Berliner Philharmoniker/Claudio Abbado - The Last Concert
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61 (excerpts)
(Overture 1826: Incidental music, Op. 61 1842/43) [40.11]
Deborah York (soprano)
Stella Doufexis (mezzo)
Damen des Chors des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Symphonie fantastique (1830, revised 1831/32), Op. 14 [55.46]
Berliner Philharmoniker/Claudio Abbado
rec. live 18-19, 21 May 2013, Philharmonie, Berlin
Set includes 2 CDs; 1 Pure Audio Blu-ray Disc
Full details at end of review
BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER RECORDINGS BPHR 160081
This marks the second anniversary of Claudio Abbado’s
death on 20 January 2014 aged eighty. The set - on CD and Blu-ray (audio and
video) - captures Abbado’s final concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker
in May 2013. It was the end of a treasured partnership that bore plentiful
and remarkable fruit.
Abbado first conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1966, the start
of a unique relationship that was to last nearly half a century. Succeeding
Herbert von Karajan into the biggest job in the world of classical music Abbado
was elected by the members of the orchestra as chief conductor of the Berliner
Philharmoniker serving from 1990 to 2002. He became only the fifth
chief conductor in the orchestra’s history. Following his resignation
from that post Abbado would return to the orchestra as a guest. The relationship
between orchestra and Abbado remained cordial and these appearances as guest
were clearly events to savour.
In May 2013 there was a series of three concerts at the Philharmonie which
turned out to be Abbado’s last with the Berliner Philharmoniker. They
were described as a “triumph” by the Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung. Abbado’s programme comprised two key works from composers both
close contemporaries: Felix Mendelssohn’s enchanting A Midsummer
Night’s Dream and Hector Berlioz’s progressive Symphonie
fantastique.
Inspired by Schlegel’s translation of Shakespeare’s original play
Mendelssohn was only seventeen when he wrote his overture to A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. Some sixteen years later in 1842-43 owing to a commission
from Frederick William IV of Prussia, Mendelssohn returned to the text, writing
incidental music for a stage production. The score was complete with two women
soloists and women’s chorus and incorporated the overture into the score.
Sadly today Mendelssohn’s incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s
Dream is rarely performed in its entirety. In 1995 during his tenure
as chief conductor Abbado and the orchestra recorded some fifty minutes of
excerpts from the incidental music and coupled these with the Symphony No.
4 ‘Italian’ for Sony Classical. This live May 2013 concert performance
contains forty minutes of excerpts including the overture but without any
passages requiring narration. Right from the opening measures of the youthful
overture one feels the uplifting and glowing magical atmosphere of an enchanting
fairyland. Sticking in the memory are the outstanding violins in the Overture,
the horn playing in the Notturno and the trumpets in the Wedding
March. Performed in English Ye spotted snakes is sung by soprano
Deborah York and mezzo Stella Doufexis as the first and second fairies. They
are joined by the fresh and sparkling twenty-strong women’s chorus —
a wealth of charm.
In 1830 the twenty-six year old Hector Berlioz’s wrote his epic Symphonie
fantastique subtitled An Episode in the Life of an Artist. This
is a richly scored work for large orchestra and ground-breaking in its day.
His best known work, Berlioz wrote his own programme note for the five movement
score. This follows the self-destruction of an artist over his infatuation
with a beautiful woman. In reality this is a musical self-portrait and the
object of Berlioz’s own self-destructive passion was the Irish actress
Harriet Smithson his muse whom he was later to marry. Abbado recorded some
Berlioz but I know of very little with the Berliner Philharmoniker. He released
a recording of Symphonie fantastique but that was with the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra in 1983 a fine performance which has been criticised in
some quarters for the balance of its recorded sound. Having attended live
performances of Symphonie fantastique three times in the last year
and less than a week ago by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra I did
wonder if this new Abbado account from 2013 would be one performance too many.
Thankfully there is nothing to fear as it soon becomes evident that Abbado
and his players revel in this early romantic showpiece; enjoying every second.
Immediately noticeable in this splendidly moulded performance is the composure
and technical precision of the players. Striking are the vivid orchestral
textures, astutely chosen tempi and dynamic contrasts which are ideally emphasised
and provide plenty of dramatic bite. The graceful lilt the violins give to
charming waltz themes in Un bal is memorable as is the simply stunning
cor anglais in Scène aux champs, the magnificent brass especially
the contribution from the glowing trumpets and also the precision of the bassoons
in March to the Scaffold. With a performance as excellent as this
the Symphonie fantastique didn’t feel as overlong as it can
often do in the wrong hands.
Described as a ‘hardcover luxury edition’ this box bound in red
linen is certainly carefully designed, high-end merchandise. Containing some
96 minutes of music the concert is presented on CD and Blu-ray:
a) 2 Audio CDs in 2.0 LPCM Stereo, 24-bit/48 kHz and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
24-bit/48 kHz.
b) A single Blu-ray disc in lossless studio master quality audio
i) Pure Audio in 2.0 LPCM Stereo 24-bit/48 kHz and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
24-bit/48 kHz.
ii) High Definition video of the concert in 2.0 LPCM Stereo 24-bit/48 kHz
and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 24-bit/48 kHz.
The bonus video content includes a documentary:
‘Abbado in Berlin – The First Year’ - A 1991 film by Bob
Eisenhardt, Susan Froemke and recollections of Abbado by Peter Gelb.
‘Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker remember Claudio Abbado’.
There is also a short promotional feature about the Berliner Philharmoniker’s
Digital Concert Hall (which is the Berliner Philharmoniker’s video streaming
service).
c) A personal download code for high resolution studio master audio files
in 24-bit/48 kHz.
d) A 7-day voucher for the Digital Concert Hall.
e) The 56 page integral booklet in German and English contains helpful information
on each work and numerous Abbado photographs, many not seen before.
i) Essay ‘Unequal Brothers’ - Felix Mendelssohn and Hector Berlioz
by Tobias Möller.
ii) Essay ‘The Democrat’ - Claudio Abbado and the Berliner Philharmoniker
by Julia Spinola.
This is a substantial box with the dimensions 24.5 x 15.5 x 2.3cm box weighing
550g.
The accompanying booklet that forms part of the box is as comprehensive as
one expects from this source. It contains two instructive and interesting
essays: Unequal Brothers - Felix Mendelssohn and Hector Berlioz by
Tobias Möller and The Democrat - Claudio Abbado and the Berliner Philharmoniker
by Julia Spinola. A further article titled Biographic Notes by Oreste
Bossini provides some useful information about Abbado’s career. With
regard to the bonus video content the 1991 documentary film Abbado in
Berlin – The First Year by Bob Eisenhardt, Susan Froemke and Peter
Gelb, lasting almost an hour, is a real eye-opener. I certainly hadn’t
given too much thought to the political situation in Berlin when Abbado arrived
around the time the Berlin Wall had been taken down. Without giving too much
away, the thoughts of some of the orchestral players in regard to the departure
of Herbert von Karajan are worth hearing too. Oh, and there’s a rare
glimpse into Karajan’s personal suite at the Philharmonie. There are
other interesting episodes such as Abbado’s seemingly casual attitude
about signing a contract with the orchestra, the Sabine Meyer affair is touched
upon and the nerve-jangling footage of teenage pianist Siiri Schütz making
her debut with the orchestra in 1991 leaves one wondering about the efficacy
of exposing immature performers on the concert platform at such young ages.
A shorter documentary titled Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker Remember
Claudio Abbado allows several players to relate their own personal reminiscences
of working with Abbado. It is touching to watch Abbado on film stating his
ideal relationship with the orchestra “The important thing is to love
the music and ignore the politics. All the petty things that go on don’t
interest me. I want to achieve my aims in life through music. That’s
the most important thing.”
Put together over three performances at Philharmonie, Berlin the video of
the Abbado concert has been well filmed and recorded. No worries at all with
the sound quality which is as good as I have heard, vividly clear with a fine
presence and excellent balance. Daniel Finkernagel and Alexander Lück are
the video directors whose work is generally admirable too. Minor grumbles
are that the women’s choir of Bayerischen Rundfunks are virtually ignored
on screen and some key episodes of orchestral playing were missed, for example
the trumpets in the March to the Scaffold.
Recordings of excerpts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Symphonie
fantastique are numerous, however, these magnificent Abbado accounts
are a match for any in the catalogue. During this recording the affection
and respect that the Berliner Philharmoniker holds for Claudio Abbado is palpable.
The stunning performances come across as quite special, near magical, music
making.
Michael Cookson
Previous review: John
Quinn (Recording of the Month)
Contents
CD 1
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (excerpts)
(Overture, Op. 21 1826: Incidental music, Op. 61 1842/43) [40.11]
Deborah York (soprano)
Stella Doufexis (mezzo)
Damen des Chors des Bayerischen Rundfunks
CD 2
Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Symphonie fantastique
(1830, revised 1831/32) [55.46]
Berliner Philharmoniker/Claudio Abbado
rec. live 18-19, 21 May 2013, Philharmonie, Berlin
i) 2.0 LPCM Stereo, 24-bit/48 kHz
ii) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 24-bit/48 kHz
1 Pure Audio Blu-ray Disc
All recordings in lossless studio master quality as well as High Definition
video
i) 2.0 LPCM Stereo, 24-bit/48 kHz
ii) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 24-bit/48 kHz
Running time: 96 minutes
Video of full concert
Picture: Full HD 1080/60i - 16.9
Sound:
i) 2.0 LPCM Stereo, 24-bit/48 kHz
ii) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 24-bit/48 kHz
Running time: 107 mins
Bonus videos:
Video Direction: Daniel Finkernagel & Alexander Lück
i) Documentary: ‘Abbado in Berlin – The First Year’ - A
film by Bob Eisenhardt, Susan Froemke and Peter Gelb [59.50]
ii) Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker Remember Claudio Abbado [15.36]
iii) Promotional feature: About Berliner Philharmoniker’s Digital Concert
Hall (which is the Berliner Philharmoniker’s video streaming service)
[01.28]
Running time of bonus content: [76.54]
Region code: ABC (worldwide)
German/English/Japanese
Plus Download Code
For high resolution audio files of the entire album (24-bit/48 kHz)
Digital Concert Hall
7-Day Ticket for the Berliner Philharmoniker’s video streaming
service
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