Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony No. 7 in E minor (1905-06, premiered 1908)
Bamberger Symphoniker/Jonathan Nott
rec. 11-15 July 2011, Joseph-Keilberth-Saal, Konzerthalle Bamberg, Germany
TUDOR 
7176
[79:50]
Jonathan Nott’s cycle with the Bamberger Symphoniker is nearing completion,
with only Symphonies 6 and 8, as well as Das Lied von der Erde, remaining
to be issued. The cycle has been highly praised in many quarters, including
on MusicWeb International. Just about every review has lavished considerable
acclaim on the recorded sound, and those comments very much apply for this
newest SACD. Never have I heard such a splendid recording of this
symphony.
Once considered the incomprehensible “black sheep” of Mahler’s oeuvre, the
Seventh has certainly overcome that label, with 83 readily available recordings,
including several in SACD format. I own three of these: Zinman/Tonhalle, Gergiev/LSO
and Tilson-Thomas, and this is quite the best sounding SACD of the four. The
Bamberg Symphony’s performance is caught in a warm acoustic that allows every
dynamic contrast to register fully. The sound-field never seems constricted
by the many powerful climaxes, which have a stunning impact and realism. The
orchestral sound is rich, yet transparent, clarifying Mahler’s often dense
contrapuntal texture. After repeated listening I was left marvelling at the
brilliance and originality of Mahler’s orchestration.
The marvellous sound is matched by top-notch orchestral playing. The Bamberg
Symphony play their collective hearts out, and their technical mastery would
be the envy of many more famous Mahler orchestras. With the addition of informative
liner-notes by Ellen Kohlhaas, this should be my new number one recommendation.
Yet, it isn’t.
I listened several times, hoping more fully to understand and connect with
Nott’s interpretation. There is no doubt that Nott knows this score: textures
come across with diamond-like clarity, and each climax registers fully. His
sense of structure and the long line is masterful. Every section of the orchestra
plays beautifully, even in the most difficult passages. Their collective virtuosity
seems fearless.
Aye, there’s the rub! Surely it was not Mahler’s intent that the music always
sound beautiful. In this symphony Mahler pushes harmonic and tonal boundaries
to their breaking point. He de-constructs traditional forms. Differing music
styles and forms are slapped together without proper preparation or context,
like some giant musical collage. For example, in the first movement at Rehearsal
37, the music abruptly shifts from earthly struggles to a vision of heaven.
In performances conducted by Tennstedt (BBC Legends, 2007) and Abbado (his
second recording, with the Berlin Philharmonic, DG, 2002) this change is magical,
a moment where the hair on your neck stands up. Nott’s realization is certainly
beautiful but not magical, almost perfunctory. In the Scherzo, Mahler savagely
deconstructs the Viennese Waltz, rejecting any lightheartedness for a dark,
nightmarish atmosphere. Tennstedt’s London Philharmonic woodwinds screech
and howl, while the Bamberger’s playing is so beautiful that darker elements
of the scoring hardly register. The Symphony’s neurotic, dark humour is underplayed.
Time and again, I wanted less manicured beauty and more harshness, more strain,
more pressing against technical and emotional limits.
The Rondo-Finale is a litmus test of sorts for the conductor’s interpretive
stance. Nott’s tempo seems slightly slow, perhaps the more tidily to encompass
the constantly shifting patchwork of styles that is the music’s essence. But
this is not tidy music; its seams are supposed to show. The gruff humour and
exuberance are so over the top we want to laugh out loud. Nott and the orchestra
obviously enjoy the music but the performance never takes flight, remaining
stubbornly earthbound.
I wanted to love this recording. I hear this symphony as a perilous journey
from darkness and despair to an almost manic giddiness. By making the journey
safe and beautiful, Nott has missed the heart of the work. For that, one need
only turn to Tennstedt or Abbado.
David A. McConnell
Nott has missed the heart of the work.