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Jean
SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Symphony No.1 in
E minor, Op.39 London
Symphony Orchestra RCA
Victor Red Seal (BMG Classics)
09026-68183 |
by The Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase™
These are unusual
couplings of two of Sibelius' most different symphonies. Symphony
No.1, composed in 1899, seems to take up the last reins of the Romantic
century and cast with unimaginable force into the churning pools of the
20th; Symphony No.4, completed in 1911, was greeted with enigmatic silence
at the end of its concert premiere, demonstrating how far the composer had
traversed.
Sir Colin takes a slightly slower pace than Vänskä (on
BIS - reviewed here) in the first movement,
and he is more immediately convincing in the moulding of phrases: praise
must go to the handling of the powerful jagged trumpet theme [track 1:
3'10" and 8'57"] - I have rarely heard it performed with such passion,
drive and musical phrasing. Davis slows down as the trumpets soar, so
that the triplet drops with great drama. These are the high points of
the performance - beyond this, the reading is assured.
In the Andante, the opening string theme floats
beautifully. Again the rendition is very fine if slightly wanting in momentum
in the middle. The phrasing does get a bit rigid occasionally, but otherwise
there are little technical complaints.
Vänskä's Scherzo is furious and sharp, even merciless.
The RCA version is again more leisurely - at times the slower pace makes
the music brim with power, but often it just seems too draggy for me.
In the Finale for example, Sir Colin's performance is again very
traditional. The fast sections are effective but lacks the sense of rush
found in say the Karajan or Iceland Symphony version. The slow sections
work well, as in the yearning, angst-ridden slow melody near the end,
bursting with emotion. It is here that the intensity of the London strings
come across better than the cooler tones of the Lahti Symphony.
Indeed this is generally a very safe recommendation,
whereas the more characterful Vänskä reading may shock some. Conversely,
for an incorrigible nutcase like me, I don't feel the urge to listen to
this version since it has nothing much which is interpretatively interesting
(except that first movement trumpet) or insightful. (I ask for too much,
but I am the Nutcase).
Sir Colin's performance of the Fourth Symphony with the
Boston Symphony Orchestra on Philips (the whole cycle has been reissued
on two pairs of Philips Duos, but suffers from bad recording and horrible
brass braying) was one of the first of this symphony which finally "spoke"
to me, after many years of not really "understanding" it.
His new recording is also good, although I find it less
convincing than Vänskä's on BIS. The RCA performance does not quite have
the overall unity of the Lahti Symphony's, and I thought perhaps the somewhat
two-dimensional sound of the RCA recording (this is also evident in the
rest of the cycle so far) may have contributed to it. The result is that
sometimes there is a certain distracting "flatness" in the sound reproduction
- all the instruments seem to come like a wall of sound. Sometimes this
helps, as in the string sections where interesting textures are revealed.
Detailed as it is, the RCA sound is not as "natural" as Vänskä's, but
it is still good nonetheless.
Both CDs are worth their price - but BIS has the far
superior production, including the notes. If you're not sure, then at
least buy the RCA version, since BIS CDs are not readily available in
Singapore (see below). Some may be encouraged by the fact that the former
disc (Sir Colin's) has been awarded a 1997 Gramophone Award in the Orchestral
category.
Sibelius (left) called his Fourth Symphony "a protest
against present-day music. It has nothing, absolutely nothing of the circus
about it." It is a revolutionary work of the highest intellectual skill
fused with a natural kinship with the possibilities of tonality, both
in terms of music and of the emotions. Written in the aftermath of a throat
operation to remove a tumour, it has been said that in it Sibelius had
struggled with the notion of mortality.
The musical material of the symphony is based primarily
on the tritone (i.e. a three tone interval), known in medieval times as
"The devil in music." First heard in the growling, sombre opening motif
(C-D-F#-E), it is developed concisely in a symphony of almost unrelenting
economy. By this, musicologists mean that the "material" (e.g. a motif)
is literally "grown" or argued (as in, one takes a topic and argues about
it to convince someone) with precision and without anything unnecessary
or extraneous (hence, you do not beat around the bush, or use unnecessary
material that does not "fit" into the scheme of things.) In my own words,
Sibelius can say more in 20 minutes than most composers in 2 hours.
What I don't like about this performance is that it doesn't offer anything
new to say - in fact, it is a very conservative (meaning not trying to
be revolutionary) interpretation, which adds considerably to its appeal
to newcomers to the work.
In the final movement of the Fourth, the opening is in a cheery, almost
carefree manner, complete with glockenspiel parts (Sir Colin uses both
the glockenspiel and tubular bells, as a solution to the controversy over
the part's instrumental allocation). In the midst of its development,
the music seems to inevitably shift towards darkness, ending in chords
of resignation, almost of exhaustion.
|
S
I B E L I U S Nature is coming to life: that life which I so love, now and always, whose essence shall pervade everything which I compose. |
RCA records can be purchased
or ordered in Singapore from Sing Discs (Raffles City), Tower (Pacific Plaza
& Suntec City), HMV (The Heeren) or Borders (Wheelock Place)
The Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase
continues to build up his resistance against cold temperatures.
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INKTRODUCTIONS:
CD REVIEWS:
The Lahti Symphony/Vänskä Cycle (BIS, 1996-99):
Nos. 1 & 4
Nos.2 & 3
No.5 (original and final versions)
Nos. 6 & 7, and Tapiola
The Bournemouth Symphony/Berglund Cycle (1970s)
Click here
The Iceland Symphony/Sakari Cycle (Naxos, 1996-2000)
Nos. 1 & 3
No. 2 & Tempest Suite
#1
Nos. 4 & 5
Nos. 6 & 7. Tempest
Suite No.2
Finlandia. Karelia
Suite. Lemminkäinen Suite