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From: ChrisRock@downbeat.org (Chris)
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Subject: Schonberg - Gurrelieder - Gielen - [34/36] - "Source & rip note.txt" (1/1)
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Source & rip note.txt
2x SACD rip via PS3 to 2x iso (8.01GB) | 2ch & 6ch | Classical
The issue is an early 80th birthday present to Michael Gielen & one must say that he deserves every last second that is on these discs. Whilst this is nowhere near the fastest reading on disc, it holds the attention throughout; one must never mistake slowness for slackness. The kaleidoscope of sound is firmly but gently bought into crystalline focus under his baton. The general tempi may be slower than many on disc have adopted but the dedicated concentration keeps the listener riveted & allows for the love songs to sound genuinely tender. In the more extrovert Parts 2 & 3, the slightly relaxed pacing is offset by the amount of detail that can register with the mind. Together with a rhapsodic & ecstatic closing sunrise, the emotional impact is overwhelming & takes one completely by surprise (as if Gielen is trying to conceal it from our consciousness, only to subvert this in our subconscious ear). [If one is sampling, beware - snippets here & there can be quite deceptive on 1st hearing.]
From the radiant opening to the terrifying hunting scenes, the orchestra is simply wonderful. It revels in the opulence of the writing whilst at the same time respecting the myriad of markings & textures to reveal this score as anew. A special credit has to be given to Gielen & the orchestra to accompanying with vigour yet not overwhelming any of the soloists. There are, understandably, 1 or 2 minor lapses but they are few & do not distract from the overall impact.
Robert Dean Smith is an established Wagnerian singer & this shows in the full & heady tone that he can find without strain. He sings intelligently & dramatically, pacing himself well throughout his contributions to the work. Melanie Diener has also sung the role of Tove for Robert Craft (now on a Naxos RBCD set) and whilst she may not possess as luxuriant tone as some, nor convey all of the ecstatic moments with as much intensity as some, there is no denying her understanding of the part & nothing is out of place nor is there any electricity lacking in her interpretation.
Yvonne Naef is a young singer but doesn't compare at all unfavourably against more mature artists like Anne Sofie von Otter. Indeed, there are many instances when one is grateful that Tove doesn't sound like she needs help to stay on her perch! The crucial section at the end of Part 1 is sung well, although not perhaps exceptionally, by Naef & she sings with a wisdom quite beyond her years. Gerhard Siegel as the Bauer is quite terrified (as would I be with the chorus & orchestra letting loose all around me!) & very convincing as the poor, confused country-dweller.
Ralf Lukas is a most entertaining Klaus-Narr; with delicious pointing, he brings out all of the black humour in his part. Andreas Schmidt as the speaker tackles the Sprechstimme with admirable taste; some have made so much of the writing that one can almost taste ham but there is no whiff of meat here! That is not to say that Schmidt is any way anonymous with his enunciation but he does not imbue it, as too many have done, with arch & frankly camp over-acting.
The combined choruses do not have much to do as a proportion of the score but the men of these ensembles make for a most imposing army as they trample through the countryside. Their diction is a joy to behold & German speakers could easily dispense with the texts. When joined by their female counterparts in the glorious conclusion, they are just as well disciplined & expansive in tone without a hint of harshness in the sopranos.
Sensibly, to keep printing costs down, there are none of the usual biographies included in the booklet, but a list of websites allows one to find more details if interested. The notes themselves are fair, with some illuminating quotes that shed light on the ideals behind the work. The song texts are given in both German & English.
For all these admirable qualities & exhilarating performances, this would amount to nothing if the 5.1 recording was not of the very highest order. Fortunately it is 1 of the very best one could hope to hear; it is quite a gauntlet that the SWR engineers have thrown down to other teams (both within radio & also from the recording company fraternities) & this will take a great deal just to come close to matching this achievement. The level of detail is quite staggering & takes the breath away each time one hears it, as does the wonderfully wide dynamic range reflected in the recording. Most fantastic of all is the way it sounds completely natural with a wide & deep staging (all the more tangible in the Mch presentation) which allows detail after detail to register with ease on the ear without any apparent spot-lighting. That these discs are derived from concert performances is quite unbelievable until the audible sigh-like relaxation of tension at the end of the work (the applause is not included).
Altogether a marvellous achievement from all concerned. I cannot imagine that Gurrelieder will be frequently recorded in the current climate across all media, let alone SACD but this set must count amongst those at the very top of the list - though, as with all recordings of a piece like this, none can hold all the answers. This surely has to grace every audiophile's & musician's player on many occasions - if ever there was a demonstration disc, this is it!
Tracks:
Erster Teil (part 1) disc 1
Zweiter und Dritter Teil (parts 2 & 3) disc 2
Musicians:
Michael Gielen orchestra conductor
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks & MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig
Melanie Diener (Tove), Yvonne Naef (Waldtaube), Robert Dean Smith (Waldemar), Gerhard Siegel (Klaus-Narr), Ralf Lukas (Bauer), Andreas Schmidt (Sprecher)
https://www.filefactory.com/folder/63f6261df491067b
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