The links between the music of Shostakovich and Britten have long been
recognised. These include not only their indebtedness to the style of Mahler
— at the time far from the universally respected figure that he became
during the 1960s — but also their close personal friendship reinforced by
their positions as members of the intellectual elite. Simultaneously, for
different reasons, they were each outsiders in the musical life of their
respective countries. Shostakovich, recognising this affinity, dedicated his
Fourteenth Symphony to Britten. The booklet notes by Francis Maes which
accompany this issue seem to imply that the series of concerts of music by
the two composers from which this DVD derives included more works than we
are given here. This selection serves to represent the similarities – and
the differences – between two of the pivotal figures of mid-twentieth
century music.
Unfortunately the well-meaning inspiration behind this release is
effectively set at nought by the horribly close microphone placement to
which everybody involved is subjected. We get almost no sense of the
acoustic of the hall, and the engineering reduces every single instrument to
a one-dimensional sound which seems to reflect the ethic of a ‘pop’
production rather than anything one might reasonably expect to encounter in
a live performance. The Britten Sinfonietta, with its chamber scoring,
suffers least from this, and the actual playing is as excellent as one would
expect from these instrumentalists. The Shostakovich symphony sounds like
one of those old Melodiya recordings with each and every instrument
subjected to a microscopic examination. No cellist could possibly expect to
survive unscathed from the close observation to which Steven Isserlis is
subjected. Every rasp of bow on string is brought unnaturally forward in a
manner that could never represent the sound produced in the concert hall.
Isserlis was a late substitute for Jean-Guihen Queyras who was originally
scheduled to appear in this concert. One would love to hear Isserlis perform
this concerto in a more natural perspective, since he clearly understands
and loves the work. Indeed Hyperion have scheduled a recording with Paavo
Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra for release in 2015. Those
who would like to hear him in the concerto would be well-advised to wait for
that CD.
For the rest, the performances under Teodor Currentzis are excellently
played and excitingly conducted. However, the sound as recorded cannot be
recommended for comfortable listening, with a feel that is almost
monophonic. Only those who are attracted by the physicality of a live
performance need venture further.
Paul Corfield Godfrey
Britten discography & review index:
Sinfonietta
