Writing a symphony is no
laughing matter.
Johannes Brahms
Brahms seems too willing to sacrifice sensuous beauty to the
cultivation of greatness and seriousness, severity and
complexity.
Eduard Hanslick, music critic writing after the
world première of Brahms’ First Symphony
Brahms
(right) was 43 and Alexander Rahbari 41 when they – nearly a
century apart – accepted the responsibility of, respectively,
completing a nearly 15 year gestation and giving a
deservedly-revered composition another life.
For the composer it was
a long struggle, filled with numerous re-writes, advice from
colleagues and the hidden fear of being unworthy of Schumann’s
daunting advance notice. The invisible master peered over
Brahms’ shoulder, raising his level of “acceptable,” yet,
finally, resulting in a masterwork truly worthy of the
designation. For the conductor, the impatience Brahms must have
felt carrying around such an incredibly important contribution
to music for all those years permeates this account.
The disc also features
the Variations on a Theme by Haydn, which pre-dates the
symphony and were most certainly another step along Brahms’
learning curve towards mastering the complexities of
orchestration. Positioning them after the symphony does neither
work any favours. The five bar theme intrigued the studied
creator who followed his own advice by “grounding” the work in
the bass line of the Passacaglia where the entirely
unexpected appearance of the triangle, even as the music draws
into itself – like telling a secret – never fails to astonish.
Sadly, Rahbari and his
overly reverberant band seem content to work their way through
these jewels rather than plumbing their depths.
The symphony fares
best. The booming introduction (espressivo e legato) is
too loud by half, making the appearance of the later fortissimos
non events. Once in the Allegro, the drive is present
but direction is lacking – no tears shed for ignoring the
exposition repeat. And Rahbari falls into the trap of slowing
the pulse when Brahms already beat him to it by lengthening the
notes then relaxing their rhythm so that the Meno Allegro
just starts, rather than emerges.
The Andante
sostenuto begins well and the BRT Philharmonic Orchestra’s
Principal Oboe - as is the case throughout - acquits himself
with distinction and greater focus of tone than the
concertmaster. Later, ensemble problems surface, confirming
that the few lapses in the first movement (notably the alignment
of the low strings with the contra bassoon) were not anomalies.
The Allegretto
is, in many ways, the finest outing of the recording, with
beautiful phrasing from the solo clarinet and an unhurried ease
in and out of the duple/triple alternations, but, just ahead of
the foreshadowing pizzicati, there’s a last-minute race that
mars the drama before it unfolds.
The magnificent
Finale is notable for its balance: strings/winds;
legato/staccato and compelling warmth in the chorale. Next time
Rahbari may realize that there is more to the famous tune than,
well, the melody and invite the violas to press their bows more
firmly into the rich harmony that draws our hearts as well as
our minds into the frame. When the coda arrives it truly snaps,
crackles and pops, but only to have the emergency brake
needlessly applied against Brahms’ already well-calculated
pedal.
Similarly, throughout
the Variations, the result could only improve if the
podium let the music play rather than force its content out of
the bars. A stodgy opening, much unwanted affectation and the
preponderance of vertical rather than horizontal thinking
combine to give this reading the more the feel of a
work-in-progress rather than a distinctive statement.
Nonetheless, for the
captivating feeling of an “artist in a hurry” that permeates
these performances, the disc is worth adding to a serious
collection. No doubt Brahms, too, had days like that. And what
a fascinating comparison it will be to make when Rahbari’s next
chance comes along to share his further experience and learning
from the privilege of working with some of the finest music ever
penned.
