Some months ago I reviewed
a disc of music by Mahler from this same conductor and orchestra.
Their programme included ‘Totenfeier’, the original version
of the first movement of Mahler’s Second Symphony. I’m afraid
I was rather underwhelmed by the performance and, indeed, by
the whole disc but even so I was interested to see what Paavo
Järvi would make of the complete symphony.
The first movement gets off to a good, solid start. However,
when Mahler eases into a slower, more reflective episode (2:34
- 3:35) Järvi adopts a dangerously expansive tempo and the same
happens in a more extended similar episode a little later on
(6:12–9:30). In fairness, this is entirely consistent with his
approach to the same stretches of the ‘Totenfeier’ movement,
so one shouldn’t be surprised. However, as was the case on the
earlier disc, I think he sacrifices too much tension in these
passages. Much of the movement is perfectly satisfactory but
these passages are just too much of a good thing, I think. In
the last analysis I didn’t feel stirred by this reading of Mahler’s
massive funeral march.
At the very start of II the little agogic distortions that Mahler
writes into the score are, perhaps, observed a little too fully
by the conductor but overall Järvi’s treatment of this movement
is a success. He obtains some nice delicate playing from the
orchestra and I enjoyed the reading, even if there were a few
occasions when I felt he was just a bit too inclined to stress
small expressive points little excessively. There are more instances
of deft playing in III and the thunderous premonition of the
finale (7:52 - 8:28) is suitably shattering. Alice Coote makes
a predictably fine showing in ‘Urlicht’, offering well-focused
and expressive singing. She’s well supported by Järvi.
The massive finale is proficiently played. However, as with
the first movement, I didn’t feel as stirred by the music as
I would expect to be – and as other conductors have achieved
in my experience. Mahlerians such as Simon Rattle (his Birmingham
recording) or Otto Klemperer offer so much more and dig so much
deeper into the drama, I feel. As I’m unsure if this Järvi recording
is a studio one or made live – there’s no audience noise that
I could hear - I’ve deliberately refrained from comparisons
with a live recording such as the extraordinary, visionary Tennstedt
traversal (review)
because there one is in an entirely different league emotionally.
Even though Järvi’s account of the finale doesn’t really grip
me there’s much to admire in the playing. The percussion section,
powerfully reported by the engineers, play incisively and the
brass are excellent. At the grosse Appell the solo flute
sounds really bird-like. I’m not quite sure why a choir was
brought all the way from Spain to Frankfurt to take part in
this recording but the members of Orfeón Donostiarra justify
their involvement with some very good singing. Their first entry
(20:32) is hushed almost to the point of inaudibility and as
the final stretch of the finale unfolds they demonstrate their
worth at all volume levels. When the choir and soloists sing
‘Aufersteh’n, ja aufersteh’n wirst du’ at full volume (32:50)
the Spanish singers – the tenors especially – really go for
it. In the vocal part of the finale Alice Coote acquits herself
very well once more. She’s joined by Natalie Dessay. This isn’t
repertoire with which I’d normally associate this singer but
she makes a good contribution. The final pages are impressive,
with the organ a telling presence: some may feel, however, that
the bells are a little reminiscent of Boris Godounov.
This recording of Mahler’s Second has much to commend it. The
quality of the singing and playing is high and the recorded
sound is good. However, I don’t think that Paavo Järvi’s vision
of the score is sufficiently compelling to raise this performance
from being a decent one to a distinguished one. The Resurrection
Symphony is a hugely theatrical work and it should thrill
and move the listener; this performance doesn’t achieve that.
There are umpteen versions of this symphony in the catalogue.
Tony Duggan has evaluated several in his survey
of recordings of the Mahler symphonies and, from personal experience,
I’d endorse his enthusiasm for several of the versions he mentions.
Furthermore, we can probably expect more versions of this symphony
as 2011 unfolds and the centenary of Mahler’s death is marked
– new ‘live’ recordings from Mariss Jansons in Amsterdam and
from Rattle in Berlin are just being issued right now and I’m
eager to hear both. I’m afraid that, despite its merits, this
Järvi version can’t match several recordings that delve deeper
into the music and produce a more compelling experience for
the listener.
John Quinn
See also reviews by Gavin
Dixon and Nick Barnard
Masterworks Index - Mahler’s
Second Symphony
Alice Coote (mezzo); Natalie Dessay (soprano) 
