Gustav MAHLER (1869-1911)
Symphony No. 9 (1908-09)
Essener Philharmoniker/Tomáš Netopil
rec. 2018, Philharmonie Essen, Alfried Krupp-Saal, Essen, Germany
OEHMS CLASSICS OC1890 [82:33]
This is, I’m reasonably sure, my first encounter with the Essen Philharmonic. Collectively they perform very well here, and the various principals play solo passages with spirit, accuracy and confidence. One wonders why this ensemble has not been featured on more recordings over the years. Czech conductor Tomáš Netopil (b. 1975) has served as Director General of Music of the Essen Philharmonic since the 2013-14 season and he too has been out of the international spotlight for most of his career. However, if I can judge from the performance of this quite challenging symphony, he seems to be a conductor who can both fashion an insightful interpretation and get the orchestra to present it convincingly.
The tempos Netopil chooses for this work tend to be moderate despite very minor deviations in two movements: the finale (Adagio) is just slightly on the expansive side, and the preceding Rondo-Burleske inclines somewhat toward the other end. Netopil generally makes his tempos in these movements and elsewhere in the symphony fit his interpretive scheme. He tends to avoid excessive rubato, and takes few other liberties with the score, eschewing any obvious attempt to put his individual stamp on the performance.
One of the first things you notice about the playing here is the plentiful detail Netopil draws from his orchestra. But it is not just a case of letting you hear more of the music; rather, he extracts ‘meaningful’ detail – important secondary lines that stay in the background but aren’t lost in Mahler’s masterly but very full, though never fulsome, orchestration. Notice, for example, how in the first movement exposition you clearly hear secondary string lines as the music builds toward a mini-climax that will occur at 2:36. But it is in the long and complex development section, where you hear so many well delineated competing lines, all in proper balance. For just one example, take the unsettled passage that occurs about midway through, from 9:46, where the music begins to roil and work up to another (but not final) climax. There’s so much going on in the score here from the various choirs—woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion – and so much from individual instruments within those groups, but you hear it all clearly rendered and in proper proportion.
Nearly every bar in the first movement is well shaped and skillfully executed, though I have one cavil: as the music begins building at 15:56 toward the final climax, it could be a little more intense, more vehement as it proceeds; and when the climax itself starts at 17:31 with that crushing blow on the gong and the irregular rhythm (which opens the symphony) ringing out fatefully, the music doesn’t quite exhibit that last bit of do-or-die desperation. Still, Mahler’s score comes across reasonably well here and the recapitulation that follows is extremely convincing, especially in the phrasing of the main theme as it returns with a such a lovely elegance in its sadness, a sadness that turns so forlorn and frustrated.
The second movement has a lively dance-like character that is balanced with a sense of sarcasm and menace, as themes distort and seem to turn on themselves. It’s a very colorful and spirited performance, well played and nicely phrased, the music conveying a mood of great fun with a good measure of acid thrown into the merriment. The ensuing Rondo-Burleske begs for a somewhat extremist approach, for a wild, frenetic demeanor. Netopil achieves that here, more or less – but like the big first movement climax, he and his orchestra could deliver more, be more wanton, more desperate. Not that this is a weak or uncommitted performance, to the contrary, it’s quite fine, but when the competition is so thick and features so many great performances where this movement especially comes off so convincingly (try Karajan/Berlin on DG, to hear just one example), one cannot help pointing out this shortcoming, even if it isn’t glaring.
The Finale is beautifully played and exhibits plenty of passion and feeling, despite not imparting as dark and intense a character as in other readings. Again, you hear lots of detail to go along with the utterly gorgeous phrasing. The strings and horns, so dominant throughout the movement, play especially well here. In the end, the heartrending, valedictory nature of the music comes across quite effectively. The movement’s biggest climax, starting at about 16:07, is thoroughly compelling; not shattering though, as the tension is wisely maintained and carried through until the final desperate capitulation comes at around 19:50. Netopil’s account of this movement may be the highlight of this performance.
The sound reproduction by Oehms Classics is clear and well balanced, though you may have to crank up the volume a bit, as the music seems to have been recorded at a slightly lower level than is usual. In the end, this performance must be counted as a strong one amid the formidable competition, the finest of which includes, but is not limited to, Giulini/Chicago Symphony (DG), Bernstein/New York Philharmonic (Sony), Pesek/Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (Virgin Classics), Walter/Columbia Symphony (Sony), and the aforementioned Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic. As noted, there are a few places in the score where Netopil and the Essen Philharmonic are a bit on the tame side. That said, if you favor a less dark approach to this music, as espoused in the recent and quite convincing Chailly/Gewandhaus Leipzip account on Accentus DVD & Blu-ray, then you may well find this new effort on Oehms Classics much to your liking. One advantage this performance has over many others on CD is that it is on a single disc, with a very generous timing of 82:33. Your choice then.
Robert Cummings
