Search - Brahms, Giulini, Vpo :: Symphony 3 / Haydn Variations

A must purchase if you can find it

Mr Darcy | Australia | 02/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would not normally review a recording that has long since been deleted from the catalogue and which is now generally only available from dealers in second hand CDs and the like. However, this is a special performance, one of the finest things that Giulini achieved in the latter part of his career and on a par with other highlights, such as his recording of the Bruckner 9th. Of course, it is to be hoped that Universal sees fit to re-release this performance, but customers would be well advised not to hold their breath and to snap up any recordings they see, especially if they are reasonably priced.



Giulini recorded the other three symphonies of Brahms with the VPO at around the same time. I would describe the present recording as the jewel in that crown, for fine as those other performances are, this one seems to have an extra degree of intensity and, dare one say, "fire". Yes, fire: not normally a characteristic that one associates with Giulini at this stage of his career. But, be assured, the adrenalin flows aplenty in this live performance, and even readers who would normally find Giulini too idiosyncratic in this repertoire may find grounds for sharing my enthusiasm.



It's worth remembering that the principal subject of the first movement, which immediately follows the opening motto played by the winds, starts with a phrase borrowed from the main theme of Schumann's Rhenish symphony. And much like the first movement of the Rhenish symphony, although with greater shifts in mood, the first movement of Brahms's 3rd has an almost riverine quality to it, with the music propelled forward by elemental forces, rising and falling, and so on.



Similar to his recording of the Rhenish with the LAPO, Giulini successfully allies tremendous grandeur with momentum in the opening movement of the Brahms. The Vienna strings launch into the principal subject with a flood of tone, delivered with more legato than usual. Giulini observes the exposition repeat, thus reinforcing the epic nature of this music, and the music rises to a climax of great power before subsiding into tranquillity.



The second movement offers a complete contrast. It is largely gentle and delicate, but its mood remains somewhat mysterious, and those unsettling undercurrents, typical of Brahms, are never far away. As one would expect, every phrase is shaped beautifully but not self indulgently by Giulini, who draws playing of the utmost refinement from the VPO. The movement ends in a picture of autumnal glow, the music borne aloft on a gently rising cloud. In the following poco allegretto, Giulini, not surprisingly, emphasises the melancholy that infuses this music, with particularly lush full bodied string playing.



The tempestuous last movement truly caps off this performance. A few things to note. Giulini recorded the 3rd symphony in the 60s with London's Philharmonia Orchestra. This performance with the VPO definitely eclipses it, in the main because of his approach to the last movement. In the Philharmonia account, the playing is naturally disciplined, but it's a rather too cautious, somewhat faceless affair. With this Vienna account, not only are the tempi faster (belying the impression that Giulini simply got slower with age) but the overall approach is more impassioned.



One gets a feeling that this last movement is going to be something special from the very start of the movement. Giulini takes the sotto voce opening measures quite quickly. The music is restless and nervous with anticipation, a quality which is strangely muted in most versions I have heard.



What follows these opening bars is highly dramatic and bracing in Giulini's hands. Again, Giulini's tempo is on the fastish side, but it's not just the tempo that creates the visceral impact, but the way in which Giulini gets the strings in particular to dig into their notes with plenty of strong accents. A comparison with Abbado's justly praised version with the BPO is instructive, for while the tempo is just about the same, Giulini manages to generate greater excitement and momentum.



The coda, sensitively handled in this recording to create a real sense of peace and calm, brings to a close a great performance of high contrasts. The symphony comes coupled with an affectionate peformance of the Haydn Variations. My only complaint about this CD - and it's a minor one - is that the sound is somewhat close and congested which probably signifies the recording company's desire to minimise audience noise. Nonetheless, the sound is suitably big and full to complement the performance.



In short, highly recommended.

"