Bruckner and the Hallé: A sonic mismatch
Problembär | Los Angeles, California, USA | 03/20/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I happened to be browsing through the Amazon for some Bruckner when I came across this CD. I did some research on it and decided to buy it. It didn't hurt any that it was relatively cheap. The Hallé has also released some very fine recordings with their music director, Mark Elder, including a powerful Nielsen Fifth and a majestic Elgar First. This CD with their former principal guest conductor, Cristian Mandeal, seemed too good to pass up.
Cristian Mandeal is a Romanian conductor and pianist who is currently the music director of Bucharest's Georges Enesco Philharmonic as well as being the principal guest conductor of the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra. Mandeal has studied with von Karajan and Celibidache, though it's Furtwängler's shadow that looms over this performance. His timings follow Furtwängler's 1944 recording of this symphony very closely, though the first movement is slower under Mandeal's hands by about two minutes. Though Mandeal is no household name and certainly not a young hottie or hunkasaurus that the classical labels are hawking these days, he is a formidable musician who weaves a compelling spell. Though not matching Furtwängler's aching intensity, Mandeal's interpretation has much more fire and muscle than most modern day Bruckner recordings. His scherzo is among the fastest on records. Faster, I believe, than von Hausegger or Kabasta. The great adagio is splendidly paced, building imperceptibly to that grinding six-note climax. Mandeal rightly sees it as the symphony's crowning moment. I would be very happy to hear Mandeal again in Bruckner. Would that he had recorded with a German or American orchestra.
The Hallé sounds magnificent here; a long way from the somewhat rag-tag ensemble of the Barbirolli days. The Britons play with gorgeous polish and sheen. But for all their excellence, this recording cannot be a top recommendation because the orchestra simply does not have the right sound for Bruckner. It sounds far too light; lacking the heft needed for idiomatic Bruckner. More troubling is the somewhat bass-shy sound--a fatal flaw for a Bruckner recording. Yes, the Hallé can play all the notes quite well. And how. But this is Bruckner removed from the sound of the Austrian countryside and stuffed into a nattily tailored Savile Row suit. Some may like this, but I cannot say I'll be listening to this very often.
I do hope Cristian Mandeal is give a chance to record more Bruckner with a darker and heavier orchestra. If this recording is any indication, he is a man to watch.
Great Bruckner Ninths abound. Options include the genial Walter and Keilberth, craggy and windburned Klemperer, opulent Luisi, plainspoken Schuricht, finely etched van Beinum, and gruff Harnoncourt. And, of course, you really do owe it to yourself to hear the old Furtwängler recording, though the sound leaves much to be desired. Very special, too, are von Hausegger's and Kabasta's recordings. And that grand old ghost from Hallé past, Glorious John himself, conducted a very exciting and different interpretation that, despite the old Hallé's technical lapses and sub-par broadcast sound, is far more convincing than this recording. Unless you must have every recording of the Bruckner Ninth, you'll be able to happily live the rest of your life without this disc."
Splendid Rendition
Robert Manari | San Francisco, CA United States | 04/08/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This Bruckner 9 conducted by C. Mandeal (pupil of von Karajan and Sergiu Celibidache) would make a wonderful addition to any Bruckner collection. It is technically perfect and full of drama and passionate intensity. Being recorded in 2007 boosts some superb sonics, achieving the delicate balance of powerful brass sound without overpowering the remainder of the orchestra. Just how hard such a balance is to achieve I was reminded, unfortunately, only too recently: February of 2010 we went to see H. Blomstedt conducting Bruckner's Symphony no. 6 with our beloved San Francisco Symphony. We all know that Blomstedt is by all means a very fine Brucknerian indeed. However, apart of some erratic tempi and some incoherent playing, what ruined the whole performance for me was the brass section totally overpowering the strings to the point that you could not hear anything else.... The present release is highly recommended, being just too good to miss.
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Track Listings (3) - Disc #1