PROM 50 PART TWO. BEETHOVEN 5. CBSO/MG-T.
R3 Concert Sound - very natural, spacious, dynamic - A1*!
My word, what a very unusual Beethoven 5…
Clipped, short-breathed phrasing in the 1st movement, sparing vibrato, but carefully building to greater dynamic excitement in the coda. So a preludial feel but with a sense of power in reserve. Good.
The andante was distinctly con moto, with very flowing almost legato phrasing in quieter passages (I was reminded of Norrington’s approach in some of his SWR tapings), the climaxes perhaps played more for beauty than impact. I wondered where this performance was going…
In the scherzo, we didn’t get the repeat of scherzo/trio; what we did get was some oddly soft, legato (again) phrasing in the trio from those double basses themselves, again favouring sweetness of tone over chewier or guttier energies; at a moderate tempo, this had a disconcertingly concertante effect, as if disassociated from the symphonic structure or argument.
Then a self-consciously slow start to the transition, accelerating into the three big chords beginning the finale. Which were satisfyingly loud, but why the fussy pullback of dynamics immediately after them? I was also disappointed (but unsurprised in the context of this reading) by the omission of the finale repeat.
The brass, splendid up to this point, began to show some strain here - poor intonation, a squawk or two. I found MG-T’s rubato unnatural in the coda, too deliberate, drawing too much attention to itself, like those strange dynamics aforementioned.
***
So finally an uncertain impression from this 5th. With some HIPPs-ish stylistic affectations, but in the context of legato phrasing and glossy smoothness of tone, swift speeds yet short on repeats, there was a slight sense of “Concerto for City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra” about it.
I heard little sense of the militaristic defiance, the revolutionary or rebellious anger, the defiance of fate - of new music on the ragged edge.
The omission of both the (admittedly, or seemingly, optional) scherzo/trio repeat, and the one in the finale, always makes the symphony seem too short for the liberation of its own pent-up power, the battle not won at a great enough cost. It sells the work short, and tonight this only added to an emotionally lightweight impression, however fine the sound and wide the dynamic range, (Which were both very good on the lossless feed tonight).
R3 Concert Sound - very natural, spacious, dynamic - A1*!
My word, what a very unusual Beethoven 5…
Clipped, short-breathed phrasing in the 1st movement, sparing vibrato, but carefully building to greater dynamic excitement in the coda. So a preludial feel but with a sense of power in reserve. Good.
The andante was distinctly con moto, with very flowing almost legato phrasing in quieter passages (I was reminded of Norrington’s approach in some of his SWR tapings), the climaxes perhaps played more for beauty than impact. I wondered where this performance was going…
In the scherzo, we didn’t get the repeat of scherzo/trio; what we did get was some oddly soft, legato (again) phrasing in the trio from those double basses themselves, again favouring sweetness of tone over chewier or guttier energies; at a moderate tempo, this had a disconcertingly concertante effect, as if disassociated from the symphonic structure or argument.
Then a self-consciously slow start to the transition, accelerating into the three big chords beginning the finale. Which were satisfyingly loud, but why the fussy pullback of dynamics immediately after them? I was also disappointed (but unsurprised in the context of this reading) by the omission of the finale repeat.
The brass, splendid up to this point, began to show some strain here - poor intonation, a squawk or two. I found MG-T’s rubato unnatural in the coda, too deliberate, drawing too much attention to itself, like those strange dynamics aforementioned.
***
So finally an uncertain impression from this 5th. With some HIPPs-ish stylistic affectations, but in the context of legato phrasing and glossy smoothness of tone, swift speeds yet short on repeats, there was a slight sense of “Concerto for City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra” about it.
I heard little sense of the militaristic defiance, the revolutionary or rebellious anger, the defiance of fate - of new music on the ragged edge.
The omission of both the (admittedly, or seemingly, optional) scherzo/trio repeat, and the one in the finale, always makes the symphony seem too short for the liberation of its own pent-up power, the battle not won at a great enough cost. It sells the work short, and tonight this only added to an emotionally lightweight impression, however fine the sound and wide the dynamic range, (Which were both very good on the lossless feed tonight).
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