Search - Franz [Vienna] Schubert, Carlos Kleiber, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra :: Schubert: Symphonies 3 & 8 / Carlos Kleiber, Wiener Philharmoniker

A bit hard-pushed

Tom Gauterin | Loughborough, Leics. United Kingdom | 07/30/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While I am generally quite a fan of Carlos Kleiber's work, I find that this recording of the 'Unfinished' symphony misses a dimension. Kleiber seems to have decided to adopt a similar approach to that which he used so successfully in his recordings of Brahms's 4th and Beethoven's 5th and 7th, but the 'Unfinished' symphony is a very different animal to what are generally fast-paced works calling for quite a hard-driven interpretative style. Kleiber emphasises Schubert's marked dynamic contrasts to extremes(the pianissimos are particularly quiet) but, after a while, this becomes wearing and feels a bit inconsequential. Having conducted the symphony on a number of occasions, I have come to realise that grading the dynamic contrasts as each movement progresses lends a much greater sense of cumulative power to the work; rather than blasting the first fortissimo as much as possible, as Kleiber does, I think it is better to hold something back for the repeat and recapitulation. The latter is emphasised by the addition of timpani but, here, Kleiber conveys no sense of this being the final descent into the abyss. That Kleiber's approach does not produce such dramatic results as he might have intended is clear from certain structural details; at the start of the development, for instance, the descending scale on cellos and basses that can sound so ominous is nowhere near as powerful as it can be, simply because Kleiber rushes his fences and doesn't allow time for the sense of foreboding to regster. The second movement is even less appropriately dealt with; it is taken rather faster than the marked 'andante con moto' and, consequently, the resigned beauty of the movement, very much in the spirit of Schubert's B flat piano sonata, is not as moving as it should be. Kleiber does achieve an admirable sense of stillness at the very end but, again, he misses many opportunities along the way; the horn solos just before the return of the main theme, for instance, are not nearly as sensitively shaped as they could have been(and, as in the first movement development, that this is in the buildup to an important structural point makes it all the more important that they should be). Although Kleiber's view can be seen as a valid one then, taking the music of a dying syphilitic as some kind of nervous and febrile utterance and thus pushing the symphony so hard and calling for such extreme dynamic contrasts every time, the interpretation relies on the dramatic moments rather than driving the work as a whole into one's consciousness. Gunter Wand's marvellous recording with the Berlin Philharmonic does all the things Kleiber misses and, although I realise that this is a matter of personal preference as much as anything, I can't help thinking that Wand- whose tempi are consistently slower but whose whole conception of the work is so much more powerful- gets a good deal closer to what Schubert must have had in mind. The third symphony fares altogether better with a similar approach, however. Written when Schubert was only 18, it has an inherent freshness and verve that benefits from Kleiber's tempi (which, as the Amazon review suggest, are often strikingly faster than what one expects)and rhythmic spring. Although elegant and polished, Sir Thomas Beecham's famous recording of the third symphony (on EMI) feels a little heavy after listening to the sense of fun that Kleiber imparts here. The Beecham approach is not 'wrong' in any way but, as the booklet notes say, Kleiber's fresher interpretation is perhaps more appropriate to such a youthful work. Three stars, then, for a fine rethinking of a neglected early work; for the 'Unfinished,' Gunter Wand's recording remains a clear first choice."

5 stars, but this is for Carlos Kleiber's fans: more about K

Alan Majeska | Bad Axe, MI, USA | 12/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I gave Carlos Kleiber's 1978 recording of Schubert's "Unfinished" and 3rd (D Major) Symphonies 5 stars, but this is definitely for Kleiber's fans: and more about Kleiber than Schubert. Carlos Kleiber has become a cult figure with almost pop star following among music lovers the world over, largely because of his very small discography and frequent cancellations of live performances the last 20 years of his life. There is a certain mystery about Kleiber, and more is pondered about what he DIDN'T DO, as what he DID, both in recordings and live performances.



Carlos Kleiber (1930-2004) recorded these Schubert Symphonies 3 and 8 with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1978 for DG. The recorded sound is excellent, and the Vienna musicians play like angels. But be warned: in Symphony 3, the allegros are really FAST, and sound rather hasty after awhile. The Allegro section of I and IV sounds almost brutal, and as though Kleiber wanted to get through it as fast as possible. II is also the quickest I have ever heard, and is over with in just over 2 minutes. III, the Minuet, is also very fast: not for those who like Beecham and Bohm, with a slower, more stately minuet.



Symphony 8 is more in the mainstream, but lacks the intensity of Bruno Walter (Sony), Solti/Vienna (Decca), Bohm/Berlin (DG) or Bernstein/Concertgebouw (DG). Even though there is nothing wrong with Kleiber's interpretation, somehow this seems lacking compared with the above greater recordings.



So, if you are a Carlos Kleiber fan and want all his recordings (and there aren't alot of them) this is for you. If you are more interested in the best recordings of Schubert, go for Bohm/Berlin (DG), Beecham/Royal Philharmonic (EMI), Halasz/Failoni Orchestra (Naxos) for Symphony 3; or Walter/New York (Sony) or Bernstein/Concertgebouw (DG) for Symphony 8."

Rocking and Rollicking Interpretation

Christopher Smith | Atlanta, Georgia | 10/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As with his recording of Beethoven's fifth and seventh, Kleiber's interpretation of Schubert's "Unfinished" takes a tempo that brings out the searing, steely intensity of the piece, and it succeeds brilliantly. He also chooses a brisk pace for the much lesser known third, and here it has a different but equally successful effect. The third is a happily unselfconscious symphony, and Kleiber brings out its innocence and energy perfectly. I think many conductors try to infuse Schubert's early symphonies with an earnestness that's not there, and I'm glad Kleiber chose to go with what I for one feel Schubert's intentions for this piece were. A good counterbalance to Kleiber's interpretations is Karl Bohm's forthright and convincing series, which I had on LP's a number of years ago but which don't seem to have appeared on CD yet. I hope they come out in the near future."