|
This is
an important document of a live performance by a highly accomplished
conductor, largely unknown to record collectors, but highly revered
by those who attended his concerts. Vladimir Delman (Leningrad
1923-Milan 1994) was, as far as I can tell, a Russian conductor but
as it turns out, ended up in Italy, a country he loved and took up
citizenship in. A interesting story is outlined in the essay
included with the CD, but a complete biography or a time-line is not
given, more's the pity. Neither is the location of this performance
given, and only the year of performance (1994 -- his last year) is
noted.
Finicky collectors such as myself may complain about the lack of
such details but the performance itself, as they say, the bee's
knees, and something quite special. From the outset, the tone and
phrasing assure you that this is going to be no ordinary Bruckner.
For one thing, it is extraordinarily laid back and relaxed, rather
too relaxed for my taste at first, but as we progress into the
performance, the phrasing becomes tighter as the orchestra settle
into the music. It remains slow, but not to the extent of an Asahina,
for example. Slow tempi don't mean a lack of tension however - the
long line is never lost and Delman's extraordinary ability, so
important in Bruckner, to outline the architecture of the music
without compromising on the details - and there are plenty, serves
him well. This is a single document and I've no idea how he must
have conducted other works, but he has also has a fine ear for
shading, which I imagine must have served him well in the
Tchaikovsky that he was so famous for, and perhaps the French
composers.
The first movement is gloriously broad
-- the timing alone, 27:21 should give you some idea how much that
is. It never feels very slow though, such is the mastery of the
architecture. Beauty of orchestral tone, pace Celibidache, is
not the most important thing in this performance, the drama is. The
orchestra responds with such outstanding sensitivity to Delman's
hands (he didn't use a baton) that one feels they must have either
been very well-rehearsed or else very familiar with the music. The
result is that many subtleties of interpretation are brought out by
Delman surpassing, I suspect, what many major orchestras would have
been able to accomplish. The first movement is grand where grandeur
is required and achingly lyrical when song is called for. The
terrifying passage with the scurrying violin figures is the
cataclysmic vision that it should be. The orchestra play like they
have Bruckner in their blood, the whole movement speaks of
apocalypse and the end of times, the way a good performance should.
The poisonous
second movement, mysterious and with that harmony so advanced for
the time that Bruckner predicted that listeners wouldn't be able to
understand it (but by that time I'll be in my grave, he said), is
not the militantly violent performance Wilhelm Furtwängler made it
in his 1944 performance (a must listen), but at moderately quick
tempi is still powerful and full of Brucknerian character.
Delman's tempi are relatively
swift in the last movement -- only 20:58, which in lesser hands
might have reversed the weight of the symphony (indeed a feeling
that this has occurred is not totally avoided), but largely the
power of this movement is not detracted from; the "Tristan" like
outburst feels in fact more powerful for this choice of tempi.
Introspection is not on top of the list of priorities for this
performance, passion is. Suffice to say that Delman guides the
performance through with a firm hand and nails all the important
climaxes. The ending is not quite as tranquil, not quite the lullaby
that Horenstein for example brings to the music. One still feels
tension, and is surprised that it is the end of the symphony --
perhaps Delman meant to convey that.
Italian orchestras are, shall
we say, not known for the high quality of their performances of the
canonic symphonic works, though their quality in opera and Italian
music is undenied. The level of ensemble and a certain technical
polish is still wanting here, but they respond to the conductor in
such an active way that you forgive them for it.
This performance, then, is recommended to Bruckner enthusiasts who
already have their first five recordings, perhaps, who want
something interesting and different, and all those interested in
discovering a conductor who, like Celibidache, hated recording, but
unlike him was actually hardly recorded. If Aura Music turned their
interests now to issuing his Tchaikovsky cycle, highly regarded in
some quarters as one of the best, we would have a better portrait of
Vladimir Delman.
This album may
be purchased from
http://www.aura-music.com/english/dettagliocd.asp?Id=195&att=1
Other Aura Music albums may be viewed on
www.aura-music.com
All
original texts are copyrighted. Please seek permission from the
Classical Editor
if you wish to reproduce/quote Inkpot material.
|
