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Site review by Geohominid August 25, 2009
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Performance: |
The prospect of a Russian-born conductor and a fine Australian orchestra playing Elgar is certainly intriguing. So too thought the programmers of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in November 2008. Ashkenazy is reported to have bonded with this youthful ensemble and brought it to new heights. Their week-long Festival began with this symphony and concluded with the Dream of Gerontius, with live relays from the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and Exton recording. This was an attainment of a goal for Ashkenazy, who has long nursed an admiration for Elgar, and is the result of much study and thought about the composer and his music.
Elgar's first symphony of 1907-8 was famously praised by Hans Richter (the symphony's dedicatee), during a rehearsal for its première by the Hallé Orchestra: "[It is] the greatest symphony of modern times, written by the greatest modern composer — and not only in this country." Shostakovich too was enthusiastic, stating that he thought it to be one of the greatest symphonies of the C20th. The work is cyclic, based on a 'motto' theme heard at the outset, which appears in various guises and developments through the rest of the four movements. It uses a large orchestra, and is a lavish display of Elgar's superlative talents as an orchestrator.
The touchstone performance, of course, is that of Elgar himself with his beloved LSO, its digitally refurbished 1930 sound now remarkably clear, revealing an incandescent reading from the septuagenarian. There followed a long performing tradition accumulated by mostly English conductors, although others, notably Solti, have also set down fine, challenging performances.
It is immediately apparent that the SSO and Ashkenazy have a palpable rapport and really enjoy their music-making together. Recorded from the live performance and a single 'studio' patching session, this interpretation has a fine sense of purpose and flow. It also bears much evidence of Ashkenazy's studied approach outside the aforementioned English performing tradition. Elgar's myriad indications in his score are scrupulously observed, yet many details such as counter-melodies and felicitous orchestral details brought into focus by the conductor tickle the ear anew.
The Symphony's opening motto theme is played as simply as directed by Elgar's score, yet also gains the expected "Nobilmente" quality. Ashkenazy's first movement is on the expansive side, with timing similar to Barbirolli's, nearly 4 minutes longer than Elgar himself, but it has plenty of drama and rhythmic drive, with a fine perception for the frequent Elgarian side-steps into a different world, where the composer's muse engages in fantasy of delicate beauty. Ashkenazy's second movement, a grimly determined march-like piece in 1/2 time, is even faster than the precipitous Elgar himself, yet with a luminous and weightless central section. The fast pacing puts the Sydney players on their mettle, but they respond with élan. Elgar's miraculous transition into the gorgeous Adagio is made seamlessly, and the slow movement's unforgettable melody unfolds with extraordinary concentration and emotional content from a rapt orchestra. Its unforgettable leave-taking, with muted strings and muted horns, is exquisitely played, truly at ppp softness.
Elgar's furious pace for his Finale has only been approached on record by Solti (and bested by Norrington, see appendix below) and again Ashkenazy is on the expansive side, but because of his sense of forward motion, the playing never feels underpowered. I particularly enjoyed his resolution of the darkly obsessive repetitions of the motto into its triple-time blossoming of vernal melody; two harps playing rippling arpeggios and luscious counter-melodies bringing sunshine. The SSO bring the symphony home with dizzying scoops and swoops of stratospheric strings wreathed around the heavy brass intoning the motto theme; one of the greatest expressions of joyful elation in music, thrillingly played here.
The stereo sound-stage is so convincing that I was not concerned about the absence of surround channels (in any case, Exton rarely provides more than very low levels for centre and surrounds). The acoustic of the Sydney Opera House gives the music plenty of room to expand, with a very wide dynamic range and reasonable front-back perspective. The recordings were done by local staff of the Opera House Recording Studio, while mixing and mastering was done at Exton's Japanese studios. There is plenty of deep bass, including a floor-shaking bass drum and incisive timpani, while the often retiring harp (or two) has good presence - of crucial importance for Elgar's music.
My one caveat is that while the heavy brass sound is massively authoritative, the trumpets (as often with Exton) get too high a proportion of a close microphone in the mix and are forward at climaxes, with hard tone. This certainly happened at high playing levels, but I managed to find a volume level where the trumpets were more comfortable. The engineers certainly deserve praise for the amazing timbral detail and opening out of this complex score. Despite the live performance, there are no audible crowd noises and no applause. Notes are provided in Japanese and English.
While all Elgar lovers have their favourite recordings, it would be churlish for me not to give this the full 5 stars for the SSO's inspired performance, due partly, one assumes, to the adrenalin of the audience presence and the Festival's sense of occasion. This thoughtful and powerful reading by Ashkenazy in such excellent sound makes me impatient to hear more from this Elgar Festival.
APPENDIX - for Elgar afficionados; timings of selected Symphony 1 recordings.
Elgar 17:14 7:38 10:16 11:20
Ashkenazy 21:17 7:15 11:11 12:37
Hickox 19:24 7:17 12:55 12:11
Barbirolli 21:39 7:03 12:15 12:46
Solti 17:45 7:08 12:12 11:38
Brabbins 18:02 7:24 11:27 12:10
Norrington 18:34 7:49 10:40 11:06
Norrington is the most consistently close to Elgar's timings. I realise that timings are only part of music-making and can be misleading - but they are interesting.
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Copyright © 2009 John Miller and SA-CD.net
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