Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symp
hony No. 6 in A minor (1903/05) [82:28]
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Daniel Harding
rec. live, 20-22 March 2014, Philharmonie im Gasteig, Munich, Germany
BR KLASSIK 900132 [82.28]
The inspiration of artists is often at its greatest in times of hardship
and suffering. Mahler seemed to recognise the inevitability of tragic events
in his life, although at the time of writing his
Sixth Symphony
everything seemed rosy. His family life with Alma and his daughters was
contented, he held the prestigious post of music director at the Wiener
Hofoper and his music was receiving increased attention. Yet it seems as if
Mahler was experiencing an inner sense of dark foreboding while creating his
Sixth Symphony, a shadowy and antagonistic score. The great German
conductor Bruno Walter, a younger associate of Mahler, described the Sixth
Symphony as “bleakly pessimistic; it reeks of the bitter cup of human life.”
As if foreshadowing his life events like a premonition within a year of
completing the work Mahler lost his daughter Maria to scarlet fever and was
himself diagnosed with heart disease. Professionally in Vienna there were
problems too as Mahler, highly unpopular within the company, was forced to
resign from his post as Hofopern-Direktor.
I have recently attended the Musikfest Berlin 2015 and witnessed the
burning passion of Andris Nelsons conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra
in Mahler 6. This new live BR Klassik release pales by comparison. Extremely
difficult to pull off in concert Daniel Harding with the Symphonieorchester
des Bayerischen Rundfunks comes across as if driving a prestige marque that
has been filled with the wrong octane fuel. As one expects from this
magnificent orchestra there is some beautiful playing in a rather uneven and
far from cohesive performance. Absent is the required feeling of engagement
as is any consistent degree of emotional tension. Present in the closing
movement is a sense of threat and anxiety but sadly it is not sustained. The
engineering team has ensured that we hear satisfying, clear and well
balanced sound. In the booklet the well written essay by Rüdiger Heinze is
an informative read.
In the catalogue there are some rewarding recordings of the Mahler
Sixth and I can recommend two live accounts both performed by the
Berliner Philharmoniker. From 2004 at the Philharmonie, Berlin, Claudio
Abbado moulds the architecture of the score remarkably and inspires his
players to great heights. Also from 1966 at the Philharmonie, Berlin, Sir
John Barbirolli on Testament provides a captivatingly taut and coherent
account.
Under the leadership of Daniel Harding this all feels rather
uninspired.
Michael Cookson
Previous review:
Simon Thompson
