The idea of playing the Brahms symphonies using
a chamber orchestra is not new. Attempting to replicate the size of
orchestra that Brahms heard playing his music in Meiningen, Sir Charles
Mackerras led the way with his revelatory 1997 Telarc set with the Scottish
Chamber Orchestra. More recently we’ve had Sir John Eliot Gardiner
in equally revelatory live recordings with the period-instrument ensemble,
the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. There have been
other similar ventures although the majority of the performances that
you’ll find in the
MusicWeb
Resource Index for the Brahms symphonies are played by conventional
modern symphony orchestras. Here Ondine offer a straight reissue of
a set that first appeared, I think, in 2001 (ODE 990 2-T).
For these performances the COE numbers 20 violins, 8 violas, 6 cellos
and 4 basses with the usual woodwind and brass forces. That’s
virtually identical to the size of the SCO on the Mackerras recordings.
Like Mackerras, Berglund’s orchestra uses modern instruments;
however, his performances were not recorded under studio conditions
but, like Gardiner’s, in concert. The Baden-Baden audience is
commendably silent throughout and there’s no applause.
The use of a reduced body of strings means that the woodwind and brass
parts come through very easily - though not aggressively so. Listening
to these performances I was reminded that quite a number of conductors
have doubled the woodwind section when playing Beethoven symphonies
the better to balance the woodwind lines against a full-sized modern
string section. A similar effect is achieved here by reducing the string
band and employing standard-sized wind and brass sections and I like
the results. In movements such as the third movement of the First Symphony
I was put in mind of the Serenades of Brahms, precisely because the
prominence of the wind recalls the scoring of those two underrated works.
I like the way Berglund moves the music forward in the first movement
of the First Symphony. The introduction is fairly fleet - it’s
certainly not ponderous - and though the liner-notes refer to “a
rugged introduction that seems carved in granite” that’s
not what I hear. The main
allegro is lithe and surging; here,
as elsewhere in these performances, Berglund takes the exposition repeat,
which pleases me very much. I relished the excellent rhythmic articulation
and energy that is on display in this performance and in the development
section the vitality of the music making is splendid. There’s
a good deal of refined playing in the second movement and the principal
oboe and clarinet distinguish themselves, as do the leader and the first
horn in the closing pages. The third movement is light and airy, benefiting
from the ease with which the winds can be heard. Berglund takes the
introduction to the finale spaciously but when the
allegro is
reached he moves the music on with purpose and the performance is exciting.
In the closing section there’s a real drive for the finishing
line with no slowing whatsoever for the chorale. This is a bracing performance
of the movement and, indeed, of the symphony as a whole.
Berglund’s way with the first movement of the Second Symphony
is relaxed, though this doesn’t mean a lack of forward momentum.
And how nice, in this movement above all, to be able to hear the wind
and horns so easily! This is an objective, clear-eyed traversal. The
slow movement is broadly phrased and very well played and I like the
reading of the finale in which Berglund takes the ‘con spirito’
injunction to heart; the music has fine energy and the ending is properly
exultant.
The Third Symphony is one of the most difficult pieces in the repertoire
to launch and I don’t think Berglund quite brings it off. The
music sounds curiously earthbound for the first couple of minutes. Matters
soon improve, however and when the repeat is taken the music has the
right impetus this time round. One small detail that pleased me was
how well the contrabassoon registers at times. Overall, this is a good,
dynamic account of the movement. The two middle movements both go well
and there’s lots of energy at the start of the finale. The lovely
sostenuto ending seems to me to get slower by degrees, though
I may be imagining that.
Berglund leads a thrusting account of the first movement of the Fourth
while the
Allegro giocoso movement is vibrant and joyful with
strong rhythmic articulation. The concluding passacaglia is often powerful
and penetrating. The flute solo in variation 12 is very eloquent and
the woodwind solos that follow are no less good. Towards the end of
the movement Berglund and his players bring out all the strength in
the music in a way that’s most satisfying.
Throughout these performances the playing of the COE is excellent. Berglund’s
direction is sure-footed though some may feel he’s a little too
objective in his approach. Nonetheless these are very good accounts
of these inexhaustible symphonies and the reduced orchestral forces
enable a fine and most welcome degree of clarity, in which task the
players are helped by Ondine’s good, clear recordings. I shan’t
lightly give up the full-sized orchestral versions of such masterly
Brahms conductors as Cantelli, Furtwängler, Giulini, Kempe, Tennstedt
or Toscanini. However, smaller-scale performances such as these have
much to teach us about these symphonies, especially when they are as
well played as here. This is a desirable set which I’m glad I’ve
heard and to which I’m sure I’ll return with pleasure.
John Quinn
Masterwork Index:
Brahms symphonies
