Recordings
of
Die Schöpfung have been thick on the ground and
the quality has been high so a clear-cut recommendation
isn’t easy to give. It is possible to divide the recordings
into two main groups: those played by a modern symphony
orchestra and those which adhere to period performance
practice. I have not heard all the existing recordings
but in the former group I have for some time now had a
special liking for James Levine’s DG recording with superb
playing from the Berliner Philharmoniker and singing of
extraordinary sensitivity and beauty from the Swedish Radio
Chorus. The soloists are no mean trio either: Kathleen
Battle, Gösta Winbergh and Kurt Moll. From this one can
conclude that this is a broad, majestic reading, firmly
rooted in the romantic tradition. Tempos are only one indication
but I need only mention that the introduction takes 13:01
while Ivor Bolton in his recent live recording for
Oehms runs through it in 8:10. His is a period performance
and very good too with Miah Persson’s superb Gabriel/Eva
his trump card among the soloists. The slightly older
Naxos recording under
Andreas Spering is, however, even finer with fresh playing
and singing from a rather smaller group and with more evenly
matched soloists. I made it one of my
Recordings of
the Year and others have also taken it to their hearts.
Enoch
zu Guttenberg has divided opinions for his sometimes wilful
readings, the chorus and orchestra do not exactly have
star-billing and the soloists are at best half-known, so
how can he compete with the plethora of celebrities on
other labels? First of all his approach is neither romantically
overblown nor strictly ‘early-music-puritanical’ – he stands
so to speak with one foot in each camp. He has a modern
symphony orchestra but they have adopted some of the features
of the period bands and play with a minimum of vibrato.
He works with dynamic contrasts – and very effectively
too, and his speeds are mainly moderate. He is slower than
Spering and Bolton, who are very close to each other, but
in several cases only marginally so, while he is, principally
speaking, faster than Levine. What is more important than
differences in tempo is the playing and singing
per
se, and here he is a top contender. He doesn’t break
new ground in either direction but within a kind of middle-of-the-road
concept his reading is alive and engaged with excellent
contributions from the chorus and orchestra, whom he knows
well and have a special rapport with.
The
Corgemeinschaft Neubeuren was in fact founded by Enoch
zu Guttenberg in 1967. There is
precision and power in the dramatic choruses and soft lyricism
in the idyllic pieces.
He
has also a splendid trio of soloists. Swedish born Malin
Hartelius has a light and attractive voice and she sings
with understanding and naturalness. Her reading of
Auf
starkem Fittige is superb. Lothar Odinius is eager
and stylish and his soft singing is beautiful. Like the
others he sings off the words. Occasionally though he seems
to sing slightly flat. Really imposing is Anton Scharinger,
whose timbre sometimes is similar to Hermann Prey but has
the warmth of my old favourite in this part, Heinz Rehfuss
on an almost fifty-year-old Concert Hall recording. He
may be too monumental at times but he is also utterly delicate
with scaled down nuanced pianissimos. His accompanied recitative
after Gabriel’s
Auf starkem Fittige in the fifth
day is really superb (CD 2 tr. 3).
On
all counts then this is a recommendable recording with
splendid sound and a booklet with the sung texts and translation – not
to be taken for granted these days. The aforementioned
recordings will not be displaced by this newcomer – recorded
presumably ten years ago though no dates are given in the
booklet – and especially Spering still holds his position,
but there is so much to admire and be carried away by the
Guttenberg’s recording that even jaded collectors should
try it. Newcomers to this fascinating work need not hesitate.
Göran
Forsling
see also review by Dominy Clements