Haitink drives middle course

Press, 7 March 1983, Page 18

Haitink drives middle course

Classical records review

ALLAN FRANCIS

MAHLER. Symphony No. 7 played by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Haitink. PHILIPS 6700 036 released by WORLD RECORDS. It is difficult for the listener 'to grapple with the wild extremes of Mahler’s music, and conductors also have divided opinions on the direction and proper interpretation of Mahler’s thoughts. None is more typical of this vexing problem than the 7th Symphony wherein one encounters “all four seasons in one day.” The work is roughly, listed as being sev-eral-sided, and the central scherzo is sinister as opposed to the finale’s riotously robust revellings with grand outer movements adding to the glaring contrasts. No single conductor seems to have successfully captured completely all five movements in spirit, but of all the versions available, only Haitink drives a clear-cut middle course through this last of the composer’s purely instrumental symphonies from his middle period.

There is -no suggestion here of Klemperer’s lumbering tempos nor Kubelik’s over-slick nervous reading. Klaus Tennstedt is another riiatter again, with his version coming some nine years after the others, but harking back to a ,19th century interpretation. Only Haitink retains that thrillingly clear instrumentation throughout, with the slow start yet sharper delineation of the dotted rhythms and a grand sense of the music’s evolving line. Mahler is admirably suited to digital recording where a tendency towards muddiness is avoided by technical rather than musical means.

This may give Tennstedt an edge over his competitors, but the Philips sound is so good — even after 12 years — that Haitink loses nothing on this score. In fact, I would place this conductor’s reading as cogent as any and the sound could have suggested 1981 instead of 1971.

DUETS FOR TWO VIOLINS. Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman play SPOHR. Duet Op. 67 No. 2. WIENIAWSKI, Etudes caprices 1 and 2. HANDEL Passaeaglia (violin and viola). LECLAIR Sonata No. 5. WORLD RECORDS.

Without wishing to detract from all the remaining pieces in tins programme, the outstanding work is the Handel/Halvorsen Passacaglia duo for violin and viola, a classic which requires virtuoso handling. Mozart failed miserably with the same combination resulting in one of the dullest pieces ever conceived, but Handel, with the help of Halvorsen’s arrangement, produced this gem of inspiration.

The extra warmth and depth of the viola stresses the bassless quality of violin duets proper, although the value of Wieniawski’s exacting piece should not be overlooked, nor to a lesser extent, Leclair’s lightweight composition. What does suffer materially, is the length of the Spohr. Despite the superb playing from Perlman and Zukerman, this one could pall by stretching the ideas to their fullest limit. At the time of their inception, this would have entranced 19th century audiences, but time has dated this Op. 67 duet quite drastically. It can only be summed up quite succinctly with a note that the Handel piece may be worth the price of the record alone, whereas the remaining works, apart from the Etudes caprices, have their frailties which also beset Mozart and make this one a mixed bag for collectors. PLACIDO DOMINGO. Opera Duets. VERDI, GOUNOD and BOITO excerpts from Aida, Don Carlo, Faust and Mefistofele with Monserrat Caballe, Sherrill Milnes and Mirella Freni and Josella Ligi. EMI ASDZ 4270. It is not all plain sailing here either; some duets take the voice too close but fortunately on this particular recording from the set (Portrait of Placido Domingo), he is nicely distanced and on appropriate occasions, moves about the stage in the correct manner. There is a shade too much vibrato from Monserrat Caballe for my taste, but Mirella Freni is, as always, a delight. Dating from 1971, 1974 and 1979 respectively, Placido Domingo’s rich tenor is striking and his duet with Sherrill Milnes is impressive in the first Don Carlo duet why then record a second of

nearly 11 minutes in length when another would have been more appropriate?

It would seem that the principal fault is one of engineering. Too often the voice is registered at an unrelieved volume although in all fairness there is no. trace of coarseness with Domingo and the voice is firm throughout. I think that we have the best of the original set here (ASD 4031) and accordingly be grateful that the record com-

pany has recognised the more blatant faults present. PETER AVERI PLAYS POPULAR ORGAN ENCORES. Programme played on the organ of St John’s Cathedral, Napier. KIWI PACIFIC TRL 028. Peter Avert is obviously at home with the more lyrical or solemn pieces rather than the extrovert spirit of the J. S. Bach, “Let Heaven and Earth Rejoice,” type of composition. All his pieces have that hymn-like quality, so that even “To a Wild Rose,” with all its light and shade, exudes an air of the secular. Purcell’s “Trumpet and Air” is an ideal vehicle for this organist, who plays with

great dedication, resulting from long experience. The 12 numbers are played with flair on a h’ghly-rated organ, in near-perfect conditions for recording so that even the rather off-putting quality of being “solid state" need not deter any purist with “electronic nonsense” in mind.