Symphony No.3 in B flat major Song of the Night Op.27 (1914-16) [23:49]
Symphony No.4 Symphonie Concertante Op.60 (1932) [23:01]
Stabat Mater Op.53 (1925-6) [23:03]
Sally Matthews (soprano), Ekaterina Gubanova (mezzo), Toby Spence (tenor), Kostas Smorignas (bass-baritone), Denis Matsuev (piano)
London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus/Valery Gergiev
rec. Barbican Hall, London, December 2012 and March 2013
SACD Surround reviewed.
LSO LIVE SACD LSO0739 [69:53]
Karol Szymanowski composed four symphonies, the last having a concertante
role for piano. This disc is the second of a pair which, unusually,
includes all four (see review
of the other two symphonies). Also on this disc is the more frequently
recorded Stabat Mater. The performances were prepared for the
Barbican in 2012 and 2013 when Gergiev and the LSO presented these
works alongside the symphonies of Brahms. Having reviewed the first
disc I find my technical comments need repetition. The engineers once
again cope with the Barbican acoustic by giving us the orchestra rather
than the hall. Again I cannot hear any reflection from its walls.
The other missing sound is that of the audience whose presence goes
completely undetected, even after the rabble-rousing end to the Symphonie
Concertante. The orchestra sounds detailed, with a wide dynamic
range and a very wide frequency response. The chorus is a little remote
as are the solo singers. The pianist is fairly closely miked. The
recording level is low so expect to turn the volume up. The rear channels
are subtle to the point of irrelevance. The notes are again very good.
I noted previously my liking for his masterpiece, the opera King
Roger, the first of the two Violin Concertos, his Third Symphony
The Song of the Night, recently heard at the Proms, and the
Stabat Mater. With this disc I have been able to reacquaint
myself with the latter two. Indeed the review copy arrived along with
another recording of the Stabat Mater from the Chandos series
conducted by Edward Gardner so comparisons are inevitable. There is
little to choose as regards the orchestral playing and choral singing
save that the LSO Chorus sounds bigger than the BBC Symphony Chorus.
Gergiev takes much the same time overall as Gardner (see review). The big differences
are to be found in the female soloists and in the recordings in which
Chandos come out best. In the present performance both Sally Matthews
and Ekaterina Gubanova have just a little too much vibrato for my
liking and neither voice sounds as clear as the competition. The work
is beautiful and Gergiev has the full measure of its 23 gorgeous minutes.
The two symphonies are very welcome. It is good to have new recordings.
My previous references were made between twenty and fifty years ago
so these have the field to themselves in my collection. Having been
greatly impressed by the Third at this year's Proms it was good to
listen again so soon. A recording, however clean, made in the Barbican,
is never going to have the impact of a live performance heard from
the front centre of the arena at the Albert Hall. The latter was overwhelming;
this recording does not recreate that experience but it is very good
indeed and includes the excellent Toby Spence as tenor soloist. The
Symphony can be compared with Scriabin and with Ravel's Daphnis
in its use of exotic sounds and a chorus but the result is uniquely
Szymanowski and very compelling. The Fourth is really a piano concerto
and even has a barnstorming finale à la Bartók
crossed with Rachmaninov which Szymanowski regularly encored. Here,
without an audience reaction, we have little feeling of that sort
of excitement. The piece is unusually active compared to the other
works. Szymanowski does include many contemplative and mystic moments
but by his standards this is a really busy piece and thus that much
easier to enjoy. At this price this well filled disc is a very worthwhile
purchase. I just wonder what the BBCSO/Gardner Third and Fourth will
sound like.
Dave Billinge
Excellent performances of three of Szymanowski's best works but a
glance at the competition on Chandos will be needed.
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