Review of the other CDs in the Schmidt Naxos series:
Symphony
1
Symphony
2
Symphony
3
And so we come to the final instalment of Vasily Sinaisky’s
complete recordings of the Franz Schmidt Symphonies. It’s a
set which, despite Sinaisky being faithful to the scores, has
failed to take flight. The works do not emerge in their best
light, the 2nd and 3rd
Symphonies being underachieved in Sinaisky’s interpretations.
The 4th is not just Schmidt’s greatest
symphonic achievement, it’s one of the greatest Symphonies of
the 20th century. In his 3rd
Symphony, Schmidt gave a suggested playing time of some
50 minutes, which Sinaisky achieves, but this proves to be too
slow. Most performances take about 44 minutes and at this duration
the music really flows. For the 4th
he suggests 46 minutes - any slower and the music fails to work.
Most will have learnt the work from Zubin Mehta’s 1971 Decca
recording of the work with the Vienna Philharmonic (still available
on 430 007–2, coupled with Schönberg’s 1st
Chamber Symphony with members of the LA Philharmonic and
with Mahler 2 on Decca 440 615-2). Mehta was slightly too slow
and thus the finely structured proportions of the music were
wrong. The best recording, and thus the touchstone for all recorded
performances of this work, is Rudolf Moralt’s 1955 recording
with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. The Moralt is now available
on Naxos
9.80262 (download only) and this is a must for everyone
interested in this work for, as an interpretation, it is unsurpassed.
In 1994, BBC Radio 3 broadcast a performance of the work with
the BBC Philharmonic under Adrian Leaper which was just about
perfect, but I don’t believe that it’s ever been repeated. I
wish that the BBC would think the Leaper worthy of putting on
CD, even a free one given away with the BBC Music Magazine would
be gratefully received.
So what of Sinaisky? This is certainly the best interpretation
of the four Symphonies in this series, but it still leaves me
wanting more. The orchestral playing is excellent, and even
though Sinaisky understands the music I don’t feel any cumulative
growth throughout the piece, so that by the time the opening
idea returns it’s just the opening idea returning, we don’t
feel as if we’ve been on a big, life-changing, journey. It’s
all so nonchalant, bland even, and it’s the lack of drama and
passion which gives this impression. The prime example of this
is the moment, at the end of the scherzo section, where the
music explodes into screaming mayhem – just before the horns,
in harmony, start to rebuild the world and bring about a musical
recapitulation – except that here it doesn’t. There’s a storm
in a teacup but that’s about it, nothing apocryphal, no devastation.
Life goes on without worries. Likewise the lyrical moments,
which really soar, are here firmly rooted to the ground. Ultimately
the whole performance fails to elevate because the reading is
too literal, and nowhere does it leave me breathless with awe,
excitement and amazement. Barbirolli would have done this music
proud had he ever had the chance to conduct it, for this period
was right up his street – think of his Strauss, Mahler and Bruckner.
Better one goes to the Moralt recording on Naxos or, if a more
modern recording is required, Yakov Kreizberg with the Netherlands
Philharmonic give a fine performance. Kreizberg’s interpretation
is borne out of live performances in Europe and America. I have
a recording of a live performance he directed with the Cincinnati
Symphony, in 2003, which is stunning – so he has a deeper understanding,
not to mention a real working knowledge, of the work than most
(Pentatone FTC 5186 015 – coupled with three excerpts from Schmidt’s
early opera Notre Dame).
The Variations on a Hussar’s Song receives a similar
literal, and earthbound, performance. I simply cannot be bothered
with it. Franz Welser–Möst’s performance with the London Philharmonic,
coupled with Schmidt’s 4th Symphony, is unavailable at present,
is worth having, if you can find it (EMI Classics originally
7243 5 55516 25 and more recently 94635 56922). If you are looking
for a truly idiomatic performance then turn to the Vienna Philharmonic
under Knappertsbusch, from 1957. That recording is coupled with
a 1959 Salzburg Festival performance of Schmidt’s great oratorio
Das Buch mit Sieben Siegeln under Mitropoulos, with Anton
Dermota, Fritz Wunderlich and Hilde Güden, amongst others (Andromeda
ANDRCD9067).
As you can see, there are better versions of both works elsewhere
and those interpretations will repay repeated hearings and tell
you much more about the music than these.
Bob Briggs
Malmö Symphony Orchestra/Vasily Sinaisky
