Almost all tickets for three evenings sold in a couple of hours – Claudio Abbado’s mystique is more alive than ever, especially in what regards his collaboration with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Although many a detractor would blame the Italian maestro for the loss of Karajan’s deluxe sonic perspective, I reckon that, in hindsight, the nay-sayers may be shedding tears for the glory of days past. In a few words, among all concerts in the last twelve months, this was simply the one in which I could understand why the Berliner Philharmoniker is THE Berliner Philharmoniker. Until today, I had found it a very good orchestra living of its reputation rather than living up to the competition with rival formations even in the immediate vicinity, such as the Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin, which seems incapable of producing a routine performance. Under the baton of Abbado, the BPO has an entirely different sound: glittering, slim-toned strings that produce cantabile even in the most awkward phrases, round-toned brass, expressive woodwind solos in the context of the most perfectly balanced ensemble: worlds apart from the rather purpose- and shapeless loudness sold as “punch” by the present chief conductor.
Before you ask me if I was entirely satisfied with this evening’s concert, I tell you that this is secondary to the fact that, regardless of WHAT was being played, the way HOW the orchestra played the pieces in this rather strange program takes pride of place in assessing the whole experience. To start with, I do not think that the orchestral arrangements of Schubert Lieder was a sensible choice of program. The tessitura in these songs was settled by the composer with the idea that the singer would have only a piano to deal with, allowing him or her to explore some less powerful areas in his or her range. In the orchestral version, cutting through the orchestra around the register shifts in the mezzo soprano voice proved to be tricky even to a technically accomplished singer such as Christianne Stotijn. Gretchen am Spinnrard was particularly challenging – the Dutch mezzo’s voice is not particularly large and she had to apply a little bit more pressure to her tone, which finally sounded anything but young or lovely, and the anxiety seemed to come rather from the singing itself than from the expression of Goethe’s text. Abbado has a vast experience with singers and helped her throughout Berlioz’s bombastic orchestration of Erlkönig, in which her characterization of father, child and phantasm did not truly came through into the auditorium. The choice of Nacht und Träume only seemed to confirm my impression – over the background of an orchestra reduced to pianissimo, Stotijn could finally relax and let us hear the natural warmth and smoothness of her voice. I bet she could do even better with the original piano accompaniment. Maybe a naturally larger-voiced singer with a more solid middle register could have done the trick – but why bother if we can always hear Schubert the way Schubert wanted it to be?
The Song of the Wood-Dove from Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder was introduced by the orchestral transition from Waldemar’s last song to his beloved Tove – and Abbado treated the audience to a universe of exquisite, sensuous and multicolored sonorities. Unlike many conductors, he never lets himself be overwhelmed in this music and treats the complex rhythmic and harmonic structures with extreme cleanliness and organization. Compared to this passage in his 1995 complete recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, I found today’s performance even more coherent and forward-moving. Christianne Stotijn had her underpowered moments, but when she find space to gather her resources, she produced some interesting effects. What is beyond doubt is her dramatic commitment, but I have the impression her voice lacks volume for this repertoire.
One would have to wait for the end of the intermission to discover the real Schwerpunkt of this evening’s concert. Brahms’s Rinaldo, a cantata for tenor and male chorus, is anything but popular, and Giuseppe Sinopoli’s recording with René Kollo for Deutsche Grammophon is hardly the ideal invitation to get acquainted with the piece (Abbado’s old recording with a not-entirely comfortable James King is currently out-of-print in many countries). That said, if you had first met the work this evening, you would probably find it a neglected masterpiece. The Berlin Philharmonic played it with Beethovenian intensity without ever trespassing the limits of Classical shapeliness, something I guess Brahms himself would have appreciated. In Abbado’s hands, the score oozed energy allied with elegance – and the forces available were simply ideal. Beside the gleaming orchestral sound, the combined forces of the men from the Rundfunkchor Berlins and the Chorus of the Bayerische Rundfunk offered exemplary tonal homogeneity and clarity in the delivery of the text and, last but not least, the soloist for the difficult tenor part could not be better. Although Jonas Kaufmann still has to deepen his acquaintance with the piece (and I am not saying this because he had the score in his hands), there is simply no-one who could sing this music as beautifully and stylishly as he does. His dark-hued tenor is admirably flexible and never lets legato go, even in some particularly contrived turns of phrase, and climactic top notes resounded in the Philharmonie without any hint of effort. I have no doubt that, should this performance be released on CD, it will be a reference for this piece.
I HEAR VOICES 
DSOB over the BPO?! Really RML?!?
From the time I started following classical music Rattle was Dauphin, King of the Roman’s, whatever, even though it was still relatively early in Abbado’s tenure. When the thing was being disputed circa ’99 I found myself rooting for Thielemann or, to a lesser extent, Barenboim and was somewhat disappointed but not surprised that Rattle got the gig. In the event I don’t think you’re characterization of his approach is incorrect and on balance I have found Abbado’s visits to New York much more satisfying (the one exception was Rattle’s Brahms cycle this year which I found both his best work in my live experience with him and the BPO and preferable to Abbado’s in 1996 – probably the least inspired series I heard him conduct – I believe Karajan did a cycle in New York at one point as well but that was way before my time). Would be curious if you’ve heard him conduct Brahms live or on CD and what you think.
The Brhams aside, though I have generally found the BPO, even under Rattle, invariably a pleasure, if not always an inspiration. Certainly they have been, in fewer appearances, much more consistent than the VPO, although the latter are of course capable of fantastic work. Generally I do not believe I have heard any orchestra in New York which produce superior sound or greater technical assurance. To be sure, I have heard more interesting and distinctive performances and playing that comes very close to matching that of the BPO – a stupendous BRSO series from last year not so much comes to mind as slams me over the head. For this reason the original question: I don’t know how often you go to hear the BPO but you must chance to do so on occasion and with conductors other than Rattlle, and I have a hard time believing they haven’t at least held their own against most competition and especially the local bands. (To be fair, I haven’t heard any of the local one’s- other than the Staatskapelle* – live. I might have done so on CD or broadcast but I really can’t recall).
It’s pretty hard to argue that Abbado toned down the Karajan plushness but, to an even greater extent than with Rattle, a degree of luxury was always, imho, present in his Berlin sound. I recall in particular a VLL with Fleming that set a heretofore unsurpassed standard for just this sort of luxury (quite a bit better than either of her recordings of his with Mattila in both orchestral and vocal aspects). My greatest experiences with Abbado, however, were in other contexts and while his work with the BPO was and, apparently remains exceptional I’m not sure that was at the time the best match – though certainly better than that with Rattle, his excellent Brhams notwithstanding.
One other thing about the Gurrelieder and Berlin orchestras. I’m going to be in Berlin in the early part of June and while its going to be heavy going I’m staying for the weekend of the 12th and 13th. I will – even in consideration of your reservations respecting her in the Italian repertoire – hear Harteros in Otello and was also planning to hear what promises to be an interesting Arabella (Pieczonca, Kleiter, Volle). However, your post got me doing a little research and it seems there’s going to be a Gurrelieder at the Konzerthaus. GL is sufficiently rare and always interesting and it might give me a chance to check out some of that vaunted local competition. The Arabella remains tempting but its not an easy call. Your suggestions on this point would be appreciated.
*I did hear the Staatskapelle in most of their Beethoven cycle in New York in 2000. The following year, after 9/11, Abbado changed the BPO program from Mahler to Beethoven and later that year the Cleveland played a number of symphonies. Interesting generally, preferences varied by symphony (although the Baranboim BSK 9th was the best I’ve hear – quite a bit better than their almost contemporary recording). Specifically though, I was extraordinarily impressed by the orchestra. In that instance probably the paradigmatic example the “dark rich German sound” of legend. Not better than the BPO, different strengths, but on balance just about as good and more distinctive. Supposedly their performance varies when Barenboim isn’t on the podium or in the pit (he too, of course, isn’t known for uniform perfection). I have heard them a couple of times in Berlin under other conductors and not in echt German repertory (one of the operas was Mozart) and on those occasions at least they easily confirmed my most favorable impression of them.
Hi, Cavalier!
Lots to comment! First of all, although I have a certain fascination with the Teutonic “beefy” orchestral sound, the approach that immediately appeals to me in orchestral playing is a brighter/slimmer sound in which clarity and precision take pride of place. It may be a coincidence but many Italian conductors such as Muti, Abbado or Chailly tend to prefer this kind of sound picture – and this might explain the pleasure I had to hear the Berlin Philharmonic produce this let’s-call-it “Italianate” sound. I risk being thrown tomatoes at, but this approach always works for me in whatever repertoire. For example, the telecast of Muti’s Die Walküre from La Scala was a dream come true for me. On the other hand, although the “beefy” approach works in a particularly expressive way for late Romantic repertoire, especially live (in recordings, woodwind tend to disappear in oceans of brass and strings) I would gladly pass the opportunity to hear Mozart played like that.
My problem with Rattle is not his choice of sound picture, but the fact that he cannot truly deliver when he tries to live up to the reputation of the Philharmonic’s grandiose sound. I have never seen him conduct Brahms – to say the truth, if the program and/or the soloist is not really a must-see, I tend not to attend any concert of the Philharmonic conducted by him. Of course, I do not mean that the results are “bad” – I agree with you that the orchestra guarantees some pleasure, but very rarely an inspiration. But the inspiration is a VERY important part of that (I agree with you too about the Vienna Philharmonic’s irregularity, but I tend to see the VPO as the Montserrat Caballé of orchestras – when they are really into it, you’ll have an unforgettable experience). In this last year, I have seen the Philharmonic with very different conductors, such as Ton Koopman, Daniel Barenboim and also Rattle. Curiously, Muti as well – but I would say that he could not produce the kind of glimmer Abbado produced last evening.
When it comes to the DSO – which I have seen almost exclusively with Ingo Metzmacher – we are talking about huge orchestral sound, exactly as one would expect from a German orchestra – but not merely loud as a result as an effort of making noise, but naturally large. Let’s call it Kirsten-Flagstad loud, as the opposite of Martha-Mödl-loud. In its naturally large-scale approach, Metzmacher and the DSO are able to blow you off your seat (it is a youthful orchestra and its members are really an animated bunch of musicians) without forcing the structure of the piece being played. A good example was their concert of 12.05.2009 (https://ihearvoices.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/embarras-de-richesse/) – although I had the impression that the ceiling would eventually fall over our heads in the audience, nothing was blown-up – every element fitting perfectly with each other. In this sense, I believe that the DSO has been doing a terrific job and the word will soon take note of that.
As for Abbado, this was the only time I could see him live. I could never get tickets before! This year, I had an alarm set on my mobile phone for the day when tickets sale would begin. Again, our opinions are not really dissimilar. I tend to find Abbado’s best work from Mozart to Beethoven and then from R. Strauss onwards. I would only say that Rinaldo is not “typical” Brahms, but a rather “operatic” Brahms with a Beethovenian “espuma” on the side.
It seems we have a similar concert agenda in June – maybe we are going to the same ones. I have a ticket for the Gurrelieder, also for Otello and Arabella (which you should see a) for Julia Kleiter’s Zdenka and b) Michael Volle’s Mandryka – Adrienne Pieczonka should be fine, if not memorable). I haven’t checked the whole concert agenda, but if you want some information about anything, write to rd_2727@hotmail.com .
Erratum: I did see Abbado and the Berliner Philharmoniker TWICE before in 1999 in Salzburg: a truly interesting performance of Bach’s Mass in B minor, in which he found an almost ideal balance between modern sensibilities and period practices, and his first Tristan, which took ages to take off and, when it finally did, it was practically the end of the opera.
Sorry about the porlixity, I didn’t quite realize until I had submitted it, but if you can imagine I actually excised some stuff. Looking at the comment bellow I think it might actually be longer so unless you have couple of extra days you may want to overlook it.
Quickly about “German Sound” and Abbado. Even in its worst incarnations (for me most of the recent Dresden Ring) it can give great pleasure, especially when played by an orchestra like the Staatskapelle but can become tiresome, the more so when the conducting is generally undistinguished as it was in Dresden. Their Heldenleben and Don Quixote last year in New York, however, had every bit of the German bigness and richness but combined with exceptional balance and abundant elucidation of nuance. With Luisi on the podium I guess you could almost say it was “italianate” to an extent (and quite in contrast to a very bland EH played by the VPO a few years previously – it is infuriating to hear them play this music lackadaisically). You’re description of Abbado’s sound is perfect but even in that context the BPO retained a well toned but by no means scrawny or scratchy quality, in the strings in particular, which while not quite “German” scored pretty high on my luxury meter at least.
More surprisingly, however, I once heard Abbado conduct the Mahler (Chamber or Youth – can’t quite remember which) Orchestra in a concert of Strauss and Wagner. I’m sure those are very talented musicians but one had to be a little dubious of them in this repertoire. In the event it was extraordinary and in some ways almost as impressive as the BPO/Fleming I mention above, which I heard only a few moths later.
You’re description of the DSO makes me very curious but a) I don’t think they have anything scheduled in the first 2 weeks in June and b) I’m likely to have very little time other than the dates I mention and while the Otello is penciled in – ticket and all – the GL and Arabella present quite the dilemma. If I had the time I would hear more than one Otello the Arabella and the GL but as is I’m probably going to put it of until the last minute (if I happen to get an evening off during an Arabella performance the dilemma will be solved). There should certainly be enough tickets.
On this last point: you mention the lack of tickets to the BPO and in my 3 or 4 times in Berlin I have yet to encounter any such available ticket. Good for them. The same is emphatically not true with the operas – and probably other orchestras, the former at least having seemingly more than half the tickets available and being at least 20 percent empty in my few visits – one of which featured Garanca. This in spite of the ridiculously cheap prices (I think the Komisch is pretty much in line with the DOB and UDL) and very much in contrast to, say, Vienna where the city is smaller, the prices sometimes twice as high and the several houses almost invariably over 90 full. I can’t imagine that the subsidies are any higher than in Vienna and Munich – in fact I think they’ve been a matter of considerable political acrimony over the years. What’s surprising is that they manage to attract singers like Kleiter , Volle, Pieczonka, Harteros and Garanca. Unless they accept significantly less than their normal fees I can’t imagine where the money to pay them would come from. I know there is perhaps an excess of routine performances – I think you reviewed bland Rosenkavalier a couple of months ago – but that wouldn’t seem to apply to some of the things I’ve seen or indeed the upcoming Arabella and Otello. It just seems that at those prices, in a big dynamic city that is the capital of a large wealthy nation there would be a bigger audience than that.
End of War and Peace, Volume II.
Never say “I’m sorry” for posting! My pleasure!
1) It is hard to tell – Abbado has conducted often both the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. I should bet on the Jugendorchester if we’re not talking about Metamorphosen or Siegfrid Idyll. The only Wagner with the MCO I could hear was a recording of Prelude and Liebestod with Violeta Urmana (still “officially” a mezzo back then) and Harnoncourt. It could be Harnoncourt’s fault, but it sounded a bit odd. I’ve heard the Jugendorchester (live twice) exclusively playing… Mahler, but not with Abbado.
2) DSO. Maybe next time. But don’t miss it when you have the opportunity.
3) Tickets. I guess the problem with the concerts with the Berliner Philharmoniker has to do with that saying about going to Rome without seeing the Pope. Tourists have something like (a) Bundestag; (b) Branderburger Tor; (c) Checkpoint Charlie; (d) Pergamonmuseum; ah, and (d) the Berliner Philharmoniker. Almost every visitor I talk with asks me “is it possible to get tickets for the BPO?”. Even if there is something great with, let’s say, the Staatskapelle Berlin with Barenboim and, let’s say, Waltraud Meier in the Konzerthaus, it won’t sound so sexy back home, because you would have to explain the whole thing before people say “aaaah!”. I don’t want to sound snob, but you can sense when the audience is in the theatre for the music. It is more or less the same thing with the Metropolitan Opera House in NY, where I had to put up with people opening cans of diet coke during Porgi, amor etc. It is part of tourists’ check-list of “things-to-do-in-town”. The sad thing is that we cannot actually regret that, because it is probably because of their popularity that these institutions are able to get sponsors etc.
As for the opera houses, although both the Staatsoper and the Deutsche Oper are traditional venues known to every music lover, I don’t think that the average person really knows that they exist. It is not like the Met or La Scala or Palais Garnier – which belong to the collective imaginary. In any case, it is curious to sense the different audiences – I tend to notice that the Staatsoper gets less “what-the-hell-let’s-try-it”-patrons compared to the Deutsche Oper, who featurers more popular singers, such as Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Angela Gheorghiu et al with some regularity. Of course, we have known names at the Staatsoper, like René Pape or Waltraud Meier, but they are more or less regulars (in Pape’s case, he is a member of the ensemble). So it is less a hit-or-miss opportunity.
But, yes, you’are right – I could always get a ticket for an opera performance in Berlin. The worse you could deal with on buying at the last minute is having to purchase an expensive ticket.
I will never forget the day I saw Karajan in Berlin in 1984. It was drizzling snow, very cold and when I got there (about 8 hours before the concert) there was a fair amount of people lined up for the few chorus tickets that was supposed to be on sell shortly before the concert. I was 18.
When the box office opened, I somehow was one of the first of the line. I skipped the line, for sure, but for my surprise nobody complained. I just wouldn’t miss the opportunity to see Karajan conducting Beethoven 2 and 8. I got first row seat of the chorus section. I was facing Karajan. My first reaction was probably the same as anyone that saw him for the first time: he was really a short guy. I didn’t know that.
It was really, really mesmerizing. The whole thing will be with me forever.
But… Now… I never saw Vienna (they will play in Berkeley three times next year and I hope to at least see Mahler 6 with them) and I saw Berlin twice with Rattle. IMO, I cannot imagine that Vienna could beat the Royal Concertgebouw with Jansons. They left me flabbergasted.
As we have probably discussed in other thread, it is difficult to say something definitive about an orchestra without listening to it many times – especially in the case of the Vienna Philharmonic, which is famously varable. But let’s hope that the Berkeley concerts will find them inspired – California’s sunny weather should do the trick 🙂
As for the combination of Jansons and Concertgebouw, this is indeed the highest imagineable standard.