2 Sem 2012 - Part Four

Claudio Abbado & The London Symphony Orchestra

Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies and 7 Overtures

By Gramophone
Symphonies Nos 1-5. Octet – Scherzo. Overtures – A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Die schöne Melusine; The Hebrides, ‘Fingal’s Cave’; Ruy Blas; Meerestille und Gückliche Fahrt; Trumpet Overture.
It is in the choral Second Symphony that the advantage of the wide-ranging digital sound comes out most strikingly, in clarifying the big tuttis with choir, at the same time providing extra weight of sound, notably in the way that pedal notes on the organ come over in a rich and realistic way. As to interpretation, Abbado in the first instrumental movement conveys a keener sense of joy with a wide expressive range. Again, in the choral finale Abbado’s speeds tend to be a degree more relaxed and the sense of joyful release is all the keener. His three soloists are very fine and their tonal beauty and natural feeling for words and phrasing are a delight. So too is the singing of the London Symphony Chorus, particularly beautiful in the chorale, ‘Nun danket alle Gott’.
It is that avoidance of Victorian blandness which is striking in Abbado’s accounts of Nos 1 and 5. In No 1 he is tough and biting, slower and simpler in the second movement, returning to a tough, dark manner for the Minuet and finale. This is a performance which has one marvelling that Mendelssohn could ever have countenanced the idea of the Octet Scherzo as substitute, a piece so different in mood. The first movement of the Reformation finds Abbado in dramatic mood, and crisper and again quicker in the second movement Allegro vivace.
In both the Scottish and Italian Symphonies Abbado’s earlier Decca versions clearly come into contention, but where in the Scottish the differences of interpretation are relatively unimportant – mainly a question of the slow movement being a little slower and heavier this time – those in the Italian are more striking. Here the outer movements are fractionally faster than before, and that difference brings just a hint of breathlessness in the playing of the LSO; but whatever my disappointment over those movements, this is now the most centrally recommendable version of the Italian on CD.
As for the overtures, they too bring fresh and attractive performances, very fast and fleet in the fairy music of A Midsummer Night’s 
Dream and with the contrast between first and second subjects of The Hebrides underlined. This was one of Abbado’s biggest recording projects with the orchestra of which he was music director and remains a richly rewarding legacy.

By The truth and nothing but (The High Peak, in the United Kingdom) 

Abbado offers some lushly textured Mendelssohn recording here. He is beautifully and ably supported by the sterling playing of the London Symphony Orchestra. Dating from the mid `80s, the recorded sound is also good despite its early digital vintage. Abbado takes a very classical view of Mendelssohn, however. He generally eschews any romanticism and perhaps that is where he falls down.
Performance: 4/5
For the most part these performances are incisive and the playing of the LSO is first rate. The overtures are generally invigorated with plush textures shining out quite consistently. It's a credit to Abbado that he has always produced golden throated playing from all the orchestras he has worked with. In that sense, who can doubt his natural talent for leading an orchestra? In the Symphonies, however, it feels like concentration and commitment does have the tendency to sag on occasion. This seems particularly true in the inner movements of the First Symphony (though the alternative scherzo is very pleasant) and the outer movements of the `Reformation' Symphony. Otherwise everything is quite excellent on this front. A small caveat would be that the palette of colour and timbre is rather restricted. Here, Previn got more out of this orchestra.
The `Lobgesang' may be the best part of this set, along with the overtures. It is realised beautifully, affectionately and musically. The singing of London Symphony Chorus is very good. It is very powerful at times. Elizabeth Connell (Soprano), Karita Mattila (Soprano) and Hans Peter Blochwitz (Tenor) do good justice to the work as solo voices, though superior singing in this work has been recorded before and since.
Sound: 5/5
There is very little indeed to complain about regarding the sound for this set. It is full blooded, warm and weighty with good detail as well. Perhaps it lacks a little sparkle but this is a very minor issue indeed and not too detrimental a caveat. Throw in a wide soundstage and it is some of the best sound the DG engineers were producing at the time. The main weakness in the sound is to be found in the Lobgesang where some may feel it to be a little fogged, muddy and overly reverberant.
Interpretation: 2/5
This is where the most telling problems arise. I must state now that I see Mendelssohn, along with Schumann, Bruch and Brahms, as a more romantic composer than Abbado apparently does. I suppose taste dictates much here. If you see Mendelssohn as closer in idiom to Haydn, Mozart and Schubert than he is to Schumann, Beethoven or Bruch then Abbado's set is almost certainly the set for you. Unfortunately, I don't see Mendelssohn like that.
True, there is no getting away from the fact that the First Symphony is classical in idiom. That is easy to accept and, as such, Abbado has followed Flor, Ashkenazy and Karajan (among others) in interpreting it classically. The Second Symphony is where Abbado diverges from the Classical path. This is a broad, magnificent view of the work. Indeed, it has something valedictory in the way he conceives it. Having said that, it has been equally well interpreted by the likes of Litton, Karajan and Dohnanyi. They each have a valedictory about them.
The `Scottish' Symphony marks a return to the classical idiom. Others have got more darkness and tragedy from this score. See, for example, Karajan and Bernstein. Indeed, these two took an almost impressionistic account of the first movement. Abbado continues his genial approach which is rather superficial and uninspiring in this work. The coda of the third is taken with almost vulgar amounts of rhetoric. This is not in keeping at all with what preceded these closing passages.
The Fourth can be interpreted classically or romantically and here Abbado has much more success. This Symphony comes off much better in this set than the Third does. Abbado's Fifth wobbles between classicism and romanticism without firm decision either way. Much of the expression in the outer movements suggests a romantic conception but the inner movements seem to be decidedly classical while the final coda doesn't come off with the incisiveness and finality that Munch, Bernstein and Karajan brought.
Overall, this is a mixed set musically. There is some uncertainty as to how Abbado sees Mendelssohn but generally he opts for a classical approach, in line with Mozart or Haydn. There is validity in that as Mendelssohn drew greatly from both composers. Orchestras such as those of Bamberg, Vienna and Berlin seem more in touch with Mendelssohn's Germanic roots as well. This is a solid set, the stand outs being the Second Symphony, the Fourth and the eight shorter pieces. Indeed, the Hebrides receives a very strong performance. If Abbado's way appeals, you will enjoy this set more than I did.

Track List:

Disc 1:
1. Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op.11 - 1. Allegro di molto  10:39
2. Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op.11 - 2. Andante 6:40
3. Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op.11 - 3. Menuetto (Allegro molto)  6:45
4. Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op.11 - 4. Allegro con fuoco  8:14
5. Octet in E flat, Op.20 - Arr. for orchestra by the composer - 3. Scherzo 3:58
6. Overture "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Op.21 - Overture (Allegro di molto)  12:03
7. The Hebrides, Op.26 (Fingal's Cave) - Allegro moderato  10:24
8. Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, Op.27  13:08

Disc 2:
1. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 1. Sinfonia: Maestoso con moto  13:48
2. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 1. Sinfonia: Allegretto un poco agitato 7:00
3. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 1. Sinfonia: Adagio religioso 8:09
4. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 2. "Alles was Odem hat, lobe den Herrn" - "Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele" 5:30 

5. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - Molto più moderato ma con fuoco:"Lobe den Herrn,... meine. Elizabeth Connell  2:42
6. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 3. "Saget es, die ihr erlöst seid" Hans Peter Blochwitz 0:51
7. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 3. "Er zählet unsre Tränen" Hans Peter Blochwitz 2:20
8. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 4. "Sagt es, die ihr erlöset seid" Hans Peter Blochwitz 2:08
9. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 5. "Ich harrete des Herrn" Elizabeth Connell 6:46
10. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 6. "Stricke des Todes hatten uns umfangen" Hans Peter Blochwitz 4:14
11. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 7. "Die Nacht ist vergangen"  4:58
12. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 8. "Nun danket alle Gott" - "Lob, Ehr' und Preis sei Gott" London Symphony Chorus 4:13
13. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 9. "Drum sing ich mit meinem Liede ewig" Hans Peter Blochwitz 5:12
14. Symphony No.2 in B flat, Op.52 - "Hymn of Praise" - 10. "Ihr Völker, bringet her dem Herrn Ehre und Macht"  6:32 

Disc 3:
1. Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.56 - "Scottish" - 1. Andante con moto - Allegro un poco agitato - Assai animato - Andante come prima 16:55
2. Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.56 - "Scottish" - 2. Vivace non troppo 4:04
3. Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.56 - "Scottish" - 3. Adagio  11:28
4. Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.56 - "Scottish" - 4. Allegro vivacissimo - Allegro maestoso assai  9:56
5. Overture "The Fair Melusine", Op.32 - Allegro con moto 10:48
6. "Trumpet Overture", Op.101 - Allegro vivace - Allegro vivace  9:10
7. Ruy Blas, Op.95 - Overture to Victor Hugo's play - Lento - Allegro molto 8:21 

Disc 4: 

1. Symphony No.4 in A, Op.90 - "Italian" - 1. Allegro vivace 10:30
2. Symphony No.4 in A, Op.90 - "Italian" - 2. Andante con moto  5:56
3. Symphony No.4 in A, Op.90 - "Italian" - 3. Con moto moderato  6:30 4. Symphony No.4 in A, Op.90 - "Italian" - 4. SaPltarello (Presto)  5:24 

5. Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.107 - "Reformation" - 1. Andante - Allegro con fuoco 12:13
6. Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.107 - "Reformation" - 2. Allegro vivace 5:48
7. Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.107 - "Reformation" - 3. Andante  3:45
8. Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op.107 - "Reformation" - 4. Choral "Ein' Feste Burg ist unser Gott!" (Andante con moto - Allegro vivace - Allegro maestoso - Più animato poco a poco)  9:09
9. Overture for Wind Instruments, Op.24 (für Harmoniemusik) 9:46 

2 Sem 2012 - Part Three

Lang Lang

Live In Vienna

By James Manheim
This Lang Lang disc presents a live performance, a recital at the very citadel of musical conservatism, the Musikvereinsaal in Vienna. The pianist must have taken it as a special challenge, for he altered his usual repertoire somewhat and toned down his crowd-pleasing flamboyant ways. Not that they disappear entirely; the booklet is adorned with pictures of Lang lifting his arms above the keyboard, gazing skyward, and so on. But half the program is devoted to Beethoven, not Lang's usual style, and the two sonatas heard here, one of them the Piano Sonata No. 23 in F sharp minor, Op. 57, "Appassionata," are his first Beethoven sonata recordings. The pieces from Book One of Albéniz's Iberia are given rather restrained treatment, and only with the Chopin Polonaise, Op. 53, "Heroic," and Grande Valse brillante No. 2, Op. 34/1, does he really cut loose. Nothing about the Beethoven is going to shake either Lang's supporters or his detractors loose from their positions, but it must be said that he in no way overdoes the "Appassionata," and that the performance of the Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3, is fresh and quite distinctive; Lang uses his technical facility to breeze through the piece's spiky passagework and gives it a confident, breezy quality -- that, as it happens, is also the most attractive quality of Lang's playing in general. Lang's fans can feel confident that they'll enjoy his effort to conquer the stately old city of Vienna. Notes by James Jolly, in English only, consist largely of spoken commentary by Lang Lang himself.

By A piano teacher
The entertainment world craves superheroes and villains, and Lang Lang is neither. His first recital CD on Sony, done live at the Musikvereinssaal, is a wonderful success, with a few instructive exceptions.
I first heard Lang Lang when he visited Reading, PA in March 2002. He played to a partially filled college chapel, but the mood seemed to suit him, and he played the most pearly Mendelssohn Caprices and electrifying Wanderer Fantasy (far better than at Carnegie or Verizon Hall) that I ever will hear. When he roared into the final fugue theme, little grey-haired ladies stared at each other with their mouths hanging open.
It is such playing that mesmerizes piano lovers as they listen to golden-age broadcasts from the 1930's. But Lang Lang does not like to play in that manner when the red recording light is on. Today everyone is labeled with permanent marker, and since his craft encompasses image as well as music (as he candidly admits), some listeners seem to just see and not hear him. Trying to please such people is a mistake.
It is for that reason that this set (which I merely "heard") is so welcome - amid the uproar Lang Lang continues to deepen his scope, leverage his technique, choose major repertoire, and widen the sound-palette of his recording persona.
The first CD contains his first recording (so what???) of two Beethoven Sonatas. It happens that these performances plumb every corner and raise them to the heights. The first (Opus 3 No. 2) is no "early" fluff piece. (It actually runs two minutes longer than the "Appassionata.") The playing is full of life and variety, with moods unfolding naturally and without exaggeration. When Beethoven challenges the listener (such as the tension in the "fake recap" of mvt. I) there is a sense of discovery. The third movement's varied articulations are meticulously observed, the flying fingers bringing out natural contrasts because no compromise in tempo is needed. Beethoven's touches of polyphony sound as fresh as when they were written.
What youth idol could resist milking the Appassionata? He does not do it. I was shocked by the tart, straightforward beginning. Then when Beethoven calls for fire, Lang Lang delivers in spades. His interview in the booklet acknowledges many influences (who do you know who loves BOTH Kempff and Rubinstein in this piece?) - and his choices are eclectic. He favors incremental growth rather than terraces in the second movement. His final movement tempo is brisk but not crazy, with a satisfying ending. Those who quibble over details should take a second look at the score. Overall, his Beethoven playing reaps continual benefits from sheer clarity, and these performances will endure as a result.
Skipping to the Prokofiev Seventh Sonata on Disk two: Another winner. I prefer to imagine this piece as riotous fun - absolute music that serves as a respite from war, not a portrayal of desolation and death. But I am in the minority, and Lang Lang's raw vignettes make an unnerving case for the sonata as political commentary. No punches are pulled. He did his practicing.
Then we have the Albeniz Iberia Book One, and three Chopin pieces.
I give the release five stars because if you take the Beethoven and Prokofiev, with mvt. two of the Albeniz to catch one's breath, you have an 80-minute disc (with applause trimmed) that is easily the best solo album he has done, and one to stand with the greats.
The Albeniz first two movements are smoky and decent. But the third dance movement, as well as the Chopin Etude, Polonaise and Waltz at the end, sag and lurch as if the driver snuck out for a beer while the car was still on the highway. Lang Lang can excel in Chopin, as his E-minor Concerto recording proves. These short pieces are fake and shapeless. They will come back to haunt him.
Sony has signed a major artist who chooses to make himself a teacher and a learner as well as a performer. We all could do likewise. His influence ought to be a source of happiness for those who want classical music to be appreciated at its true value.

Disc: 1
1. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2; I. Allegro con brio
2. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2; II. Adagio
3. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2; III. Scherzo (Allegro)
4. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2; IV. Allegro assai 5. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata"; I. Allegro assai
5. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata"; II. Andante con moto
6. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata"; III. Allegro ma non troppo

Disc: 2
1. Iberia, Book I; I. Evocación
2. Iberia, Book I; II. El puerto
3. Iberia, Book I; III. Fête-dieu à Seville
4. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83; I. Allegro inquieto - Andantino - Allegro inquieto - Andantino - Allegro inquieto
5. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83; II. Andante caloroso - Poco più animato - Più largamente - un poco agitato - Tempo I
6. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83; III. Precipitato
7. Étude Op. 25, No. 1 in A-Flat Major
8. Polonaise No. 6 in A-Flat Major, Op. 53 "Heroic"
9. Grand Valse Brillante No. 2, Op. 34 No. 1 in A-Flat Major