Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 6 and
7; Tapiola. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano. ASO
Media. $18.99.
Weber: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2;
Konzertstück; Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2; Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 and 2;
Overtures—“Oberon,” “Peter Schmoll and His Neighbors,” “Der Beherrscher der
Geister,” “Preciosa,” Jubel, “Euryanthe.” Academy of St. Martin in the
Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner; Peter Rösel, piano, with Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Herbert
Blomstedt; Emma Johnson, clarinet, with English Chamber Orchestra conducted by
Jan Pascal Tortelier and Gerard Schwarz; Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by
Otmar Suitner; Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Marek Janowski. Brilliant
Classics. $19.99 (4 CDs).
It remains a puzzlement and
a searing disappointment to music lovers that Sibelius’ crowning symphonic
achievements date to the 1920s, with nothing further from the composer in the
three decades of life remaining to him. Neither the Sixth nor the Seventh gives
any indication of being a “final” symphony in any sense; indeed, both show
ever-mounting mastery of the orchestra and an increasingly sure, unique
compositional voice. But there is perhaps some hint of what was to happen to
Sibelius’ creative spark after these symphonies in the letters he wrote
describing them – which, as it happens, describe works that are nothing like
the ones he actually composed. Clearly some sort of disconnect was developing
between what Sibelius thought he would produce and what he actually did create;
perhaps it was this, added to his increasing self-criticism and his continuing
use of alcohol, that led to the creative silence of those final decades. In any
case, listeners have much to be grateful for in these last Sibelius symphonies,
especially when they are played so vibrantly and with such emotional truth as
they are in the new recording by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Robert
Spano, released on the orchestra’s own label. These are immensely sure-handed
readings, elegant, sensitive and nuanced, attuned to the many subtle colors of
No. 6 and the wide scope and shifting moods of No. 7. Spano extracts from the
orchestra a string sound that is particularly apt for Sibelius, precise and
comparatively thin rather than lush and broad; and the other orchestral
sections, especially the brass, perform with strength and beauty throughout. These
are, somewhat surprisingly, quite idiomatic readings of the symphonies, on par
with good ones from Scandinavian orchestras – which would be expected to take
to the music more readily than an ensemble from Atlanta. The performance of Tapiola, Sibelius’ last major work, is
sensitive and very well played, too. This is a tone poem about a vast forested
Finnish landscape and the spirit dwelling therein, and Spano leads it with
sensitivity, a fine sense of instrumental balance, and very careful attention
to the work’s changes of mood, tempo and rhythm. As disappointing as it is that
Sibelius wrote nothing of significance after Tapiola, it is wonderful to hear the tone poem played as well as it
is on this recording.
Although Sibelius wrote a
considerable amount of theater music, he is known primarily as a symphonist.
Carl Maria von Weber, on the other hand, wrote two symphonies and a fair amount
of other orchestral music, but is known primarily for his theater works: operas
that were enormously influential throughout the 19th century. Yet
Weber’s instrumental music was also highly influential in bridging the gap
between the Classical and Romantic eras, and also because of his highly
creative approach to the expanding capabilities of instruments in the early
1800s. A four-CD Brilliant Classics compilation of performances recorded
between 1974 and 1984 showcases Weber’s skills in a variety of forms, to very
good effect. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner
plays the two very spirited, Haydnesque symphonies with a fine blend of
enthusiasm and humor. Pianist Peter Rösel
and Staatskapelle Dresden under Herbert Blomstedt give strong, upbeat
performances of the two piano concertos and the highly Romantic Konzertstück, which is
essentially a single-movement concerto that points directly toward the two by
Liszt. It would have been nice to have the Concertino
for Clarinet in this set along with the two clarinet concertos – the three
works neatly parallel the three piano-and-orchestra pieces – but even in that
work’s absence, the concertos are brought off with fine virtuosity and
stylishness by Emma Johnson. The accompaniments by the English Chamber
Orchestra are a touch more spirited under Yan Pascal Tortelier in No. 1 than
they are under Gerard Schwarz in No. 2, but the playing is top-notch
throughout. The only slight disappointment in this very well-priced set is in
the overtures, which are the earliest recordings here (and which are analog).
The sound is fine, but the five overtures featuring Staatskapelle Berlin are
pushed somewhat too hard by Otmar Suitner, the fast sections very fast, the
slow ones very slow, and the result somewhat choppy and not as convincing as
these works can be. The Euryanthe
overture, the sole contribution here from Staatskapelle Dresden under Marek
Janowski, is much better, filled with drama and lyricism and both played and
conducted with enthusiasm. Despite some minor performance imperfections here
and there, this collection of Weber’s orchestral music is generally first-rate
and highly enjoyable, shedding considerable light on the composer’s skill
outside the operatic world where he is best known.
No comments:
Post a Comment