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Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Mariss Jansons
rec. live, 9 October 2009, Philharmonie im Gasteig, Munich, Germany
BR KLASSIK 900104 [45:38]

The late Mariss Jansons (1943-2019) had a highly successful career. He held several prestigious conducting posts, including music director of the Oslo PO and Pittsburgh SO, and chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio SO and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He also held associate or guest conducting positions with the Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) PO and London PO. He made numerous recordings in a range of repertory with various orchestras as well, and critics and public alike respected him highly. He has been widely regarded as one of the leading conductors of his generation.

This recording is an account of a 2009 live performance Jansons gave with the BRSO in Munich. It was originally issued in 2010 on a BR Klassik SACD with a substantial filler, Francesca da Rimini. It might therefore seem puzzling to some readers that the Fifth Symphony is reissued here on a CD with no disc mate, but BR Klassik offers it at quite a bargain price. Two major web retailers that I checked are selling it slightly below one-third of the SACD’s cost, making it easily among the lowest priced versions available. Jansons recorded this symphony at least once before. That effort comes in a Chandos set of the six Tchaikovsky symphonies with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. That Fifth was recorded in 1984, but unfortunately I have not heard it.

This newer performance is mostly typical of Jansons’s interpretive style: tempi are somewhat on the brisk side, the playing by the orchestra is spirited, accurate, well-rehearsed but not sounding coldly calculated, and the phrasing of the music rarely comes across as eccentric or radical. “Rarely”, that is: in the first movement exposition the passionate lyrical theme, beginning at 5:38 (Molto piu tranquillo; mm. 170-182), the last of the four in the exposition, is phrased with exaggerated rubato and dynamics. The theme is held back initially and then almost fades into quietude as it treads tentatively forward. Finally Jansons loosens his grip and the music blossoms with steadier pacing and stronger dynamics, sort of making sense of what just proceeded. Still, it will likely strike some listeners as oddly phrased, if not somewhat misguided. Further hearings may prove to make it seem almost tenable. Yet...

The Introduction features a well-conceived and solidly played account of the dark motto theme; the clarinets sound convincingly mournful and ominous. The development section is nicely conceived and played, and the reprise is just fine, though the lyrical theme once again is given much the same exaggerated treatment. Both famous themes in the second movement are phrased and played most effectively here, the main one given a fine presentation by the horn. The middle section, recalling the first movement motto theme, is brimming with drama and tension. The comparatively brief third-movement Waltz is light and atmospheric here, pleasantly calling to mind the kind of fantasy from the composer’s ballets. Even the reappearance of the motto theme near the end does not quite dispel the wondrous mood.

The deft manipulation of dynamics in the finale’s opening (Andante maestoso) is most effective here, conveying the music’s grandiosity, yet with hints of darkness. The Allegro vivace surge that follows is played with great spirit and energy. As the music ahead accrues tension and drama, a mood of expectation emerges, cleverly setting up the false ending. There follows a most impressive rendering of the now unmistakably triumphant motto theme, which leads to a thrilling and ecstatic conclusion. A most impressive rendering of the finale!

Sound reproduction is quite good on this CD and there is no perceptible audience noise throughout the performance. Overall, apart from my reservations about the phrasing of the lyrical theme in the first movement, this is a fine account of the Fifth, a possible contender among the best of the competition. Among the better of those contenders are Abbado with the Chicago SO (CBS Masterworks/Sony), Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra (RCA). For those wanting an expansive, more probing approach there is Rostropovich and the London PO on EMI and Warner Classics. There are many others, of course, but I would tend to slightly favor Abbado and Ormandy. As suggested, though, this Jansons effort is also very compelling, and if price is a prime consideration, it would be my first recommendation.

Robert Cummings



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