum taps and soft tam-tam strokes in the finale, for instance. More important,
there’s a sense of time suspended, of an audience holding its collective
breath, and that’s very rare in a studio recording. At the heart
of it all is Wigglesworth’s masterly control of structure and dynamics;
the end result is discreet, direct and utterly absorbing.
Well worth the wait; a fitting end to this fine cycle.
Dan Morgan
http://twitter.com/mahlerei
Masterwork Index: Shostakovich
symphony 1 ~~ Symphony
15
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