CD Import

Brahms:Symphony No.4,Beethoven:Egmont,Bach:Violin Concerto BWV1043 Kurt Sanderling/Munich Philharmonic Orchestra(1984 Live)

Brahms (1833-1897)

User Review :4.5
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Item Details

Genre
:
Catalogue Number
:
SSS0072
Number of Discs
:
1
Label
:
Format
:
CD
Other
:
Live Recording,Import

Product Description

Formerly most of so called great conductors used to be strongly connected with specific orchestras. Whether they were called music directors, regular conductors and so on or not, they continued to conduct the same orchestras for not only ten years but twenty or thirty years.
But Kurt Sanderling (1912-) seems to be out of the category of such conductors. Indeed he was once a conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra that represents the Soviet Union, and he was in the position to lead die Staatskapelle Dresden and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra which were the leading orchestras in East Germany. His achievements in those orchestras are more than sufficient. We can also now easily enjoy many excellent performances with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, for example symphonies of Sibelius or Mahler, on CDs.
However, after he resigned the principal conductor of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, he constantly moved to conduct orchestras of all parts of the world, instead of settling himself in one place. Conductors who continued to be invited by famous orchestras of all parts of the world as he did must be rare. In Germany, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, the North German Radio Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra. Besides orchestras in France, England, Switzerland, and North Europe. He went up podiums of most famous orchestras in Europe, of course not to say all. Sanderling is said to avoid long flights for the reason of health. But when we look at his performing schedule, we notice that he continued energetic activity to move from one town to another every month, which cannot be believed to be that of a man over 70 years, until just before his retirement. Comparing that Günter Wand and Sergiu Celibidache who belonged to the same generation worked with specific orchestras, and that Carlo Maria Giulini loved noble laziness, Sanderling’s uniqueness can be guessed. When he was asked such a thing, he answered, “Because I am not great as they are”, which he really thought is not certain.
The reason why such work was possible is that Sanderling’s music was not a nervous thing which could not settle down without boiling down every detail, but the style of his music was that he caught the big compositions of works and according to them he made music flow smoothly. He had an ability to make players understand the compositions within limited time of practice. Therefore stability of the whole was firm and always steady, though details were a little unclear or imperfect. Moreover, even if orchestras could not be called first-class in skill, such music could be realized without insufficiency. Though because of this stability, so to say danger fragrance of art, or thrill as if it was close to collapse or limit, was weak in his music.
The record of the concert when he conducted the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in 1983 is this CD. “Egmont” overture and the concerto by Bach are not bad performances, but a sign that this concert was something special to the conductor or the orchestra cannot be felt. We get the impression that it was an amount of one of ordinary concerts given many times in a year. It is in the fourth symphony by Brahms that the atmosphere changes. Even its opening which begins as if it is pulled in and swings like waves that break and retreat is far more individualistic and attractive than the former two works. Singing to its content, music slowly proceeds. It seems that it wants to say why it should hasten. Stimulus and strain are removed. Not that it walks step by step. Music calmly crosses through time and space like a boat which floats blown by a breeze. There is such scenery. There is scenery like that. Soft sound gives off unexpected dense nuances. Red color, blue color, black, white, various colors flash on and off… For example, when Carlos Kleiber or Wilhelm Furtwängler conduct the same work, they make us feel combustion of life which is still burning or extreme haste, but Sanderling may be said to be exactly opposite. It is not resignation that there is no help. He himself lowers his power and gives himself to the flow, such a wise behavior. Though we had known such a performing style of Sanderling from the performances with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra in 1990s which were already recorded on CDs, it is guessed that the style had been established already at the stage of 1983.
Though the second movement is sweet, it is not unexpectedly bitter. Rather it is light and a sign of gloom or depression is weak. In most cases Sanderling’s music is not connected with depressive darkness; it is healthy and has strong willpower. It is not changed when he conducts the last symphony by Brahms. Even as if it is the pastoral second symphony which was written in a summer resort. The third movement sounds large-mindedly, which is characteristic of him.
Undoubtedly the best of this performance is the finale. Spending 12 minutes, he performs the variations slowly. The dignified exposition of the first theme is also fine, but how rich and mellow the following variations are! The melodies are sung more grandly than in the first movement, and low strings surge. Some variations are performed in an extremely slow tempo. When it is listened, it does not seem to be music which dures for a little more than ten minutes. We have an illusion to be swallowed by an eternal flow. And when the opening theme returns, such a flow of a big river increases violence and reaches the terminal point. This musical building in which eternity and magnificence combine, with the manner of ending the first movement and so on, produces an impression of just a big symphony of the nineteenth century.
In this era Celibidache already often stood on the podium of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, and it had rapidly changed to an orchestra which he liked. Indeed, we can find Celibidache’s influences in the clear sound of the strings, in the wind instruments which remain abstinent in original beauty, and in the timpani which does not only firmly record the rhythm. However, conducting such an orchestra, Sanderling brought into existence Brahms that only he could perform, in other words, not strained, anxious, and ridiculously serious Brahms, but Brahms who had a free, affirmative and intoxicated expression. It is one of the most wonderful performances of Brahms that we could experience after 1980s.

Track List   

  • 01. Beethoven:Egmont Overture
  • 02. Bach:Concerto for Two Violins and Strings BWV 1043-Vivace
  • 03. Largo ma non tanto
  • 04. Allegro
  • 05. Brahms:Symphony no.4 Allegro non troppo
  • 06. Andante moderato
  • 07. Allegro giocoso
  • 08. Allegro energico e passionato

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ベートーヴェン⇒ザンデルリングの唯一の弱...

投稿日:2013/08/09 (金)

ベートーヴェン⇒ザンデルリングの唯一の弱点は、ベートーヴェンがイマイチだということだ。ただエグモント序曲のような「短い曲」に関しては、さほどその欠点が目立たない。 バッハ⇒これは素晴らしい名演。どこがどう素晴らしいというより、全体として素晴らしい。思わず聴き入ってしまう。 ブラームス⇒いい意味で「古臭い」表現だと思って聴いていたが、例えばワルターやHSイッセルシュテットの演奏を思い出すと、はるかに現代的であることに気付いくような演奏。徹頭徹尾、ブラームスの因循姑息さが訥々と語られている。ただやはりライブのせいか ベルリン交響楽団との同曲録音に比して、楽章によってバラつきがあるように思える(バラつきと言っても悪い意味ではない)。例えば第3楽章はビシッと締まっていて近代的な演奏なのに比し、終楽章は 回顧シーンのように思い入れタップリ…と言った感じ。

司那夫金 さん | 所在地 | 不明

3
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☆
☆
ザンデルリンクさん、お亡くなりになられた...

投稿日:2011/09/20 (火)

ザンデルリンクさん、お亡くなりになられたとの由。合掌。長い現役生活を通じ、社会主義にも振り回された、なかなかに波乱の生涯ではなかったかと拝察いたします。さて、このディスク、物故のニュースを知り、聴いてみることとしました。ここまでのみなさまのレビューはほとんどが大変に高い評価。期待して聴きましたが、甚だ遺憾ながら、いかがでしょうか、当方はさして感銘を受けませんでした。全編にわたって決然としたリードがなく、アインザッツの不揃いは気になり、強い表現意欲も感じられません。エグモントは平凡。バッハはソリストとも息が合わず、どこか手探り状態。ブラームスは構えの大きさが安定感を与えますが、一種その地味な武骨さが風合いを滲みださせているというくらいで、格別の充実感はなかったなあ。録音は、基本音楽はよくとらえていますが、ややヒスが目立って、しかも交響曲などは開始直前の「呼吸」がバサッと切られたままに唐突に始まって、ちょっとガサツな編集。残念ながら、故人の業績をしのぶには至りませんでした。ま、私個人の好みがどうも合わないのかもしれません。チャイコフスキーもさっぱりいいと思いませんでしたし。妄言多謝。あらためて、合掌。

ほんず内閣総理大臣 さん | 北海道 | 不明

4
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ブラームスが大変印象的な名演。丁寧な?演...

投稿日:2011/07/24 (日)

ブラームスが大変印象的な名演。丁寧な?演奏と言う意味では、チェリビダッケ級である。ただ演奏から受ける印象は、丁寧と言うこと以外はこってり系のチェリとはまったく別物の、淡々とした中庸的解釈…と言える。中庸と言っても、凡百の指揮者が奏でる「無難系」なアプローチとは全く無縁で、その精神的境地は、例えばモーツァルトのK595の枯淡とした世界を彷彿とさせる。過去のドレスデン盤やベルリンso盤に比しても、もうひとつ飛び抜けたレベルだと思う。 ベートーヴェンやバッハも同様な解釈だが、これらに関しては 結果として薄味化してしまっているように思えた。

ヒューブーン さん | 静岡県 | 不明

3

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