Die Jahreszeiten
Marlis Petersen (soprano); Werner Güra (tenor); Dietrich Henschel (baritone)
RIAS Kammerchor
Freiburger Barockorchester/René Jacobs
rec. August 2003, Innsbruck Congress
HARMONIA MUNDI HMC 971829.30 [62:28 + 62:38]
It’s hard to imagine that this recording is more than ten years
old, so freshly minted and original it still sounds. Its originality and
its refusal to accept the Haydn performance tradition at face value makes
the music leap out of the speakers, and brings out the best in everyone
concerned. Jacobs makes this Seasons even more dramatically involving
than his The Creation — which came six years later. He
embraces every opportunity to create an effect, even non-musical ones
at times, such as the gun-shot that accompanies the foul-hunt in Autumn.
There are plenty of other instrumental highlights, such as the cheeky
cock-crow on the oboe in the introduction to Summer, the flutes
to depict the peace of the shady glade, or the dry, fidgety strings to
suggest the buzzing insect. The hunting scene in Autumn is properly
raucous, with rollicking horns and badly behaved trombones to add to the
mix. Jacobs even has his chorus sing in a more ungainly way to add to
the impression of bagpipers, fiddles and a hurdy-gurdy.
The playing of the Freiburgers is consummately skilful throughout, and
in general there is a slightly more rough-round-the-edges quality to their
sound, as if to set this earthy, physical oratorio apart from its more
spiritual, cerebral predecessor. At the helm, Jacobs gives the whole thing
a more folksy feel in general, but he is capable of summoning hymnic smoothness
as and when he needs to. You can hear this in the magnificent Freudenlied
that ends Spring or, most triumphantly of all, in the great hymn
that finishes the whole work.
The chorus buy into Jacobs’ vision with total conviction, and sing
with beauty or rawness as required. The soloists, too are superb. Marlis
Petersen sings with delightful sweetness throughout, making a sound of
beautiful simplicity that fits perfectly with the innocent naivety of
Haydn’s vision. Werner Güra sounds great, too. He uses his
honeyed tones to lend the proceedings a touch of class, pepped up by his
impeccable diction which has, of course, been fostered by his career on
the lieder stage. Dietrich Henschel is also marvellous, and saves his
best for last when he sings of the futility of man’s existence without
God. This oratorio calls for an unusual number of duets and trios, and
when the singers are of this quality that makes every one a gem.
I have said several times before that I am by no means an uncritical admirer
of René Jacobs, but this recording swept away my doubts. He brought
me into his vision quickly and won me over with his dramatic effects so
as to give a Seasons that is probably the most exciting and interesting
on disc.
Simon Thompson
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