They say there are none so zealous as converts, and
I must admit to that charge where Mark Wigglesworth’s
Shostakovich is concerned. The turning point was his recording
of the 4th - review -
which first perplexed and then convinced me that this could be
the most important Shostakovich cycle of recent times. Prompted
by that performance I revisited the scene of my earlier disappointment
- the 13th - only to find it as maddening and elusive
as ever (see
review). However, hearing the 9th and 12th (BIS
SACD 1563) and the 8th (BIS
SACD 1483) has renewed my admiration for Wigglesworth’s
revealing approach to this most enigmatic of composers. (see
also review of 5,
6 & 10)
For those of you reared on the gruff ‘Shostakovich sound’ of
Kondrashin and others the refinement of Wigglesworth’s
readings may come as something of a shock. Moreover, he takes
a broader, more purposeful view of these scores than most, uncovering
a wealth of hidden detail and sonorities along the way. This
wouldn’t count for much if the results weren’t so
compelling. For instance, I was quite sure the gaunt 8th wouldn’t
survive Wigglesworth’s measured pace, only to discover
that those great climaxes sound all the more powerful for being
so doggedly pursued. In particular, the 12th which,
like the 11th, is often considered a Cinderella symphony,
emerges as a far better work than I had first imagined. Indeed,
if anyone can be said to have rehabilitated that neglected work
it must be Mark Wigglesworth.
So, how does the 11th fare? As with all iconoclasts
- and I’d say that’s a fair description of this conductor
- first reactions are likely to be mixed. His tempi and phrasing
in the first movement, ‘In the Palace Square’, are
very deliberate indeed - just listen to those dark opening chords
- yet the music retains a surprising degree of tension. And even
though the recording is made at a fairly low level - as is the
case with the others in this cycle - dynamic contrasts are very
realistic and perfectly manageable. The hushed playing of the
Netherlands Radio band is a case in point, every note easily
heard, those muttered timp figures clearly articulated.
The second movement, ‘The Ninth of January’, is similarly
low-key to begin with, but Wigglesworth soon ratchets up the
tension, restless brass baying above insistent drums. And despite
the work’s obvious programme, Wigglesworth focuses more
on the subtleties and nuances of the score, all of which are
projected with striking clarity and implacable logic. That may
translate into ‘too cool and detached’ for some,
but aided and abetted by a warm, detailed recording Wigglesworth
and his Dutch forces can be as ferocious as any when required.
The snap of snare drums and those shattering bass drum strokes
are superbly caught, the alarums and excursions of battle conveyed
with forensic intensity.
After that heat and turmoil Shostakovich strikes a note of utter
desolation, the music leached of all warmth and drained of all
momentum. Wigglesworth captures that chill as few others have
done, ushering in the third movement, ‘In memoriam’,
with the softest string playing imaginable. Indeed, the ear-pricking
realism of this disc is a perfect complement to the conductor’s
passion for detail; many of those barely audible string passages
- a distant keening, perhaps - are often lost on less analytical
recordings. Just as impressive is the amplitude and weight of
the pounding theme that emerges at 7:57, less gritty than some
yet no less powerful for that. And listen out for the spectral
figure that flickers into life at 10:15; it may be short-lived,
but in Wigglesworth’s hands it takes on a frisson all
of its own.
The last movement, ‘The Tocsin’, is apt to sound
rhetorical at best and bombastic at worst, and it’s a measure
of Wigglesworth’s skill that he manages to avoid both pitfalls.
There’s plenty of thrust here, the playing as keenly focused
as ever. One senses Wigglesworth has the measure of this potentially
troublesome movement, each surge sensibly scaled and executed.
And listen out for that titanic tam-tam smash at 8:34, the lingering
reverberation of which are simply hair-raising. But it’s
that juggernaut of a finale that draws together all the strengths
of Wigglesworth’s vision, combining raw power with a remarkable
degree of refinement, yet without sacrificing momentum or excitement.
And that’s the nub of it; Wigglesworth’s musical
judgment is impeccable, the results invariably illuminating.
Yes, the young pretender Vasily Petrenko’s recent recording
of the 11th might offer more ‘bang for your
buck’, but if you want a deeply satisfying performance
of this symphony - and an unrivalled recording - then Wigglesworth’s
is the one for you.
Dan Morgan
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic
Orchestra/Mark Wigglesworth 
[63:41] 
