From the New World
Charles IVES (1874-1954)
The Unanswered Question (1908) [6:59]
John ADAMS (b. 1947)
Slonimsky’s Earbox (1995) [15:35]
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Le Chant du rossignol (1917) [22:23]
Antonín DVO ŘAK (1841-1904)
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 From the New World (1893)
[44:39]
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Andris Nelsons
rec. 3-4 December 2010, Herkulessaal, Munich, Germany
Video Director: Agnes Méth.
Picture: 16:9, High Definition
Sound: DVD: dts 5.1, PCM stereo
Region Code: 0
C MAJOR DVD 713408 [95:00]
Based on this concert DVD, the Boston Symphony is very
fortunate to have landed Andris Nelsons as its next music director. He puts
his whole self into conducting these performances, as the results
demonstrate. Not since Carlos Kleiber have I seen a conductor who appears to
enjoy his role of conductor as much. He really seems to appreciate the
talent that this marvellous orchestra provides.
Unusually, the concert begins with a piece for only a small portion
of the orchestra, Charles Ives’ famous Unanswered Question. The
video of this is fascinating, as the spatial requirements for this work are
crucial. There are only the four flutes, played here by Philippe Boucly,
Natalie Schwaabe, Yu-Mi Kim, and Ivanna Ternay, on the stage. A small string
section is located just outside the stage in the foyer, and the trumpeter
Hannes Läubin is also offstage presumably behind the orchestra. At any
rate when he takes his bow at the end he is standing at the back of the
orchestra. The camera-work is very effective and adds a lot to the superb
performance.
After the Ives, the full orchestra is on stage and a large orchestra
it is with all kinds of percussion for John Adams’
Slonimsky’s Earbox. This virtuoso showpiece is almost a
concerto for orchestra in one movement with the whole array of percussion
getting its due both in the performance and by the camera. Nelsons is
obviously having a blast conducting the work, which is in Adams’ best
post-minimalist style. It was a stroke of genius, then, to follow
Slonimsky’s Earbox with that work’s model,
Stravinsky’s Le Chant du rossignol. The only connection the
latter has with the New World would seem to be the use by Adams of the
Russian work’s beginning to launch his own. Here it sounds like a
continuation of Adams with its speed and orchestral colour. However, Le
Chant soon takes on the style of The Firebird and even Le
Sacre with a good bit of Petrushka thrown in, too. Then there is
the Chinese march with the oriental tones of the pentatonic scale. I am not
convinced that this is one of Stravinsky’s strongest pieces, but it is
still Stravinsky and sounds modern for its time. It may not hang together
all that well, but it is memorable if only for the gorgeous solo in the last
section. There the trumpet plays the blues and clearly anticipates Gershwin.
So that might be another connection with the New World.
Dvořák’s connection with the New World is obvious.
With the possible exception of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue,
Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony may be the most often performed
classical work composed in the US. It is played so frequently that it is
difficult to make it sound new, but Andris Nelsons and the Bavarian Radio
Symphony do just that on this DVD. For the most part, he chooses normal
tempos even if his Scherzo is lightning quick. Both there and in the
finale, he rushes in places and obscures some of the details apparent in
other interpretations. On the other hand, I don’t think I have ever
heard the first and second movements played or interpreted more
successfully. The virtuoso orchestra is outstanding throughout. Special
mention has to be made, though, of the absolutely beautiful cor
anglais solo in the Largo. It is not overdone, but is played
simply and with eloquence. The musician responsible is not given credit
either in the booklet or on the screen, but clearly he should be. A bit of
research on the internet indicates that it is Tobias Vogelmann, one of the
members of the oboe section. I really enjoyed watching this performance, but
could get even greater appreciation just listening on my stereo system.
Nelsons is fun to watch, as he is so involved with the orchestra, but after
a while he can be a bit distracting.
Generally the camera-work is fine throughout and the picture is very
clear and present. Michael Cookson reviewed the Blu-Ray version of this
concert and found it impressive, but I think the DVD also leaves little to
be desired. As to the audio, I compared it with my Harnoncourt/Concertgebouw
CD issued in 2000. It is amazing how much clearer, more immediate, and
warmer this DVD is than the earlier CD. I am not about to give up
Harnoncourt, but I will also come back to Nelsons when I want to hear this
symphony. In fact, the whole concert will be worth returning to both as
video and audio.
The DVD comes with no extras, except four trailers: Andris Nelsons
with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the Lucerne Festival performing
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Beethoven’s
Emperor Concerto with Yefim Bronfman; Christian Thielemann and the
Vienna Philharmonic doing the complete Beethoven symphonies; a Tutto
Verdi box of all the composer’s operas and the Requiem; and the
Carlos Kleiber documentary, “I am lost to the world”.
Leslie Wright
Previous review (Blu-ray): Michael
Cookson
Masterwork Index: Dvořák Symphony 9
A most enjoyable concert by Nelsons and the BRSO.
Support us financially by purchasing this disc from |
|
 |
 |
 |
|