Michael Gielen Edition - Volume 7
rec. 1961-2006
Mono/stereo: ADD/DDD
SWR MUSIC SWR19061CD [8 CDs: 585 mins]
A few years ago I was given a 3-DVD set of the complete symphonies of
Beethoven conducted by Michael Gielen. I found his no-nonsense approach
quite refreshing and decided to purchase the CD set equivalent. It was
my introduction to the conductor, an SWR production, as is this 8 CD
set, volume 7 in the label's impressive Michael Gielen Edition.
Dan Morgan has already outlined the salient points of the conductor's
biography and listed the previous volumes in his detailed review.
The previous volumes cover music by Bach through to Stravinsky. This
one focuses on 20th century music, an area that Gielen enthusiastically
championed throughout his career. The performances were set down between
1961 and 2006. Some of the works featured have been previously issued,
but we are also treated to generous helpings of first releases. Each
of the eight discs is themed.
Janáček is paired with Zeminsky on CD 1, with the former occupying
the lions share. I've never personally felt drawn to the Glagolitic
Mass, but Gielen delivers an idiomatic reading, suitably rugged and
with plenty of bite. The choir and soloists are first class, and the
balance between the vocal elements and orchestra is ideal. Taras Bulba,
on the other hand, is a work I adore, and the performance, showcasing
some lush strings and burnished brass, doesn't disappoint.
The same forces as those for the Glagolitic Mass capture the mood of
Zemlinsky's Psalm 23 to perfection, with the climaxes sensitively
hewn.
From Prague we travel to America in CD 2. The first four works derive
from a live concert from Stuttgart given by the Radio-Sinfonieorchester
Stuttgart des SWR on 21 June 1975. Two of the works are completely
new to me. Sun-Treader by Carl Ruggles is a terrific
piece, based on a line from Robert Browning's poem "Sun-Treader,
Light and Life be thine forever". A highly imaginative score, dissonant
chaos alternates with moments of calm. The timpani hammer blows which
open the work give a flavour of the portentous drama which follows. Tabuh-Tabuhan by
Colin McPhee doesn’t grab me. A synthesis of Balinese gamelan
music and Western composition techniques, it calls for two solo pianos,
and is cast in three movements. I find its repetitious narrative lacks
substance. The Charles Ives works I'm much more familiar with,
and Gielen's account of Central Park in the Dark is
suitably atmospheric. Eduard Steuermann's Variations
for Orchestra were taped in the studio. They clearly reveal in
influence of Schoenberg and Webern, especially the latter for their
terseness. Gielen is a deft hand at pointing up some colourful sonorities.
He’s equally successful in the scintillating Arcana
by Edgard Varèse’.
Three CDs are devoted to French music - Debussy and Ravel, a perennial
pairing. Le Martyre de saint Sébastien started
life as a mystery written by Gabriele D’Annunzio. It combined
the myth of Adonis with the Christian sacrifice of St. Sebastian. In
its original form it was an amalgam of cantata, opera and ballet for
orchestra, chorus and soloists, with five acts lasting five hours. Here
we have a much shorter version without texts and with three female soloists.
Michel Tilson Thomas still leads the field in this work for me, offering
finer solo contributions and better sound. Nocturnes I did enjoy. The
three movements Nuages, Fêtes and Sirènes are
exquisitely drafted and Gielen savours their rich harmonies. From Ravel
we have a complete Daphnis et Chloë, where Gielen's
sense of fantasy and imagination instils some magic touches. His La
Valse, though, is no match for the Dutoit version which, for me, has
never been matched. The Valses nobles et sentimentales are
elegantly contoured.
‘Music of transition’ is the title of CD 4 and, together
with the American disc, is my favourite of the set. Busoni and Reger
are no easy listen, and it took me several years to fully appreciate
the riches that lie within their music. All three of the Busoni works
are dark and sombre and have an elegiac aspect. Each is superbly orchestrated,
and these performances serve them well. The Reger piano Concerto is
played by the late, lamented South African pianist Steven de Groote,
a studio recording from 1987, set down two years before his untimely
death at the age of thirty-six. Harmonically dense and complex, Gielen
teases out some colourful orchestral detail, freeing up the sound so
it doesn't become too congested. De Groote takes us on a thrilling
journey, with dazzling pianism and a purposeful sense of direction.
There are also some glowing poetic moments.
Operatic excerpts and orchestral lieder accommodate CD 6. I'm
not particularly an opera excerpts fan, but the performances are all
in fine sound, and the singers are beyond reproach. What impressed me
most was the glorious voice of mezzo Waltraud Meier’s
in two songs from Richard Wagner’s Wesendonck-Lieder
- ‘Der Engel’ and ‘Träume’.
Her rich, warm, tightly focused voice is ideally suited to this repertoire,
and I wish I could have heard her in all five songs, such was the pleasure
I got from these expressive accounts. Richard Strauss’ Wiegenlied
is equally compelling.
So, what have we left? Aside from authoritative performances of more
familiar repertoire in the shape of Scriabin's Symphony
No. 3, ‘Le divin poème’, Hindemith's Symphonie
‘Mathis der Maler’ and Richard Strauss' Tod
und Verklärung, there are a couple of rarities which deserve special
mention. Franz Schreker's Vorspiel zu einem Drama of
1913 is based on the Prelude to his opera Die Gezeichneten. Like
the opera, which is a great favorite of mine, this orchestral piece
draws on lush erotic harmonies, passionate lyricism and a panoply of
orchestral colours. Goffredo Petrassi's Concerto per
orchestra No. 1 of 1933-4 is clearly influenced by Stravinsky in
its neo-classical thrust.
There's much to enjoy in this attractively compiled set, and
it will have special resonance for Michael Gielen enthusiasts. A mixture
of live and studio recordings, all are well-recorded and I didn't
detect any balance issues. The excellent booklet notes in German and
English are an added bonus, and I found them particularly useful in
providing background and context to the music I wasn't familiar
with. All told, it constitutes a splendid bargain.
Stephen Greenbank
Previous review: Dan
Morgan
Contents (* denotes first release)
CD 1 – Prague [71:35]
Leoš JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
Mša Glagolskaja (Glagolitic Mass (final version,
1928) [39:27]
Ellen Shade (soprano); Márta Szirmay (alto); Thomas Moser (tenor); Günter
Reich (bass); Imrich Szabó (organ)
Slovak Philharmonic Choir Bratislava
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. June 1988, Schwarzach, Münster
Taras Bulba (1915-1918) [22:05]
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. November 1986, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
Alexander von ZEMLINSKY (1871-1942)
Psalm 23, Op. 14, for chorus and orchestra (1900) [10:27]
Slovak Philharmonic Choir Bratislava
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. June 1988, Schwarzach, Münster
CD 2 – America [78:47]
Carl RUGGLES (1876-1971)
Sun-Treader (1928-1931) [14:34] *
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
rec. live, 21 June 1975, SDR, Funkstudio Berg, Sendesaal II, Stuttgart
Charles IVES (1874-1954)
Central Park in the Dark (1906) [10:08] *
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
rec. live, 21 June 1975, SDR, Funkstudio Berg, Sendesaal II, Stuttgart
General William Booth Enters into Heaven (1913) [5:12]
*
Richard Anlauf (baritone)
SWR Vokalensemble
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
rec. live, 21 June 1975, SDR, Funkstudio Berg, Sendesaal II, Stuttgart
Colin McPHEE (1900-1964)
Tabuh-Tabuhan – Toccata for Orchestra (1936)
[16:29] *
Claude Helffer, Peter Roggenkamp (pianos)
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
rec. live, 21 June 1975, SDR, Funkstudio Berg, Sendesaal II, Stuttgart
Charles IVES
The Unanswered Question (1906) [5:21]
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. February 1995, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
Edgard VARÈSE (1883-1965)
Arcana (1925-1927) [17:53] *
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. February 1995, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
Eduard STEUERMANN (1892-1964)
Variations for Orchestra (1958) [8:20]
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. February 1990, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
CD 3 – Debussy [78:01]
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien (1911) [52:42] *
Cathérine Gayer (soprano); Hanna Aurbacher, Brigitte Messthaler (alto)
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
SWR Vokalensemble
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
rec. live, 14 April 1972, Liederhalle, Beethovensaal, Stuttgart
Nocturnes (1897-1899) [25:02] *
SWR Vokalensemble (women’s voices)
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
rec. live, 30 October 1975, Liederhalle, Beethovensaal, Stuttgart
CD 4 – Music of transition [74:42]
Ferruccio BUSONI (1866-1924)
Berceuse élégiaque, Op. 42 (1909) [7:22]
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. February 1995, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
Nocturne symphonique, Op. 43 (1913) [6:52] *
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
rec. live, 29 October 1980, Liederhalle, Beethovensaal, Stuttgart
2 Studien zu Doktor Faust, Op. 51 (1916-1924) [18:05]
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. December 1987, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden und Freiburg
Max REGER (1873-1916)
Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 114 (1910) [41:41]
Steven de Groote (piano)
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. December 1987, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
CD 5 – On the way to consolidation [68:27]
Franz SCHREKER (1878-1934)
Vorspiel zu einem Drama (1913) [18:39]
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. February 1995, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
Paul HINDEMITH (1895-1963)
Symphonie ‘Mathis der Maler’ (1934) [26:41] *
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
rec. February 1968, Studio K (Großer Sendesaal des SR), Saarbrücken
Goffredo PETRASSI (1904-2003)
Concerto per orchestra No. 1 (1933/1934) [22:39] *
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. January 1961, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
CD 6 – Kitsch or art on TV [64:17]
Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Der Rosenkavalier (1911) *
‘Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren’ [6:56]
Christiane Boesiger (soprano); Cornelia Kallisch (mezzo)
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
TV production, June 1997, Kurhaus, Bénazet-Saal, Baden-Baden
Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Madama Butterfly (1904) *
‘Un bel dì, vedremo’ [4:21]
‘Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio’ [12:51]
Elizabeth Whitehouse (soprano); Margit Neubauer (mezzo)
Chor der Oper Frankfurt
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
TV production, June 1997, Kurhaus, Bénazet-Saal, Baden-Baden
Richard WAGNER (1813-1883)
Wesendonck-Lieder – excerpts (1858) *
Der Engel [3:11]
Träume [4:40]
Waltraud Meier (mezzo)
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
TV production, November 1993, St. Peter, Klosterkirche
Richard STRAUSS
Wiegenlied, Op. 41/1 (1899) [3:42] *
Waltraud Meier (mezzo)
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
TV production, November 1993, St. Peter, Klosterkirche
Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24 (1888-1889) [27:50] *
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. live, 4 May 2006, Konzerthaus, Freiburg
CD 7 – Ravel [73:27]
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Daphnis et Chloë (complete) (1910-1912) [57:50]
EuropaChorAkademie
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. September 1997, Konzerthaus, Freiburg
Une barque sur l’océan, (1910) [7:47]
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. January 1997, Konzerthaus, Freiburg
Alborada del gracioso (1918) [7:25] *
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. January 1997, Konzerthaus, Freiburg
CD 8 – Ravel’s waltzes and Scriabin [76:25]
Maurice RAVEL
Valses nobles et sentimentales (1912) [17:36]
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
rec. live, 10 October 1975, SDR, Funkstudio Berg, Sendesaal II, Stuttgart
Alexander SCRIABIN (1871-1915)
Symphony No. 3, ‘Le divin poème’, Op. 43 (1902-1904) [45:56]
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. May 1975, Hans-Rosbaud-Studio, Baden-Baden
Maurice RAVEL
La valse (1919-1920) [12:51] *
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
rec. live, 24 March 1993, Philharmonie, Köln
