brief report on Haitink/Dresden/Profil M2

[barry guerrero]

Hi everyone,

I'll eventually make an Amazon customer review for the Haitink M2 from Dresden. In short, this is a slightly 'subdued' M2, but with absolutely gorgeous music making from the Staatskapelle - particularly in the softer moments. While Levine's Salzburg M2 is definitely more 'dramatic' (overall), the Haitink is more to my personal liking. That's in spite of the fact that this may be Haitink's slowest account yet. All in all, I find Haitink's recent Chicago M2 preferable. But there's no denying that the Dresdeners are more beautiful sounding in softer sections. Thus, it makes more of a unique contribution to my collection. In short, I'm a big fan of the Staatskapelle - THE most underrated orchestra in Germany.

Just to cite one example, I'll take "Urlicht" - the vocal movement. There's no denying that Levine has the superior mezzo in Jessye Norman. But the Dresden brass chorale and string accompaniment is to die for - it's THAT gorgeous.

In louder moments, the Dresden brass are more 'narrow' and pointed sounding than their Viennese counterparts - rather like how they sound in Bruckner 8 (for example). However, they're very willing to bash their bright sounding cymbals and smash their nice sounding gong. The Dresden timpani - sometimes overplayed - don't sound nearly so 'thuddy' as the Vienna kettle drums. One curious side-effect of this particular 'live' recording is that the bass drum is captured too closely (one possible source of Scott's complaint that the dynamic range was too wide). But neither does it blow me out of the room. The Dresden chorus - albeit small in numbers (I think) - sounds very beautiful. However, since this was performed in the Lukus Kirche, there isn't a whole lot of organ (particularly the low pedals). But hey, at least it's an authentic, 'natural' organ (thus, Norrington would approve).

Whatever the reasons, I'm just not crazy about Levine's Mahler in general. I think I just get tired the constant pounding and over-playing of the kettle drums. As an opera conductor, he's always going for the drama at the expense of most every other aspect. All of this is sort of a 'moot point' because - for me - the best M2's emanating from a German or Austrian orchestra are the Paavo Jarvi/Frankfurt/Virgin Classics one, or the Chailly/Leipzig one on DVD - I could easily live with just either of those. I don't think I could be fully satisfied with either the recent Levine or Haitink/Dresden ones. But between the two, I'll take the Dresden one (in spite of somewhat inferior vocals).

[akiralx]

I like the P Jarvi one a lot, though I might agree with one review I read which said the pianissimi are more impressive than the fortissimi...

[Settembrini]

In short, I'm a big fan of the Staatskapelle - THE most underrated orchestra in Germany.

What makes you say the Staatskapelle Dresden is underrated? Most ciritcs in Germany, including and in some cases especially those in Berlin (see for instance the Berliner Morgenpost) feel the Staatskapelle is perhaps the greatest orchestra in the country, especially since Thielemann took over from Luisi. A large faction of the German press consider the move from Thielemann and the Staatskapelle to the hallowed ground of Karajan's Easter Festival in Salzburg as a logical result from his work in Saxony. Practically every principal wind and brass player in the Bayreuther Festspiele orchestra is from the Staatskapelle as well.

Maybe the Staatskapelle Dresden is underrated in the US, but certainly not in Germany.

[barryguerrero]

Exactly. In spite of the fact that we could get recordings from East Germany (when there was one), the focus here was still greatly upon Karajan and Berlin.  Even the greatness of the Vienna Phil. was not commonly known until Bernstein started filming Mahler from there (which aired on public broadcasting).

Even in more recent times, certainly Abbado and Rattle were/are far better known in the U.S. than Thielemann or any of the previous conductors in Dresden and Leipzig.

[Settembrini]

Indeed, the Berlin Phil. has always been the more media-savvy orchestra since the days of Karajan, but already during his 'era' the Staatskapelle, the Gewandhaus orchestra in Leipzig, Kubelik's Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Staatskapelle Berlin under Suitner, the orchestra of the Bavarian State opera and the NDR Sinfonieorchester under Wand were the better orchestras.

[barryguerrero]

I don't know if I would say 'better'. Certainly early BPO recordings with Maazel and Kempe, for example, show them in a less 'glitzy' and less overly-smoothed over light.