United Kingdom Vaughan Williams, Bruckner: Sir Simon Keenlyside (baritone), London Philharmonic Orchestra / Robin Ticciati (conductor). Royal Festival Hall, London, 30.11.2022 (CC)
Vaughan Williams – Five Mystical Songs
Bruckner – Symphony No.9 in D-minor (actions 1-3: Nowak); Finale: performing model 1983-2012 by Nicola Samale, John A. Phillips, Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs and Giuseppe Mazzuca, revised by John A. Phillips 2021-22 (first efficiency)
An fascinating mixture from the London Philharmonic Orchestra: a brief set of songs (with Simon Keenlyside on high type) set towards the prolonged size of Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony, full with finale.
The Vaughan Williams felt like residence territory for Keenlyside, certainly the proper voice for these items, his diction excellent all through, and sounding completely resplendent for the opening line ‘Rise up, the Lord is risen’. The Metaphysical poet George Herbert’s glowing poetry clearly acted as a spur to the composer’s creativeness (probably the most well-known Metaphysical poet stays John Donne) – the extent of inspiration by no means drops. We heard the cycle in its model with out choir, which usually gave it a extra intimate side. Keenlyside’s confidence – and excellent projection – was matched by the orchestra, translucent all through. Ticciati discovered ebb and circulate and one million little felicitous particulars in Vaughan Williams’s orchestration. ‘I got me flowers’, (like the primary track, its textual content from Herbert’s Easter), was notable for some finely balanced woodwind. ‘Love bade me welcome’ turned extra of a narration with Keenlyside (and we obtained an opportunity to understand the energy of his decrease register). Incredibly transferring, this was in all probability the spotlight of this small cycle. Lovely to listen to Vaughan Williams’s harmonies glow in ‘The Call’. Contrasting this, the extremely rhythmic, jubilant remaining ‘Antiphon’ (though not in itself devoid of thriller).
The mixture of Ticciati’s textural readability and Keenlyside’s textual readability and full understanding of Vaughan Williams’s expression was a successful one. Interesting to listen to the piece minus refrain, too.
The issues lay with the second half, and I’m not actually referring to the version, though that’s what one ought to logically focus on first. Many readers will little doubt be accustomed to Sir Simon Rattle’s magisterial recording of the four-movement Ninth with the Berliner Philharmoniker of the 2012 performing model of the finale, ready 1983-2012 by Nicola Samale, John A. Phillips and Giuseppe Mazzuca. This new model is revised by Phillips. It is in some ways crucial to listen to this finale, to understand how a chorale within the Adagio blossoms, and to understand a quote from the Te Deum, too. The new model contains three drafts from May 1898 for the coda, included of their entirety, permitting themes of the primary and final actions to mix. A hymn of reward taken from a trumpet theme within the Adagio is remodeled into the triumphant ending.
So does it work? Frankly, one wants efficiency of all 4 actions to inform, and this was removed from that. Bruckner’s nice cathedral-like construction of a primary motion had a lot to advocate it by way of sheer efficiency stage (strings specifically) and silences. It was good to listen to a lot element. But silences held little energy, and the good, grand climaxes misplaced emotive pressure regardless of the decibels. Ticciati’s Bruckner is in some ways the polar reverse of say Klemperer; Ticciati’s strikes, all the time with no lingering. But that loses the dissonance-laden rhythmic power of the Scherzo, sure scrunchy however not in any manner intimidating. Bruckner’s God (for this symphony is devoted to the Christian God) clearly had one thing of the Old Testament tyrant about it (or him/Him) however right here what we heard was extra like a little bit slap on the wrist than a thunderbolt. Nice contrasts within the string lyricism, although.
The gradual motion (as we must always name it quite than finale!) was taken in a quick eight to a bar – not one of the Guilini/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s glowing ascents to Heaven right here. Add to that Ticciati permitting the music to sound if it had misplaced its manner at one level (it doesn’t), and one roundly missed the depths of this nice motion, regardless of many wonderful particular person and sectional contributions (creamy trombones, superb woodwind contributions throughout the part).
The 20-minute finale is definitely an enchanting piece, not least for the jagged nature of a lot of its materials. When it really works, it really works; when it doesn’t, we get ‘quasi-Bruckner’. Goodness is aware of Rattle’s recording provides it a correct go and principally succeeds; after a barely underplayed first three actions. Ticciati had his work greater than minimize out: the tip felt, after a typical Bruckner build-up, and regardless of the quantity of the ultimate peroration, to be sadly quite hole, the street to the tip subsequently quite disjointed.
A shocking variety of individuals appeared to depart the corridor through the course of the efficiency, and through the enjoying at that, greater than I’ve ever seen, maybe a mirrored image of lack of engagement with Ticciati’s imaginative and prescient, such because it was. If the LPO appeared to offer extra to the finale than the opposite actions, it nonetheless felt too little.
Colin Clarke