Selected Comparisons Symphonies Nos. 6 and 7
- The Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Claudio Abbado (DG, 1988)
- Orchestra of the 18th Century/Frans Brüggen (Philips, 1993)
Symphony No. 7
- Kammerakademie Potsdam/Antonello Manacorda (Sony Classical, 2012)
- Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich/David Zinman (RCA Red Seal, 2011)
I am great admirer of Philippe Herreweghe, most especially his many
recordings of Bach’s choral music. My reaction to his recordings of
Classical and Romantic repertoire, however, has been mixed. While
his recordings of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Brahms’
Ein Deutsches Requiem are technically and musically impressive,
his lightweight approach to Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 and F-minor
Mass left me indifferent. His Beethoven symphony cycle for Pentatone
received mixed critical response, yet his recording of Schubert’s
Symphony No. 9 - featuring the same orchestra as the present recording
under review - has garnered mostly positive critical acclaim, so I
was keen to hear this new disc.
For the most part, these performances are impressive, cogent readings
in stunning sound. They are scrupulously prepared: the playing of
every section is disciplined and well balanced. Not a note is out
of place, every rhythm is played with precision, and there is a notable
unanimity of sectional playing that would be the envy of many better
known orchestras. From their timbre I suspect that natural trumpets
are used - a practice the orchestra adopted for its Beethoven cycle
- though their sound never overpowers the other winds, nor does it
ever become overly bright or harsh. The strings play with a lightness
and buoyancy that belies their adoption of period performance ideals,
including a minimal use of vibrato. Nevertheless, their sound is full
bodied, especially in comparison to Brüggen’s Orchestra of the 18th
Century, and richly colored. The woodwinds offer notable ensemble
playing, though I sometimes found the solo playing rather faceless
and lacking individuality.
The initial hammer-blow chord with which Symphony No. 6 begins immediately
raised concerns. It is certainly played together and well balanced
between sections, but the initial attack was too rounded, muting the
expectant mood which the chord is surely meant to evoke. In Abbado’s
performance, the sharper attack on the opening chord is more imposing
and immediately engages the listener. The best comparison I can make
is when someone reads a story to a child: one person says “Once upon
a time” in such a way that the child immediately stops everything
it is doing and gives its full attention to the reader, while another
person can read the line in way that only partially engages the child’s
attention. The remainder of the opening Adagio and the main Allegro
are beautifully played. However, much of the first movement features
the melody being passed between the various sections of the orchestra,
like a conversation that becomes increasingly excitable, an effect
only fitfully realized by the Flemish players. Moreover, the sudden
acceleration in tempo with which the Coda begins is abrupt and unconvincing,
managed far more effortlessly in Abbado’s performance.
With the Adagio there is a greater sense of concentration from the
orchestra and the playing of the horns is nothing short of ravishing.
Likewise the Scherzo is light on its feet and engagingly playful,
though the Trio suddenly begins to lose its buoyancy, perhaps because
Herreweghe’s phrasing seems so four-square. Brüggen, with greater
dynamic contrasts and abundantly characterful woodwinds, plays this
movement like no other.
The final Allegro moderato features similar strengths and
weaknesses: the playing is consistently beautiful, with greater commitment
than what is heard in the first movement. Yet both Abbado and Brüggen
find more fire and dynamic power in their renditions. My sense is
that Herreweghe is holding the orchestral reins too tightly; wary
of playing this with the same kind of energy and style that is the
accepted norm in Beethoven Symphonies. Perhaps the fear is that to
adopt a similar performance attitude would somehow make Schubert’s
writing sound like Beethoven pastiche. Whatever the reason, the orchestra
playing never fully takes flight, robbing the music of its full joyfulness,
a characteristic abundantly realized in the Abbado and Brüggen performances.
The Unfinished Symphony - here listed as Symphony No. 7,
whereas the Brüggen and Abbado sets list it as Symphony No. 8 - faces
far more competition. In my listening I limited myself to the four
recordings listed above, including Zinman’s Tonhalle version, which
also features a modern orchestra adopting a period approach to the
symphony. Surprisingly, of the five performances to which I listened,
Brüggen is the most overtly romantic, with greater use of rubato and
powerful dynamic contrasts that has a vivid theatricality that is
a match for the most Romantic conceptions of this work. The forlorn,
mysterious quality his low strings achieve in the opening bars is
exquisite; this passage is also impressively atmospheric in the newest
recording by the Kammerakademie Potsdam under Antonello Manacorda.
In comparison, Herreweghe and his Flemish players are clean, precise
and pretty, with very little of any dark emotion. It sounds much more
like a piece from the Classical period, and arguably, that is what
Herreweghe intends. Of the five performances, Herreweghe’s performance
is the second fastest of the five:
| Symphony No. 7/8 Timings |
Movement 1 |
Movement 2 |
| Manacorda |
14:41 |
9:54 |
| Herreweghe |
14:02 |
9:33 |
| Zinman |
11:42 |
9:23 |
| Abbado |
14:58 |
11:30 |
| Brüggen |
15:27 |
10:41 |
While I am wary of suggesting that timing is everything, in the case
of the Zinman performance it is everything! The tempo is
simply too fast for any emotion to register – Zinman and his players
seem completely disengaged from the mood and spirit of the work. While
Herreweghe’s interpretation is not nearly as severe and cold as Zinman’s,
the emotional atmosphere is only fitfully realized because Herreweghe
keeps those dark emotions in check, minimizing the music’s darker
intensity.
The issue is really whether one believes this symphony belongs to
the Romantic or Classical periods of symphonic composition. I see
it as an archetypal Romantic symphony, and therefore prefer the performance
that stress or heighten the darker elements of the score (Abbado,
Brüggen and Manacorda). Herreweghe’s interpretation indicates he believes
it belongs closer to the Classical period – while his performance
is beautifully played and coherently realized, in the end of feel
an important part of the music is missing, or at least under-realized.
I have nothing but praise for the recording itself. The orchestral
detail is well caught in an acoustic that adds warmth and depth to
the orchestral sound. Front to back perspective is absolutely natural,
and none of the solos sound artificially balanced by an engineer.
The Super-Audio layer of the CD only enhances these qualities, making
the sound thrillingly immediate; if I closed my eyes I could easily
believe I was in the hall with the orchestra.
While this would not be my prime recommendation for either symphony,
there is much to admire in both orchestral execution and Herreweghe’s
thoughtful interpretations. Abbado’s infectious energy, sense of discovery,
and vocally phrased readings are consistently rewarding, but there
is so much in this music to discover and understand, I would never
want to limit myself to the vision and understanding on one conductor.
I will continue to follow Herreweghe’s cycle with interest, and am
more curious than ever to hear his thoughts on the ninth symphony.
David A. McConnell
