A fascinating document
of Barbirolli in Berlin, this intense
Mahler Sixth shows Sir John’s many strengths
– and a couple of weaknesses, too. The
tread of the opening is heavy indeed
and, as the movement progresses, it
turns out to be unstoppable. Let that
not imply any heavy-handedness with
detail however, as plenty comes through.
If the first movement is slower than
expected and the anxious feeling that
should attend it is not wholly there,
then the powerful emotive undercurrent
certainly is. There is no Bernstein-like
overindulgence here, more a fundamentally
classicist approach wedded to ultra-prepared
balancing of textures (there is evidence
of intense preparation on Barbirolli’s
part). Pastoral cow-bells are caught
well, clear but distanced yet audible
(too loud and they just sound silly).
What defeats many interpreters
in this first movement is the maintenance
of tension and sense over the sparse
orchestration and large registral spacings
of the development section – but it
is precisely this that is one of Barbirolli’s
strengths. The Berliners play with a
very un-Karajan like transparency for
Barbirolli. In keeping with this line
of interpretation is the (presumably
deliberate) under-playing of the ‘explosion’
at 17’26-27 (actually he saves the climactic
feel for the end).
The slow movement,
here placed second, is not an Austrian
mountain idyll because the undercurrent
created by the first movement spills
over. Solo contributions from the orchestra
are worthy of note, particularly the
oboe and cor anglais (not as acidic
as their Vienna counterparts) and the
solo horn (around 2’28: hear how the
melodic inflections are followed exactly).
The transparency mentioned in the first
movement is completely manifest here
(and the excellent sound holds up well
to the busy writing around eleven minutes
in).
There is no doubting
the ‘Wuchtig’ marking for the Scherzo
here as Barbirolli presents Mahler’s
grotesqueries in nightmarish technicolour.
The manic horn appoggiaturas really
present the feeling of a live performance.
The Trio is tasteful, but never merely
simple, while the end is a composed
disintegration perfectly realised, preparing
the way for the Expressionist wash that
comprises the finale’s first gesture.
If the ensuing first violin line is
not as impassioned as often heard, the
groping gestures that follow are marvellous
- indefinable gropings towards something
nightmarish and indescribable. Barbirolli’s
structural grip here is remarkable.
He elicits ‘dead’ sounds from his orchestral
canvas (try 16’14), a catalogue of brass-laden
blackness leading to the return of the
opening (17’25). This is so successful
in its disorienting effect on the listener
(despite the familiarity with the actual
musical material heard) because that
musical material itself has lost its
meaning. It enters disembodied and empty
– put in semiotic terms, the signifier
has lost what is signified. Hardly surprising
that the points of contact with Berg’s
Op. 6 Pieces are loud and clear under
Barbirolli’s baton. He takes the listener
on an emotionally draining journey,
perhaps because of rather than despite
his often classicist approach. Sir John’s
involvement is in no doubt – listen
to the foot-stamp and groan immediately
before the final outburst (the dying
throes?) at 28’29 if proof be needed.
A remarkable document.
This is not the cathartic experience
Bernstein would memorably portray this
piece as (and did, with the VPO in my
first-choice version, DG 427 697-2).
Rather, it is an essential complement
to that and as such should be on every
Mahlerian’s shelf.
This product is available
from Harold Moores (http://www.haroldmoores.com)
for a limited time at the special price
of £9.99.
Colin Clarke
See also Tony
Duggan's survey of recordings of this
symphony
Berliner Philharmoniker/Sir John Barbirolli