Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony
No. 9 in D major (1909-1910)
Budapest Festival Orchestra/Iván Fischer
rec. 2013, Palace of Arts, Budapest, Hungary
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA36115 SACD [75:55]
The end of Iván Fischer’s BFO Mahler cycle draws near
with his long-awaited account of the Ninth. I’ve not warmed to earlier
instalments in the series, with the exception of his revitalising Fourth,
which he reprised for RCO Live two years later (review).
That alone makes Fischer a Mahlerian of some significance, although I tend
to avoid his print and video interviews for the simple reason that I’m
less interested in what conductors say about their work and more
in what they do with it. There are notable exceptions though; the
always provocative and charismatic Leonard Bernstein springs to mind.
The list of distinguished Mahler Ninths is long; among more recent versions
that have impressed me a great deal is Alan Gilbert’s taut, very dramatic
account with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic on BIS (review).
On a much loftier plane is the veteran Bernard Haitink’s fine contribution
to the RCO Live box I mentioned earlier. Then there’s Mark Elder’s
recent recording with the Hallé, which garnered high praise from Brian Wilson
and Dominy Clements (review).
It goes without saying that Channel’s engineering should be out of the
top drawer, which is an added bonus in this glorious, multi-faceted repertoire.
Fischer’s Andante comodo is certainly compelling; the unmistakable
drear of weltschmerz at the start is well judged and he broadens
the music beautifully thereafter. Mahler’s gentler rhythms are nicely
handled too, and there’s a certain refulgence to the sound that’s
most welcome. That doesn’t diffuse the clarity of Fischer’s reading,
though; aided and abetted by his fine orchestra he brings out the loveliest
and most disarming details imaginable. What a pity, then, that his tuttis
are so overpowering, something that spoilt his Resurrection for me.
Some listeners seem to relish such extremes, but I find them unrealistic and,
ultimately, rather unpleasant. Not only that, they tend to distort the shape
and proportions of the music at hand.
Despite all his insights I sense that Fischer concentrates too much on the
moment at the expense of the full hour as it were. For example, in Haitink’s
and Gilbert’s hands the symphony’s denouement is discernible
at the very start; such integrated conceptions convey Mahler’s thoughts
in a single, perfectly pulsed arch. In the second movement Fischer tends to
highlight certain elements of the score; for instance he offers a clean, highly
articulate response to those delightful Ländler. One could argue
that he’s a little too swift here – that’s the way it feels
at least – but then he does lift and aerate the music in much the same
way he does with the Fourth.
So why is this Ninth so disorienting? Then it struck me: I’m more conscious
of the playing than I am of the music itself. In short, this is too much of
an interpretation, not the spontaneous, self-revealing performance
I was hoping for. I’m always happy to hear a virtuosic band at play
– the BFO certainly qualify as such – but not when it’s
an end in itself. Fischer goes on to primp and prettify the music, and that
blunts the impact of Mahler’s mood swings and sardonic asides. The Rondo-Burleske
isn’t without its problems, either. Fischer takes it at quite a lick,
flattening essential contrasts in the process; indeed, most of the composer's
carefully crafted effects count for precious little at this point.
I suspect Fischer is trying to redefine the ‘Mahler sound’ with
his instrumental balances – more light, less weight – but while
that works in the easygoing Fourth I’m less sure it suits the grittier
Ninth. Alas, it just makes for a performance that lacks amplitude or conviction;
not only that, Fischer overburdens the music and overtaxes the ear with his
big, brash climaxes. The effect isn’t impressive, it’s just plain
vulgar. Some of the blame for this must lie with the recording which, despite
its tonal sophistication, is just too extreme for comfort.
Given these mounting caveats I had real fears for Mahler’s lovely, long-breathed
Adagio. Interestingly, Fischer aims for a transparency of texture
that appears to give the lower strings a much stronger – and more connective
- role than usual. Much has been written about the movement’s air of
fragmentation, both in terms of tonality and its emotional content. However,
the paradox here is that the most convincing approaches to this valedictory
finale retain a degree of cohesion – a binding stoicism, if you like
– that I simply don’t hear in Fischer’s reading. His agogic
pauses are distracting as well, but then this performance is already compromised
by unwelcome emphases and underlinings.
I really wanted to like this new Mahler Ninth; indeed, there are some lovely
things in it, especially at the start. Trouble is, that’s simply not
enough in a seamless and sustained epic such as this. Even the recording disappoints,
in SACD stereo at least. The single disc and booklet are contained in one
of those ghastly Digipaks which are vulnerable to wear and tear. I do wish
labels wouldn’t use them.
Fischer’s Mahler Ninth is overworked and under-characterised; a major
misfire.
Dan Morgan
twitter.com/mahlerei
Previous review: Michael
Cookson
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