Josef SUK (1874-1935)
A Summer’s Tale Op.29 JSKat 57 (1907-1909) [54:25]
Prague Op.26 JSKat 54 (1904) [24:52]
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Jiří Bĕlohlávek
rec. Watford Colosseum, England, 3-4 January 2012
CHANDOS CHSA5109 SACD [79:32]
It’s not long since I gave a warm welcome to a fine live recording of
Suk’s tragic masterpiece, Asrael, by these same artists (review).
Now they’ve recorded two more of his substantial orchestral works, this
time under studio conditions.
These works were composed either side of Asrael. In fact the musical
portrait of the city of Prague was composed in the immediate aftermath of
the deaths of Dvořák and Suk’s wife, Otilka. As Graham Melville-Mason
suggests in his note Suk probably found solace in work although Prague
is not the grief-stricken elegy one might have expected him to compose in
those circumstances; that would come withAsrael. Prague is a
fairly straightforward work, certainly by comparison with its companion on
this disc; it looks at the “history and mystery” of Prague, as
Melville-Mason puts it. It’s built around two musical ideas: the Hussite
chorale, ‘Ye warriors of God’ and a love theme that Suk lifted
from his incidental music to the play Radúz a Mahulena (1897-8);
this latter theme is first heard on the oboe (track 6, 5:22). This symphonic
poem contains colourful, illustrative music celebrating Prague’s heritage.
It’s not always subtle and the organ - splendidly caught here - and
bells pile in for a somewhat grandiloquent finish (track 9 from 2:16). However,
it’s effective, enjoyable and radiates a definite and genuine - though
not jingoistic - national pride. Bĕlohlávek and his orchestra
make a fine case for it. The recording I’ve had in my collection for
many years comes from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Libor
Pešek, issued in 1993 by Virgin Classics (VC 7 59318 2). It’s a
very good performance and recording but this opulently recorded Chandos version
splits the work into four separate tracks, which is very helpful; the Virgin
version is on a single track.
A Summer’s Tale was composed after Asrael. It’s
on a huge scale, lasting nearly 55 minutes here - the 1995 Virgin performance,
again from the RLPO and Pešek (VC 5 45057 2) is scarcely shorter, coming
in at 51:56 - and, like Asrael it is scored for a very large orchestra
indeed. The problem that I have with it - and it’s not dissipated by
this fine Bĕlohlávek performance - is in understanding what it’s
about. In my humble opinion it’s hard to treat it as a symphonic
poem, despite the fact that Suk gave it that title. There’s no narrative
thread running through it - or if there is it’s not spelt out in Graham
Melville-Mason’s note nor in the more detailed and, frankly, more helpful
note by John Tyrrell that accompanied the Pešek recording. Furthermore,
unless I’m missing something, which may well be the case, there doesn’t
seem to be much linkage between the five movements, though John Tyrrell points
out that in the finale, ‘Night’, some use is made of what he describes
as the “plodding march” from the second movement, ‘Midday’.
So, I’m not sure what ‘tale’ it is that Suk is relating
here. I’m rather inclined to think that A Summer’s Tale
is more akin to a suite.
That said, the individual movements each contain a good deal of very interesting
and good music and Suk’s use of his vast orchestra is consistently resourceful
and inventive. Of particular note in terms of scoring is the central movement,
‘Intermezzo’. Despite the array of orchestral colour at his disposal
Suk pares back the forces to minimal proportions, scoring this short piece
simply for two cors anglais, two harps, solo violin and viola and a small
string group. This movement apparently depicts two blind musicians who Suk
had encountered on a country road, playing the same dull tune over and over
again. Interestingly, this movement represented yet another raid on the score
for Radúz a Mahulena; this little piece was an additional number
that Suk had composed for a revival of the play in 1907. It’s interesting
music but I don’t really understand how it fits into the scheme of A
Summer’s Tale other than the fact that it follows another movement
that depicts a heat-hazy scene at midday.
The extended opening movement is entitled ‘Voices of Life and Consolation’.
Graham Melville-Mason comments that in it Suk “is thought to be emphasising
nature’s healing powers and directing a positive face to the world after
the bleakness of Asrael.” I must say that, to my ears, the positive
aspect takes some time to come through. The opening is subdued and serious
and it took a while before I detected much in the way of a positive countenance.
However at 4:35 a cor anglais solo ushers in some pastoral wind writing and
thereafter the mood and textures of the music become somewhat lighter. Indeed,
there’s a lot of rather delicate scoring in the following paragraphs
and even when an extended climax is attained it is powerful but not in a tragic
way. That climax dissolves into a seraphic, slow violin solo over a most delicate
accompaniment. The tranquil last couple of minutes put me slightly in mind,
rather to my surprise, of some of Delius’s nature music, albeit voiced
with a Czech accent.
The fourth movement, ‘In the Power of Phantoms’, is perhaps the
most remarkable movement of all. It’s a multi-sectional scherzo depicting
a spectral, strange world. You might almost call it a ‘fantastic scherzo’
though in temperament, style and scoring it’s light years away from
the genial work to which Suk actually gave that title. It’s an intriguing
movement and Suk’s imaginative and colourful use of the orchestra is
quite remarkable at times. It comes to a strange, subdued conclusion that
perhaps prepares us for the final movement.
This movement, which I hesitate to call a finale, is entitled ‘Night’
and here the music is essentially calm. There’s also a certain nobility
at times and the last few minutes are tranquil. One senses that perhaps Suk
has found peace, if not complete peace, after the bereavement traumas that
led to Asrael. Eloquently played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, it’s
a moving and satisfying end to this substantial score.
I don’t think A Summer’s Tale quite attains the stature
of Asrael. For one thing the work doesn’t hang together anything
like as convincingly. Nor do I think the musical ideas are quite as memorable.
That said, there’s a good deal of fine music here and Suk handles his
material and his orchestra with great assurance. The performance by Bĕlohlávek
and what is now his former orchestra is very fine indeed and while the Pešek
account is by no means eclipsed Bĕlohlávek’s reading, excellently
played, directed with conviction and recorded in sumptuous, clear sound deserves
the warmest possible welcome.
Like their recent Asrael this pair of performances represents the partnership
between Jiří Bĕlohlávek and the BBC Symphony Orchestra
at its fruitful best. Though he is no longer their chief conductor they will
continue to work together. Let’s hope that will include more recordings:
it would be marvellous if they were to record more Suk, especially Ripening
and Epilogue.
John Quinn
See also review by Nick
Barnard (September 2012 Recording of the Month)
This pair of performances represents the partnership between Jiří
Bĕlohlávek and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at its fruitful best.
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