Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Symphony No. 9 in D major (1909-1910)
Budapest Festival Orchestra/Iván Fischer
rec. 2013, Palace of Arts, Budapest, Hungary
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA36115 SACD [75:55]
The end of Iván Fischer’s BFO Mahler cycle draws
near with his long-awaited account of the Ninth. I’ve not warmed
to earlier instalments in the series, with the exception of his revitalising
Fourth,
which he reprised for RCO Live two years later (review).
That alone makes Fischer a Mahlerian of some significance, although
I tend to avoid his print and video interviews for the simple reason
that I’m less interested in what conductors say about
their work and more in what they do with it. There are notable
exceptions though; the always provocative and charismatic Leonard Bernstein
springs to mind.
The list of distinguished Mahler Ninths is long; among more recent versions
that have impressed me a great deal is Alan Gilbert’s taut, very
dramatic account with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic on BIS (review).
On a much loftier plane is the veteran Bernard Haitink’s fine
contribution to the RCO Live box I mentioned earlier. Then there’s
Mark Elder’s recent recording with the Hallé, which garnered high
praise from Brian Wilson and Dominy Clements (review).
It goes without saying that Channel’s engineering should be out
of the top drawer, which is an added bonus in this glorious, multi-faceted
repertoire.
Fischer’s Andante comodo is certainly compelling; the
unmistakable drear of weltschmerz at the start is well judged
and he broadens the music beautifully thereafter. Mahler’s gentler
rhythms are nicely handled too, and there’s a certain refulgence
to the sound that’s most welcome. That doesn’t diffuse the
clarity of Fischer’s reading, though; aided and abetted by his
fine orchestra he brings out the loveliest and most disarming details
imaginable. What a pity, then, that his tuttis are so overpowering,
something that spoilt his Resurrection for me. Some listeners
seem to relish such extremes, but I find them unrealistic and, ultimately,
rather unpleasant. Not only that, they tend to distort the shape and
proportions of the music at hand.
Despite all his insights I sense that Fischer concentrates too much
on the moment at the expense of the full hour as it were. For example,
in Haitink’s and Gilbert’s hands the symphony’s denouement
is discernible at the very start; such integrated conceptions convey
Mahler’s thoughts in a single, perfectly pulsed arch. In the second
movement Fischer tends to highlight certain elements of the score; for
instance he offers a clean, highly articulate response to those delightful
Ländler. One could argue that he’s a little too swift
here – that’s the way it feels at least – but then
he does lift and aerate the music in much the same way he does with
the Fourth.
So why is this Ninth so disorienting? Then it struck me: I’m more
conscious of the playing than I am of the music itself. In short, this
is too much of an interpretation, not the spontaneous, self-revealing
performance I was hoping for. I’m always happy to hear a virtuosic
band at play – the BFO certainly qualify as such – but not
when it’s an end in itself. Fischer goes on to primp and prettify
the music, and that blunts the impact of Mahler’s mood swings
and sardonic asides. The Rondo-Burleske isn’t without
its problems, either. Fischer takes it at quite a lick, flattening essential
contrasts in the process; indeed, most of the composer's carefully crafted
effects count for precious little at this point.
I suspect Fischer is trying to redefine the ‘Mahler sound’
with his instrumental balances – more light, less weight –
but while that works in the easygoing Fourth I’m less sure it
suits the grittier Ninth. Alas, it just makes for a performance that
lacks amplitude or conviction; not only that, Fischer overburdens the
music and overtaxes the ear with his big, brash climaxes. The effect
isn’t impressive, it’s just plain vulgar. Some of the blame
for this must lie with the recording which, despite its tonal sophistication,
is just too extreme for comfort.
Given these mounting caveats I had real fears for Mahler’s lovely,
long-breathed Adagio. Interestingly, Fischer aims for a transparency
of texture that appears to give the lower strings a much stronger –
and more connective - role than usual. Much has been written about the
movement’s air of fragmentation, both in terms of tonality and
its emotional content. However, the paradox here is that the most convincing
approaches to this valedictory finale retain a degree of cohesion –
a binding stoicism, if you like – that I simply don’t hear
in Fischer’s reading. His agogic pauses are distracting as well,
but then this performance is already compromised by unwelcome emphases
and underlinings.
I really wanted to like this new Mahler Ninth; indeed, there are some
lovely things in it, especially at the start. Trouble is, that’s
simply not enough in a seamless and sustained epic such as this. Even
the recording disappoints, in SACD stereo at least. The single disc
and booklet are contained in one of those ghastly Digipaks which are
vulnerable to wear and tear. I do wish labels wouldn’t use them.
Fischer’s Mahler Ninth is overworked and under-characterised;
a major misfire.
Dan Morgan
twitter.com/mahlerei
Previous review: Michael
Cookson
