BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 5 & 1, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer’s Channel Classics Hybrid SACD The many admirers and collectors of Iván Fischer’s superb recordings with his incomparable Budapest Festival Orchestra know that considerable patience is required where symphonic cycles are concerned. His (almost-a-complete) Mahler cycle, that is certainly one of the finest available, took 15 years to bring to fruition while in the case of Brahms, we still await his account of the 3rd Symphony. A well received release of Beethoven’s Symphony 7 in 2008 was followed by a coupling of the composer’s Symphonies 4 and 6 two years later and with this latest issue we have reached the halfway stage of what one hopes might eventually become a complete Beethoven cycle.
It is Fischer’s method of working that is one of the reasons for what to some may appear as a protracted time scale. Intense periods of preparation are followed by extensive live performances with the Budapest Festival Orchestra before he commits his interpretations to disc. Editing and assessment of each recording is then undertaken in close collaboration with producer and engineer Jared Sacks. Only when both are satisfied is the recording released. The results speak for themselves.
Fischer considers this particular pairing of two Beethoven symphonies to represent the important journey from the classical view of the symphony – as represented by Haydn – to the revolutionary romantic one and so, in keeping with that distinction, the 1st Symphony precedes the 5th on this disc. Other high resolution version such as those by Paavo Järvi (Sony) and Haitink (LSO Live) with perhaps a greater eye to commercial success, though less logic, present the more famous 5th Symphony first.
Fischer’s account of the 1st Symphony is relaxed and evenly paced with the emphasis being on elegance and precision rather than speed, thus allowing the listener full appreciation of, for example, the fine characterful woodwind playing of his orchestra. The symphony’s second movement is marked ‘Andante cantabile con moto’ and though some might prefer a faster more flowing account of this movement to Fischer’s rather measured tempo there is no doubt as to the beauty of the performance. The Menuetto is weighty but crisply played while the Finale has all the wit and elan that one could wish for.
The 5th Symphony’s opening movement is fast but, as is to be expected from these consummate musicians, notable for the precision of the playing as well as its power and unanimity of attack. The ‘Andante con moto’, in contrast, flows with an appealingly relaxed lyricism. The opening of the scherzo is unusual in terms of tempo and dynamics something that some may question though it gives the music an air of anticipation before the superbly swaggering horns burst forth. The trio section is notable for the impressive articulation of the basses, while Fischer’s transition from the from scherzo’s conclusion to the blazing C major of the finale is magnificently delivered.
Though the seemingly unstoppable release of fine recordings of Beethoven symphonies on download, CD, Blu-ray and SACD means that collectors have an enviable, if bewildering choice of competing versions available for their libraries, this one certainly joins the select few top recommendations for a coupling of these two works.
The 5.0 DSD recording was made in the generous acoustic of the Palace of Arts, Budapest in February 2017 by Jared Sacks who also undertook the editing and mastering processes. In terms of tonal warmth, clarity and a commendably wide soundstage it achieves the peerless standard of sound quality familiar from Channel Classics releases.
PROKOFIEV: ALEXANDER NEVSKY, LIEUTENANT KIJÉ, Utah Symphony Orchestra, Thierry Fischer/Reference Recordings Hybrid SACD Discerning collectors are used to releases from the Reference Recordings label receiving effusive plaudits, not only for the high artistic level of the performances but especially for the thrilling audiophile sound quality that brings listening at home to a new level of enjoyment. This latest spectacular recording from Thierry Fischer and the Utah Symphony of two of Prokofiev’s most popular film related scores will assuredly continue that trend.
In 1938 Prokofiev received a commission to work with the celebrated director Sergei Eisenstein on the music for the film ‘Alexander Nevsky’. The mutual admiration each man had for the other’s artistic endeavours proved to be an ideal collaboration that resulted in one of the greatest film epics of the twentieth century. The film tells the story of the invasion of Russia in the 13th century by crusading Teutonic knights whose cruelty is graphically depicted. Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod inspires the people of the Pskov region to take up arms against the invaders. They do this in what is the longest and most complex sequence in the film, the famous ‘Battle on the Ice’ that takes place on a frozen Lake Preipus. Nevsky and his forces are victorious and return in triumph to Pskov.
Shortly after completion of the film Prokofiev re-arranged and expanded his music into the imposing seven movement dramatic cantata for the concert hall heard on this SACD.
Over more than ten seasons as musical Director of the Utah Symphony Thierry Fischer has moulded the orchestra into a wonderfully responsive and virtuoso body of musicians as the playing here clearly demonstrates. His tempi throughout are well judged, closer to Prokofiev’s markings than some versions on disc, and his pacing of the work always displays clear musical and dramatic purpose. The purely orchestral movement ‘Russia under Mongolian Tyranny’ that opens the work is just one example of the sensitive and atmospheric playing on offer. In ‘The Battle on the Ice’ that is justifiably the high point of this score Fischer does not rush his fences, so the steady build up to the battle’s climax, while never lacking excitement, is made all the more impressive. The soloist in the sixth movement ‘The Field of the Dead’ is the Russian mezzo-soprano Alisa Kolosova. Her youthful vocal timbre and vibrant idiomatic delivery is most appealing in this moving threnody. And the exemplary integration by the recording engineers of Kolosova’s voice with Fischer’s flowing accompaniment is most welcome, especially when all too often the soloist is unrealistically positioned too close to the microphone.
The large chorus, well drilled by director Barlow Bradford, comprises the Utah Symphony Chorus, University of Utah A Capella Choir and the University of Utah Chamber Choir. Their legato singing in the ‘Song of Alexander Nevsky’ is quite lovely as is their discipline and precision, but occasionally, in the cantata’s more dramatic sections, I would have welcomed a tad more trenchant fervour, though in general there is no lack of vocal firepower.
While there have been many recordings of this work over the years this is only the third to appear in multi-channel sound and in sonic terms alone leaves the competition standing though it must be said that the 1961 version from Thomas Schippers and the New York PO on a single layer SACD still sounds remarkably vivid and wears its 58 years lightly.
The Lieutenant Kijé Suite is one of Prokofiev’s most popular works and needs no introduction having received innumerable recordings on disc, though surprisingly this is only the fourth to appear on SACD in multi-channel sound. Fischer, unlike Litton on BIS, opts for the usual five-movement concert suite rather than the alternative version in which the Romance and Troika movements are sung by a baritone. This fleet and beautifully characterised account of the score, superbly delivered by his Utah musicians is, for this listener, something of a revelation, while the state-of-the-art sound vividly captures every facet of Prokofiev’s distinctive orchestration from high piccolo to floor shaking bass drum.
The Soundmirror team are already familiar with capturing, as here, a wonderfully coherent soundstage and rounded ambience in the generous acoustic of the Maurice Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah where both works were recorded live (18th and 19th November 2016). The multi-channel 5.0 recording, made and post produced in 64fs DSD, offers a degree of aural realism not to be found in any rival medium, but is shown to particular advantage in large-scale orchestral and choral pieces such as these.
It need hardly be said that as always from Reference Recordings the presentation of this release is first class. The excellent liner notes include – a splendidly informative seven page essay on both works by Paul Griffiths, an English translation from the Russian of the vocal sections of Alexander Nevsky, as well as a listing of the members of the Utah Symphony and all the other performers involved.
This stunningly recorded disc with 60 minutes of compelling music performed with style and verve will almost certainly make it the go-to choice for a modern version these two works.