Beethoven: The Ninth Symphony
Bejart Ballet Lausanne and The Tokyo Ballet
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Ritsuyakai Choir, Zubin Mehta
EUROARTS 2060878 88:00
What looks like a good idea in theory proves not to be quite so successful in practise. There have been adaptations of symphonic works for ballet so there is no reason this should not succeed but it lacks the revolutionary spirit the work requires. Maurice Bejart has been a compellingly effective choreographer over many years but his approach to the Choral is frequently muted and often conventional. Only the slow movement has any real beauty of line, and in the finale Zubin Mehta seems to be taking his time from the dancers rather than leading them which regularly inhibits the flow of the score. Added to this the soloists, while not inadequate, are certainly not the sort of voices one would wish to return to regularly. They are dressed in dark brown robes and the choir in white – rather too close to a Gospel choir for comfort. Those interested in the development of Maurice Bejart’s work may be interested but for the rest of us there is little here to recommend.
Wagner: Das Rheingold
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle
BR KLASSIK 900133
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden
NAXOS 8.660374-5
For those of us of a certain age it does not seem that long ago that there were no recordings of Das Rheingold. Recording companies thought nobody would buy it, and the original Solti recording was launched with a challenge to listeners to see if their speaker systems were up to the range of the recording.
This month we have two new recordings slipped out without the overt fanfare. Simon Rattle has never been an obvious Wagnerian. I can recall live performances which have been finely played but lacking the frisson of a great evening at the opera. It is so here with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and soloists. Michael Volle is a robust Wotan but none of the other soloists stand out as exceptional. Orchestral playing is fine but failed to excite me even in the obvious purple passages.
By contrast, Jaap van Zweden’s orchestra is playing the work for the first time and they seem to be thoroughly enjoying it. Balance is often unusual and one hears things as if for the first time. Matthias Goerne is certainly a match for Michael Volle, and Kim Begley, Peter Sidhom and Deborah Humble are more impressive than their German counter-parts. Both versions were recorded live and gain from the immediacy this brings, but it is the rest of the Hong Kong cycle which I will really be looking forward to.
Bach: Christmas Oratorio
Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin, Bavarian Radio Choir, Peter Dijkstra
BR KLASSIK 900512
This new recording has a real sense of presence. The bite and attack from the players is exhilarating and the singing throughout brings joy as well as clarity. Though there are many recordings available at present, this new one has a great deal to commend it.
British Violin Concertos
Tasmin Little, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Davis
CHANDOS CHAN 10879
I wish I could be more enthusiastic about this recording but it leaves me distinctly underwhelmed. While the playing from both soloist and orchestra are fine, the actual works themselves are very much in the second division – worth a first hearing but I doubt if I would want to return to them with so many other great concerti to consider.
Janacek & Smetana String Quartets
Takacs Quartet
HYPERION CDA 67997
The combination of the Janacek string quartets with the Smetana may be an obvious one but it here makes exemplary sense in the fine quality of the playing and the obvious romantic links between the two composers. The acoustic in concert hall at the Wyastone Estate is particularly suitable for the richness of sound the Takacs Quartet provide throughout.
Sibelius: Jedermann
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Leif Segerstam
NAXOS 8.573340
This is a disc of rarities. The incidental music for Jedermann was completed in haste in 1916. The score shows a wide variety of responses, the songs being instantly memorable from their strong lyrical qualities to shorter passages which are quintessentially Sibelian in their drifting melancholy. The disc also includes Two Serious Melodies and In Memoriam. The latter was completed in 1910 and was played at Sibelius’ funeral.
Sibelius: The Symphonies
Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Okko Kamu
BIS 2076
This newly released set was recorded live in the Sibelius Hall in Lahti between 2012 and 2014. It is certainly a fine match for the earlier recordings under Osmo Vanska. Okko Kamu took over as chief conductor in 2011 and brings both an international reputation and a real sense of Finnish understanding to his approach to the Symphonies. His tempi are noticeably slower than the majority of conductors with the exception of the Sixth Symphony which is brisk and pacey.I suspect one can never have too many recordings of these magnificent works.