There's good news and bad news. Even better news, is that the good news far outweighs the bad. This is a pretty rockin' performance with some pretty darn good vocals throughout (Oehms' selling point). The bad news is that it's an ORF (Austrian Radio) recording, which means that the sound is far from ideal. The recording levels seem a bit high, and the recording is just a tad too up-close. However, the big and boomy acoustics of Vienna's Konzerthaus help to compensate.
On the whole, the performance is on the fast side, but the endings to both parts are not rushed in the slightest. The orchestral detail throughout the section of the penitent women is clear and outstanding. Botha sounds a bit closer and more 'Wagnerian' than he does on the superbly recorded Boulez rendition (DG). But he's also secure, strong and confident sounding, without also barking. I'll take him over the current crop of 'lispy' and siightly wimpy sounding tenors any day.
Because of the somewhat up-close recording, combined with de Billy's quickish tempi, I'm reminded a bit of the Solti recording. However, the ending to Part II seems more 'cosmic' to me than it is with Solti. And while that ending does sound rather 'cosmic' here, we do somewhat lose the offstage brass and tam-tam smashes in the final, thunderous Eb chord (sustained much louder than usual).
With a really good recording, I think this performance MIGHT sweep every other one-off performance right out the door. As it is, it's pretty darn good. It must have been one hell of a live performance to have attended. On the whole, I think that de Billy's pacing of the work is exemplary, while his full understanding of the work is quite evident.
I do need to live with this a bit longer to come to some kind of final conclusion (if only the sound were better).
Topic: initial report on de Billy/RSO Wien M8 (Read 8154 times)