A Truly Pastoral 'Pastorale' and More
J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 04/03/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am not generally a fan of HIP performances of music much beyond Mozart and Haydn. My loss, I'm sure, but I was really turned off by the Norrington and Gardiner Beethoven sets and to be honest haven't sought out an original instruments version of any of the symphonies in years. But I have to say that this CD of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies is quite wonderful. I've been pleasantly surprised at the geniality of the Sixth (which leads off this disc); it is truly pastoral, gentle, amiable, joyful. And it dances! When the Storm breaks in movement IV it is all the more effective because of the gentleness of what has come before. Tempi are well-judged, the playing is supple and, mirabile dictu (compared to some original instruments performances), in tune! The 42-member orchestra makes a lean sound in which one can hear all the inner workings of Beethoven's marvelous orchestration and counterpoint, both in the Sixth, and in the Fifth that follows it.
One might argue that the titanic Fifth plays better with a larger orchestra, and that is certainly a valid point. But one must also remember that this is absolute music whose 'argument' is its craft, not any extra-musical meaning that might attach to it. And the smaller group is just as capable of providing that. Bruno Weil leads Tafelmusik in a somewhat faster than usual first movement that loses nothing by this. The geniality - there's that word again - of the lovely second movement is underlined by being played by a smaller group. It is almost as if this were music being played in a salon for a small group of listeners. The intimacy achieved is quite winning. Again, one can hear clearly all the inner voices. Dynamic contrasts are exceedingly subtly played. This is a heckuva good period instrument group, possibly the best in North America. The third movement, Allegro, is a nice mixture of gentleness of approach and inexorable march rhythms. The finale is a triumphant celebration that sweeps one along to that long and emphatic coda. This is a wonderful Fifth!
Tafelmusik play at or slightly below modern concert pitch. None of that A=396 that we have come to hear from original instrument bands. The modern pitch allows the finale, for instance, to have all the brilliance it requires. The insert notes by Guy Marchand are unusually informative. And I like that the individual players in Tafelmusik are listed by name; too often the people who actually make the music are anonymous.
I imagine this issue is not for everyone. But I would suggest that those who, like I, don't necessarily cotton to original instrument performances might give it a listen. I think they won't be disappointed.
TT=73:50
Scott Morrison,
writing in memory of good friend and Amazon reviewer, Bob Zeidler, who died as this review was being written"
Track Listings (2) - Disc #1