Simone Young's Amazing Bruckner

Simone Young is a most wonderful conductor who brings an amazing spiritual perspective to the German music she conducts. Last Friday night (August 9) I heard her take the Sydney Symphony Orchestra through a stunningly cosmic reading of Bruckner’s 9^th Symphony. She was able to coax out of the orchestra massive brass chorale playing which, in its granite like strength, brought to mind the motion of planets. It was a beautiful and moving performance. The scherzo exploded with bombastic brass rhythms (was this a bit of an inspiration for Holst’s Mars?) contrasting with nervous plucked strings, this whole movement is freakish in its nightmare quality. The final movement (or is it the final movement?) was transcendental in a mahlerian sort of way with beautifully intoned lush strings. I am keen to sample Young’s Bruckner on Oehms classics with her Hamburg Orchestra which is getting excellent reviews.

The concert began with a beautifully sensitive rendition of Wagner’s Wessendonk Lieder sung by Lisa Gasteen who is continuing a gradual return to performances after serious back injury.

I might add that once again it is only the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, not Opera Australia, that is  providing recognition to Wagner in his bicentennial year.  Here we have two Australian artists who have been significantly associated internationally with the music of Wagner. No sign of any Wagner on stage in Sydney since 2007.

Great Historic Performances for Audiophiles

Recently I’ve made some purchases from Pristine Classical (http://www.pristineclassical.com/). This site specialises in historical recordings which have been restored and enhanced through technology with breathtaking results. Purists may argue that it is intervention in the actual recorded balance of tone and dynamics, but for me the results I have heard allow me to engage in performances which I otherwise would not.

I have listened to Bruno Walter’s Die Walkure Act 1 with Melchior and Lehmann from 1935. The performance now has an amazing bass response which gives it a depth akin to more modern recordings. The process used, renders an amazing clarity of orchestral detail and the voices are vivid. The site also allows you to hear extended samples and offers multiple download options.

Even more amazing is the Furtwangler La Scala Ring Cycle from 1950. This has always been considered as one of the greatest recorded performances, but the poor quality sound has always prevented me from sampling more than a few moments. Listening to the Pristine version is a revelation. What an experience!. I am playing it all the time, in the car, over headphones while walking, on full blast over my lounge room speaker system. If it weren’t for three big reservations, it would be my favourite recorded cycle. These are: 1. Max Lorenz as the Gotterdammerung Siegfried (recorded well past his prime). 2. Small(ish) cuts in Die Walkure Act 2 and Siegfried Act 3 and 3. Kirsten Flagstad (phenomenal) wimps out on a couple of high C’s in Gotterdammerung.

Despite these, I thoroughly recommend this recording. Pristine also offer Furtwangler’s1953 Rome Ring. It has a somewhat better cast and sound but the orchestral playing and overall impact of the performance are not as great.

Other Pristine releases I am listening to at the moment, with equal enthusiasm, are Furtwangler Bruckner and Beethoven 9^th Symphonies, both recorded during the war and the (abridged) Rhapsody in Blue with Gershwin and the Paul Whiteman Band (the site also offers an extensive range of Jazz recordings)

Pfitzner and Hard Work

There is some music you have to work hard at to get results. Hans Pfitzner’s opera Palestrina is a hard slog.  I have just watched the blu-ray version of the performances at the Bavarian State opera from Munich (Euroarts: 2072524 - Blu-ray, 2013].

On first viewing, there seems to be so much hard work going into this, by a team of very talented and dedicated artists. The acting and singing is first rate and the production is colourful and inventive, without detracting from the basic inherent message of the original.

But for all this, there were long sections where I just tuned out, unable to engage in what seemed like endless note spinning despite some beautifully crafted orchestration.

However, I know there are people that are just crazy about this work so I am determined to keep working at it. Watching the documentary was enlightening. The passionate advocacy from the artistic team was convincing. 

Simone Young is a wonderful conductor (I am looking forward to seeing her conduct Bruckner’s 9th in Sydney this week), whose careful control of what seems a very complex score is evident. I will watch and listen a few more times over coming weeks and perhaps the pieces will all fall into place. I really want to like this work. Perhaps I am looking too much for a late romantic glow of the Strauss, Schreker or Berg type.

Dutchman Provides Unworthy Sydney with a Wagner Treat

Here in Sydney, where the season of Opera Australia has entirely ignored Wagner while giving us bucketloads of Verdi, it has been up to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to provide an appropriate Wagnerian bicentenary tribute with a number of concerts featuring his music, or themed around him.

Chief among these were the concert performances of the Flying Dutchman. I saw the performance on Saturday 20 July. For Wagner starved Sydneysiders, this is as good as it gets, and it was very good.

David Robertson will be taking up the post as chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony next year and after hearing this performance, I have very high expectations. An energetic and very physical style brings a tremendous response. The orchestra was world class here. Very disciplined, tight sound. Beautiful sweet and smooth strings contrasted with the wild chromatic runs of the storm filled music.

American baritone Eric Owens, who sang Alberich in the Met Ring Cycle, presented a commanding, dark Dutchman. Sometimes he was a bit overpowered by the orchestral sound (singers were placed behind the orchestra) but he nailed it in terms of characterisation. I’m not familiar with Orla Boylan, who sang Senta. This Irish soprano has sung Ariadne with Welsh National Opera, Chrysothemis in Elektra in Perth, Western Australia and has a number of recordings (The WNO Carmelites under Paul Daniel and Mahler 8 with Markus Stenz). What a voice! She was sensational, filling the Opera House Concert Hall with a big Wagnerian sound. I hope we hear more from her. Ain Anger is a Bayreuth Fafner  and also sings on Thielemann’s new Ring Cycle on DG. He provided a beautifully articulated Daland for the evening. The strong casting gave us the best Wagner we’ve seen in Sydney for years. Mind you the last staged Wagner in Sydney was Tannhauser  in 2007. It’s a long time between drinks here!

The performance was complemented by some lovely and very subtle projections and lighting effects but it is such a shame Sydney doesn’t appear worthy of a staged Wagner opera in his celebratory year.