Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911)
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (1896, arr. Schoenberg, 1920) [16:26]
Das Lied von der Erde (1908-09, arr. Schoenberg, ?) [64:42]
Susan Platts (mezzo)
Charles Reid (tenor)
Roderick Williams (baritone)
Attacca Quartet
Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players/JoAnn Falletta
rec. 6 May 2015, Robin Hixon Theater, Clay and Jay Barr Education Center, Virginia Arts Festival, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
German text and English translation included
NAXOS 8.573536 [81:08]
These arrangements of scores by Mahler were made for the Society
for Private Musical Performances which Schoenberg founded in Vienna in November
1918. The aim of the Society was to present performances of modern music to
bring them to the attention of a small but discerning public, namely the supporters
of the Society. Katy Hamilton tells us in her useful booklet note that over
one hundred works were presented during the three years of the Society’s
existence. Many of these were chamber works but larger pieces, such as symphonies,
were performed too, initially in piano arrangements but occasionally in versions
for small ensemble; these were made specially for Society performances. Schoenberg
and his pupils, Webern and Berg, both of whom were closely involved in the
venture, were avid Mahler enthusiasts so it’s not surprising that they
should have sought to draw attention to some of his scores through the Society.
Katy Hamilton tells us that the first performance of the arrangement of Lieder
eines fahrenden Gesellen took place in 1920 under Schoenberg’s
direction. She doesn’t specify the scoring used by Schoenberg but I
presume that both the arrangements here recorded utilised the instruments
whose players are named in the booklet, namely string quartet, double bass,
flute/piccolo, oboe/cor anglais, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, piano,
harmonium/celesta and percussion (two players).
I can’t recall hearing this arrangement of Lieder eines fahrenden
Gesellen before but it works quite well. The reduced forces bring a pleasing
lightness and intimacy and the arrangement is skilfully done. I didn’t
miss the sound of Mahler’s full orchestration as much as I’d expected
although I was conscious of the lack of weight and reduced colouring at times,
notably in the stormier passages of ‘Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer’.
It’s a great pleasure to hear Roderick Williams in these songs. He brings
all his customary clarity of tone and diction. Mahler takes his singer very
high at times but Williams has a wonderful, easy top to his voice so these
passages cause him no problems at all. I admire his care for the words throughout
but especially in ‘Ich hab’ ein glühend Messer’ –
his delivery of the last two lines of the text is highly expressive. His account
of the fourth song, ‘Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz’
is intense and inward. In this song he delivers the third stanza expertly;
the line is seamless thanks to his marvellously even legato. This is a very
fine account of the songs and he’s expertly supported by JoAnn Falletta
and her expert ensemble.
It’s not quite clear who was responsible for the arrangement of Das
Lied von der Erde. Katy Hamilton tells us that Schoenberg began it but
then passed it on to his pupils, perhaps including Webern. However, a few
years ago I reviewed
another recording of the chamber version of Das Lied – or perhaps
I should say of a chamber version. That version was completed by
the German composer Rainer Riehn and the booklet note stated that “Schoenberg
was only able to complete a large portion of the first song before delegating
the task to Webern. By then [1921] the Association was effectively bankrupt,
so the score lay unfinished until 1983, when Rainer Riehn completed the sketch
based on Schoenberg’s original orchestration.” Rainer Riehn is
not mentioned in the Naxos documentation so whose version is performed on
this Naxos CD? Did Schoenberg and/or his associates get a lot further than
the annotator for that Avie disc believed?
The arrangements of Das Lied and other works were made for the wholly
laudable purpose of drawing attention to contemporary scores at a time when
concert performances of the full scores were likely to be, at best, very infrequent
and broadcasting and recording were in their infancy. However, now that performances
of Mahler’s full score are so readily accessible I do wonder if there
is such a need to revive the Schoenberg arrangement. I know of at least seven
other recordings of the chamber version. Even allowing for the desire of chamber
groups to add Mahler’s score to their repertoire do we need so many
recordings of the arrangement?
As Katy Hamilton readily admits in her notes in the chamber version the first
song, ’Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde’ is “deprived of
some of its menace and sonic force”. That’s certainly true and
anyone familiar with Mahler’s original will readily spot that the orchestration
has some big holes, not least in the interlude before “Das Firmament
blaut ewig”. For me, far too much is missing. The tenor part in this
first song is a cruel test, the tessitura unforgiving. Even so, I might have
expected that freed from the necessity to project his punishing lines over
a large orchestra Charles Reid might have relaxed somewhat. In fact, to my
ears Reid still sounds taxed by the music on quite a number of occasions.
His is a stalwart tenor and he delivers a pretty forthright performance.
I was disappointed in his lack of delicacy in ‘Von der Jungend’;
this is another pretty full-on performance despite the slender scoring. Even
allowing for the demands of the high-lying vocal line I didn’t enjoy
this very much, finding insufficient subtlety. In his final song, ‘Der
Trunkene im Frühling’ Reid does relax a bit more and that’s welcome.
Overall, though, I didn’t find his reading memorable and, to be frank,
his contribution would not be a reason for buying this disc.
Susan Platts is a very different matter. I don’t believe I’ve
heard her before but I was impressed. At the same time as I was appraising
this disc I was working also on a review of another recording of the work
but one which uses a baritone rather than a mezzo. Miss Platts reminded me
why I so strongly prefer a mezzo in this work. There’s appealing warmth
to her tone and I liked the expression she brings to the music. If I have
a criticism it would be that her words aren’t always ideally distinct.
Her first song, ‘Der Einsame im Herbst’, works quite well in the
chamber version – I like the fragility of the instrumental opening,
for instance. Miss Platt is very expressive in the passage beginning “Mein
Herz ist müde”. Later on, in the section from “Sonne der Liebe”
I had the impression, perhaps wrongly, that her pitching is a tiny bit sharp
as she strives for expression but even if I’ve heard that correctly
it’s a momentary blemish. In the opening pages of the second song, ‘Von
der Schönheit’, I wondered if her tone, though pleasing, was a little
unvaried. However, she offers ample compensation in the last stanza which
is very nicely turned.
The opening of ‘Der Abschied’ is successful. I greatly enjoyed
the playing of the oboist, Sherie Lake Aguirra, while the flautist, Debra
Wendells Cross is outstanding. Susan Platts sings her first phrases eloquently:
this augurs well. She maintains this high standard throughout and her delivery
of this long, complex song is a conspicuous success – sample, for instance,
the withdrawn way she sings “Es wehet kühle”. However, when we
get to “O Schönheit, o ewigen Liebens” despite the deep commitment
with which Miss Platts invests the music and the best efforts of the players
the overall sound seems undernourished. That’s even more the case in
the extended instrumental interlude which follows shortly thereafter (16:07
– 21:23). I mean no criticism of the players but with these reduced
forces the music comes across as underpowered and lacking in colour. Frankly,
the climax of this passage (20:20) sounds puny.
When Susan Platts resumes singing she brings exemplary control and a sense
of suspense to the music. Starting at “Ich wandle nach …”
she builds the intensity most impressively so that, vocally at least, “Du
liebe Erde” is a great outpouring. Here she’s suitably rapturous
but the accompaniment is thin. At the end of the performance I was left admiring
Susan Platts’ singing greatly and also the skill of the members of the
instrumental ensemble yet I felt somewhat cheated. I take my hat off to those
people who can listen to this arrangement and put the sound of Mahler’s
full score out of their minds so that they can concentrate on the skill and
textural clarity of this arrangement. Sadly, I can’t do that, though
I readily acknowledge the musicality of the reduced scoring.
Summing up, then, the playing throughout this disc is admirable; I’m
not over impressed with the tenor but Susan Platts is very fine and JoAnn
Falletta conducts both scores expertly. Roderick Williams is also very fine
in Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. If you want to hear the chamber
version of Das Lied von der Erde – and it’s interesting
to hear it once – then this disc is well worth your attention. I would
dearly love, though, to hear Susan Platts in Mahler’s original and incomparable
scoring one day.
John
Quinn
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