On 12/4/22 1:03 AM, Peter wrote:
I’ve been listening to the relatively recent release of MUSPAC and the Concerto for Orchestra (Bartok) by Susanna Mälkki and the Helsinki Philharmonic on the Swedish label, BIS. Some thoughts:
1. MUSPAC is truly a masterpiece, every note. Extraordinary. Of course, this is not something I just discovered, and many have said it before, but it’s one of those pieces which continues to amaze, even after a lifetime of listening to it. The
concerto is just not at the same exalted level. Despite the inspiring back story, it lacks the creativity and precision of Bartok’s best work. I feel the same way about the third piano concerto; it doesn’t grip the way numbers one and two do. (I
heard #3 live with Bavouzet as the soloist, so if it was going to make an impression, that would be a good occasion. No such luck.)
2. For almost the entire duration of MUSPAC, Mälkki is magnificent. This was a highly praised release, and I understand why. She cuts back on the lead voice a lot of the time to let the counterpoint shine, and Bartok was truly a master of
counterpoint. To put it differently, this is a more linear reading than we sometimes get. And the sprung rhythms of the second movement are thrilling. Balances are great.
3. But then we come to the very end, and she commits a horrible sin. *Everybody* knows that, after lots of modernist exploration, Bartok builds to an uber-conventional, almost cinematic, crescendo, only to wrap it up with a downward-skipping final bar.
Da-DA-da-da da-da-da-DA-da-da. It puts a smile on everyone’s face. But not Mälkki. No, she has to slow it down and make each beat ponderous, like an elephant thumping off the stage. Why would anyone do this? I don’t know if you can say she
ruins her performance by ending it so crudely, but just knowing this travesty lies ahead casts a shadow over the whole thing. She should go back and change it.
4. While I don’t like the Concerto as much as pure music, it’s certainly more than OK and is a great showpiece for a virtuoso orchestra. Unfortunately, the Helsinki Philharmonic, which has what it takes to bring off MUSPAC, comes up short here.
For instance, the many-voiced, swirling string figures in the final movement benefit from extreme precision, and of course, whenever the spotlight falls on a particular section it helps if their lines can be delivered with panache—a little extra swing
or soulfulness or whatever is called for. I’d like to say that the Helsinki crew holds its own in comparison with the crack ensembles that have recorded this in the past, but I can’t.
5. Finally, what works for Mälkki in MUSPAC doesn’t in the Concerto. She often de-emphasizes the lead voice to accentuate the others, and MUSPAC can work with almost any voice leading or all of them treated equally. The romanticism of the Concerto,
however, really calls for a more traditional approach: the melodic through line is what it is. At several points she pulls it back to give more exposure to the secondary lines, but the continuity is lost. The Concerto is not fundamentally a modernist
work, and it doesn’t pay to try to make it what it isn’t.
A very nicely recorded CD, by the way.
Thanks for bringing attention to this interesting release - and for
taking the time to describe your reactions in detail.
I just listened to it via Amazon Music and it is certainly vividly
recorded! From my perspective I actually liked the Concerto better - the occasional lack of precision you noted hurts the Music more (I'm also
used to the Reiner version which is probably the ultimate in that
department). The last movement suffers the most - there is even a time
around one minute in where the strings sound somewhat uncoordinated.
On the other hand Mälkki has achieved many interesting details of
phrasing and a lot of - as you say - panache - for example the passage
in the Music finale from 2 to 3 minutes - and plenty of excitement
around 3:20!
I also agree with you about her unwarranted slow down at the end -
Bartok was trying for an effect here which was ruined (for some reason I
think of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1, where for the ending
Szell/Gilels gets it perfectly while other conductors botch it).
I haven't been keeping up at all with new releases - I'm stuck at home
due to illness and spending my time posting (about topics like Etruscan
Pottery and such) as well as reorganizing my collection of more than
1000 CDs - so although I'm tempted I might not buy this version.
In any case, I'd like to thank you again for sharing your impressions!
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