Igor STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Petrushka (1911)
[35:41]
Pulcinella: Suite
(1922/1949) [22:21]
Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1920/1947) [9:08]
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic/Jaap
van Zweden
rec. Music Center of Netherlands Radio and Television, Studio MCD 5. Hilversum,
June and August 2008
EXTON OVCL-00378 SACD [67:10]
At the start of this disc, I heard an effect I'd
not heard in a long time: the music seemed, not merely to begin, but to materialize
out of pure silence. This was a supposed advantage of CD over vinyl, but,
beyond the first generation of silver discs, the effect became routine, almost
indifferently realized most of the time. It's bracing and refreshing
to hear it again here, and it bespeaks an unusually pure, ungimmicked sonic
frame that sets off the colourful programme to particular advantage.
Thus, the quieter moments of the Pulcinella Suite, especially those
involving the excellent solo woodwinds, are pleasingly intimate. The descending
phrases in the Serenata are nicely liquid. The oboe is poignant at
the start of the Gavotte, and shapely in the 6/8 variation that follows.
At the same time, incisive execution of the tuttis produces a full-throated
effect. Jaap van Zweden leads a characterful performance, finding a nice rolling
impulse in the Scherzino; launching the Tarantella with
a cheerful noise, then seamlessly eliding it into the Toccata; shaping
a stately Minuetto to set off the Finale's headlong,
bustling energy.
In the Symphonies of Wind Instruments, van Zweden underlines the
contrasts between the bright overtones of the higher chords and the full-bodied
sounds of the lower instruments. He keeps the sonorities buoyant - even the
brasses maintain a lightweight sound - and always shapes the rhythmically
irregular phrases with a sure sense of direction. And, despite the score's
cool, Neo-classical demeanour, the engineering allows one to enjoy it for
its sheer sensuous timbres.
Stravinsky's original, full 1911 scoring of Petrushka, the
featured attraction, sparkles in this sonic frame. The clean, airy acoustic
makes for vivid polyrhythms in the Waltz (Scene 3, track 7) and highlights
the contrast between the unfolding smooth textures and the more rhythmic elements
in the Dance of the Wet-Nurses (track 9). The conductor plays the
score with character, maintaining its flow and balletic lilt even as he weights
the fuller passages: the "dancing bear" sequence in Scene 4 chugs
along nicely. He allows his soloists a surprising amount of rhythmic and expressive
freedom. The flute brings a graceful rubato to The Magic Trick (track
2); the trumpet solo's return in the Waltz is almost sensually
caressing; the oboe quietly insinuates itself into the textures in the Dance
of the Wet-Nurses. The clarinet in the final scene is smoothly expressive.
I'm troubled, however, by hints of passing insecurity as the players
negotiate the rhythmic intricacies of the first tableau. In the context of
so otherwise fine a performance, this oughtn't to be a deal-breaker;
but this sort of thing has, over time, evolved into a continuing annoyance,
marring even high-profile accounts such as Rozhdestvensky/LSO (Nimbus) and
Solti/Chicago (Decca). Older recordings betray no such nervousness - even
Ernest Ansermet's distinctly second-tier Suisse Romande orchestra (Decca)
meets the scene's musical challenges with adept assurance - and, thus,
it is still to one of those that I would turn for a library version: to Ansermet,
or to Mackerras (Vanguard), Muti (EMI), or Ozawa (RCA).
So: the sound is wonderful, the conductor is perceptive and the orchestra
is responsive. If the opening of Petrushka doesn't bother
you - and it mightn't - you really should consider this: you've
probably never heard this music simply sound so good. Both the "Netherlands
Radio Philharmonic Orchestra" and the "Netherlands Radio Chamber
Philharmonic" are billed, though it's nowhere made clear which
aggregation performs which score; I assume there's some overlap of
personnel.
Stephen Francis Vasta
Stephen Francis Vasta is a New York-based conductor, coach and journalist.
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