Introducing Masterpieces of Classical Music
Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor (1901-1903) [67:00]
Lucerne Festival Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
rec. 2004, Lucerne Festival, Lucerne, Switzerland
Documentary presented by Jeremy Barham [27:00]
Directors: Michael Beyer (concert), Angelika Stiehler (documentary)
Picture format: 16:9/NTSC
Sound: LPCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Region: 0 (worldwide)
Languages: English, French, German, Spanish
EUROARTS 2056178 
[95:00]
Mahlerians will recognise that this is not a new performance, but what is
new is Euroarts’ decision to repackage some of their earlier releases with
supporting documentaries. Anyone familiar with the bonus items normally tacked
on to these discs will know how variable they can be; this time, though, the
jacket blurb promises us something more substantial, an ‘insightful documentary’
presented by the ‘well-known scholar’ Jeremy Barham. A senior lecturer at
the University of Surrey, Barham is indeed a Mahler specialist – his PhD was
on the composer’s Third Symphony and, in addition to other writings,
he’s contributed a chapter to OUP’s The Mahler Companion.
This bodes well for the 27-minute documentary which, as it’s the disc’s USP,
is where we should begin. Initially my heart sank, as narrator Dulcie Smart’s
opening words are rendered all but inaudible by music from the performance
itself. Barham comes to the rescue after about two minutes, only to be replaced
by more music, scenic pans and swamped voice-overs. Alas, this style of documentary
making is all too prevalent these days, serious content subsumed by the exterior
gloss one associates with coffee-table books that look good but which no-one
ever seems to read.
If you can’t abide these sight- and sound-bites – the tricksy visuals pass
in the blink of an eye – just skip to chapter 2, entitled ‘Part 1’, which
is about the symphony itself. At last we can escape the anodyne commentary
and well-worn anecdotes and get to the heart of the music. But no; the absurd
balance means the eruptive start to the first movement – superbly captured,
by the way – obliterates the narration once again. At least Barham’s contributions
– filmed with him talking to an off-camera interviewer – are clear and uncluttered.
He uses the piano to highlight musical motifs – the triplets of the opening
fanfare, for instance, which he aptly characterises as a memento mori.
Helpfully, relevant sections of the score are presented on screen, which is
a nice touch.
As if to emphasise the annoying disjunction of style and content in this documentary,
the second movement’s title ‘Stürmisch bewegt’ is superimposed over a shot
of the calm waters of the Wörthersee. Hardly indicative of what Barham calls
a ‘mood of restless urgency’. That said, his contributions are always cogent
and interesting, backed up with musical examples played on the piano; one
pleasing visual touch is the way these snippets fade out and are taken up
by the orchestra. I really wish the narrator’s bridging comments/interjections
had ended up on the cutting-room floor, as they’re so much at odds with Barham’s
unfussy presentational style. Indeed, in the section on the Scherzo the narration
embroiders on the presenter’s earlier comments. For heaven’s sake, why?
Another distraction – albeit a minor one – is the use of what sounds like
mid-Atlantic voices for the male voice-overs. Quite different from Dulcie
Smart’s cool, uninflected tones. And what’s the point of talking about polyphony
and counterpoint in relation to the Scherzo without explaining what the terms
actually mean? It’s easily done, as Barham demonstrates in his explanation
of the suspension – or appoggiatura – in the Adagietto.
One of the beauties of multi-cued DVDs and Blu-rays is that you can skip the
bits you don’t like. Trouble is, the success of this repackaged DVD is predicated
on the idea that consumers will buy it for the added extras. Generally I find
these bonus tracks to be of peripheral interest only, but Barham’s quiet,
scholarly illustrations are very worthwhile indeed. What a pity we couldn’t
have had more in-depth analysis and musical examples, rather than vapid visuals
and redundant narratives..
And now for the performance itself. Claudio Abbado’s much-praised Mahler cycle
with his hand-picked Lucerne orchestra is almost complete. And what a journey
it’s been, made all the more poignant – and compelling – by the maestro’s
battle with cancer. That said, his gaunt features are transformed once he’s
on the podium, shaking his fist at the raging storm as it were. The fanfare
and aural earthquake at the start of the symphony have seldom sounded more
seismic, the dynamics so wide. And that’s pretty much what this Mahler Fifth
is all about, huge emotional swings essayed with superhuman strength by this
remarkable maestro and band.
Abbado is a master of the long span, the inner workings of the first movement
laid bare by his forensic probing. The agitated chatter and jabbing rhythms
of the second movement are as arresting as I’ve ever heard them, the ensuing
music a welcome shelter from the elements. What really impresses me about
Abbado’s Mahler – this latest cycle especially – is the sheer logic of his
readings; these are lean performances, without superfluous gesture or expressive
underlining, and the results are enthralling.
The DVD picture clear, the camerawork unobtrusive, and the sound – in its
stereo PCM form at least – is very good indeed. The weight and amplitude of
this symphony really does call for all the dynamic range the engineers can
muster, and I’m delighted to say that’s exactly what they deliver. There’s
warmth and detail as well, especially in the delectable Ländler and
pin-sharp pizzicati of the Scherzo, not to mention the honeyed string
sounds of the Adagietto. There’s no dewy-eyed sentimentality here, the music
most naturally paced and phrased.
But it’s the Rondo-Finale that takes one’s breath away; from its deceptively
gentle opening through to that crowning chorale – it’s seldom sounded so shattering,
so blazingly affirmative – this is music-making of the highest order. The
Lucerne band performs like the finely engineered instrument it is, and I seriously
doubt this music could be played with more authority and commitment than it
is here. And lest it seem I’ve lost my critical marbles, I haven’t warmed
to everything Abbado has done in Lucerne. For instance, his ‘Resurrection’
was much less visionary than I’d hoped, but then his various CD versions of
this work aren’t among the best in the catalogue either.
If you’re new to Mahler and/or this symphony then this DVD is a must-buy,
if only for the performance. As for seasoned Mahlerians – and those who already
own the original release – this ‘insightful documentary’ adds precious little
to the original package.
Dan Morgan
If you’re new to Mahler and/or this symphony then this DVD is a must-buy.