Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
The Nutcracker, Op.71 (1891-1892)
Bergen Pikekor, Bergen Guttekor
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
rec. Grieghallen, Bergen, 2013
CHANDOS CHSA5144 SACD [84.35]
Neeme Järvi’s earlier recordings for Chandos of Swan Lake and
The sleeping beauty with these same forces have divided critical
opinion. We see this not least on MusicWeb International with Dan Morgan and Nick Barnard being much less impressed
than Dave Billinge. The complaints have centred
around the conductor’s dramatic interpretation, and most notably some speeds
that have been regarded as excessively fast. My initial reactions were that
these concerns might well be justified, with the whole of the ballet
squeezed onto one CD, albeit one of abnormal length. Comparisons with such
long-established interpretations such as that by Ernest Ansermet — one of the oldest stereo
versions in the catalogue — show that Ansermet was at times even quicker.
This can be experienced in the headily romantic introduction to Act Two; and
Järvi certainly shows no temptation to rush. Admittedly his reading of the
famous Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (track 22) is on the fast
side; but Tchaikovsky’s marking for this movement is a decidedly equivocal
Andante non troppo, which could be read as ‘not too fast’ or ‘not
too slow’ as the mood takes you. I also note that at the head of the celesta
part Tchaikovsky gives an instruction in French: “The artist who plays this
part must be a good pianist” (my own translation and emphasis) so
clearly he was expecting a degree of bravura in the famous celesta solo.
Otherwise this is a thoroughly enjoyable and very dramatic reading of the
score of Tchaikovsky’s late ballet. There's none of the charmlessness
of which Dan Morgan complained in Swan Lake. Indeed the pointing of
the music is always precisely relevant, although the microphone balance
avoids the highlighting of the percussion part — not uncommon in recordings
of this score. This is to the extent that some of Tchaikovsky’s
pianissimo effects verge on the brink of inaudibility. I am not
altogether sure either about the use of a children’s chorus in the Waltz
of the Snowflakes (track 10). I know that Tchaikovsky allows for this
as an alternative in the score, and many productions follow that procedure
but the ethereal sound of women’s voices behind the scene is surely better
to convey the sense of mystery.
These are minor quibbles in the face of what is a magnificently realistic
recorded performance which features an orchestra whose playing seems to go
from strength to strength. I most certainly do not get the impression that
Dan Morgan gained in Swan Lake that “Järvi has clearly lost his
edge here”. There have been occasions in the past when one has felt that
this prolific conductor is simply undertaking too much work to allow himself
really to get to grips with the music. At the same time his restless
exploration of the rare fringes of the repertory have often yielded stunning
results. Here, in one of the central canonic works of the ballet, he is up
against some formidable competition from rivals extending over a period of
fifty years or more. Nonetheless this is a thoroughly engaging performance
which will delight those who have collected the earlier releases in this
Bergen/Tchaikovsky ballet series. It will also have its attractions for
others – like myself – who come new to them.
Tchaikovsky, I remember reading somewhere, bridled at the Tsar’s
description at the first performance of The Nutcracker of the music
as “very nice”, regarding the symphonic and dramatic aspects of the work as
equally important. Järvi certainly takes full notice of these elements, and
the result is sufficient to satisfy all but the sweetest of teeth. The
extreme length of the CD certainly does not seem to constrain things in any
way, and the drama is given plenty of room to breathe. I thoroughly enjoyed
this.
I should add that, despite the constraints of the format of a single disc
in a jewel case, the booklet notes by David Nice (given in English, German
and French) are a model of comprehensive coverage. They discuss not only the
music but also give a full account of the scenario which Tchaikovsky set out
to illustrate. The uncredited photograph of the orchestra at Bergen harbour
in 2013 is one of the most strikingly original I have seen.
Paul Corfield Godfrey
Previous review: Dan Morgan
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