Some years ago I vividly recall attending a thrilling live performance of
the Brahms Second Symphony conducted by Mariss Jansons. That was given with
the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. I was delighted when, shortly
afterwards, a splendid recording of the same symphony arrived. That was with
his other orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw (
review). Now we have a new live recording, also
from Amsterdam, of
Ein deutsches Requiem which gives further
evidence of Jansons’ Brahmsian credentials.
From the outset the performance impresses. ‘Selig sind, die da Leid
tragen’ is astutely paced. The choral singing is very good indeed, the
choir’s sound very well focused. I appreciated the attention to detail, not
least in terms of dynamics; with this choir when the marking is
pp
that’s what they deliver. Clearly, their chorus master, Michael Gläser, has
trained them expertly. The orchestral writing is painted in dark, rich
hues.
The second movement is equally successful. Jansons controls the slow and
steady build-up in the march very well indeed and there’s a becoming
lightness to the
Etwas bewegter episode (‘So seid nun geduldig’).
When the
Allegro non troppo section arrives (‘Die Erlöseten des
Herrn’) the music is strong and purposeful, as it should be, but I like very
much the way Jansons gets the choir and orchestra to inject suspense at ‘und
Schmerz und Seufzen’; that’s most imaginatively done. Later in the work, in
the sixth movement there’s a similar example of his perception. The long
fugue on ‘Herr, du bist würdig’ can seem a long haul indeed but not so here.
On several occasions Brahms relaxes when the words ‘denn du hast alle Dinge
erschaffen’ are sung. Not only does Jansons ensure the quieter dynamics are
observed in these episodes – most conductors do that – but he also makes the
music really lyrical in these passages. Purists may object that he slows
down for these sections and it’s true that the pace slackens whereas nothing
is marked in the vocal score - but I’m not complaining. Jansons’ way with
the music brings variety and adds interest.
Gerald Finley represents luxury casting as the male soloist. I see he’s
described as a bass but surely his voice hasn’t dropped from the baritone
range? There’s no sign of that here with the high-lying passages delivered
with wonderful tone. He articulates the words with evident care for the
meaning and his vocal control is enviable. In a word, he’s marvellous.
I don’t believe I’ve previously heard the Austrian soprano Genia Kühmeier.
She’s up against formidable competition in ‘Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit’ – one
thinks of
Schwarzkopf,
Grümmer and
Popp, amongst many memorable performers of this solo
on disc. I think Miss Kühmeier is admirable. Her tone is delectable from
start to finish and her enunciation of the words is clear and natural. I
found her performance very touching and her contribution is as fine as I’ve
heard from a solo soprano in a long time.
Brahms envisaged
Ein deutsches Requiem essentially as a
consolation for those left behind. This concept reaches its peak in the
final movement, ‘Selig sind die Toten’ and Jansons and his forces rise to
the occasion memorably. In particular I was struck by the sense of mystery
that is imparted in the very moving episode beginning at ‘Ja, der Geist
spricht’ where Brahms’ music so marvellously enriches the import of the
words themselves. This section has a wonderful atmosphere in this
performance and as well as the expressive singing I admired the luminous
playing of the RCO’s strings and woodwinds.
I imagine the concerts from which this recording derives made a great
impression on those lucky enough to be present – there’s no audience noise,
suggesting concentrated attention, and there’s no applause at the end. I’m
very glad indeed that this splendid account of
Ein deutsches
Requiem has been preserved on disc, especially as Mariss Jansons’ time
as the RCO’s Chief Conductor has just come to an end at the conclusion of
the 2014/15 season – he is now their Conductor Emeritus. This is one of
those performances that shows his partnership with the orchestra at its very
best. There are many fine recordings of the work listed in our
Masterworks Index; this distinguished account deserves to rank with the
best.
The sound on this SACD is excellent. The balance between choir and
orchestra has been well judged. The documentation, in four languages, is
good.
John Quinn
