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Mahler, Symphony No 3 in D Minor: Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer (conductor) Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 7.10.2008 (GR)


No matter how good the CD and your hi-fi system, there are some works that cannot compare to a live performance. Mahler’s Symphony No 3 is one of those and the Budapest Festival Orchestra under founder Iván Fischer demonstrated the fact perfectly at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Oct 7^th 2008, in their third and final concert of their brief English tour. The monumental work received a monumental delivery.

The arresting opening eight-horn salvo that gives way to a barrage of percussion immediately grabbed the audience by the throat – primeval life was stirring from the depths of winter. Mahler has something to say which may take a little while (over 90 min in fact) but sitting tight will be worth it. It was. The opening movement is one of contrasts from the grumbles and groans of the brass to some tender moments from a solo violin. For me this evoked the comments Schoenberg made to Mahler after a rehearsal for its première in 1902, that he saw good and evil forces surrounding one another. Trombones play a big part both collectively and individually; how the principal trombonist must look forward to playing Mahler 3 when he has such a melodic solo! The feverish strokes of the tremolo strings painted a vivid picture of agitation and chaos confirming that creation is in for a bumpy ride. Here the commitment and energy from the back desks matched those in the front  (including one youngster in the seconds) and justified the astute arrangement of his troops by Fischer. When the horns bring the opening theme back everyone gallops helter-skelter towards the finale and summer marches in with a massive ‘Wow’ factor. Breathtaking!

With nature (and the audience) having been well and truly disturbed from its slumbers, Mahler’s hymn to the natural world shepherds us into a garden with an opening statement delicately played on the oboe. The rest of the orchestra of the BFO join in the delightful folkdance tune of the menuetto and display many prize blooms – plus a few prickly thistles.

The rural setting continues into the scherzo with a message from the animals. That was Mahler's original concept, although he subsequently dropped all such descriptions of the six movements from his final score. Based upon a tune from Das Knaben Wunderhorn, the woodwind section adds some glorious sounds to imitate the noises from the creatures of the forest. The serenity however is disturbed, a hush comes over the auditorium,  tension builds: what is it? The magic horn is very distant, but the posthorn instrument played offstage by Tamás Potí creates a palpable sense of unease. As this is taken up on the trumpet the danger becomes apparent to the animals, symbolic of mankind. The disturbed atmosphere is reflected by the increased dissonance. Having now been playing for an hour, maestro Fischer showed no sign of flagging (warming up almost) and encouraged his band to close the third movement with a tumultuous crescendo. Encourage is the right word, and a sense of on-stage camaraderie was clearly evident, surely stemming from the nationalistic roots of the Hungarian ensemble.

If the work is to be regarded as a ‘ladder of ascent’ (See Tony Duggan on MusicWeb International) then by this stage in the work we have already had a few ‘snakes’ to stall our progress. The fourth misterioso movement delves deep into Nietzsche's philosophy; the night is dark, very dark, but none the less beautiful for that. The movement belongs to the soloist – the German alto Birgit Remmert tonight (she had previously sung the role at the Symphony Hall under Rattle and is available on CD). You have to admire any artist who receives the full blast of the orchestra for whatever time before rising to deliver her contribution (for such decibels in industry Health and Safety would insist on ear-protectors). And excellent contribution it was, not only for her luscious tone but also for clarity of diction – the balance between orchestra and voice for the lower register ich schlief just right and so moving.

As sure as day follows night, so the morning bells of the fifth movement illuminated the proceedings, achieved with the contribution of two local choirs – the Ladies of the CBSO under Simon Halsey and the Seniors of the City of Birmingham Youth Chorus rehearsed by Shirley Court. A real sense of joy came across in their collective singing and their interaction with Remmert. With such a limited contribution from soloist and chorus however, this is not a performer-friendly piece.

The final movement marked Langsam, Ruhevoll, Empfunden (slow, tranquil and deeply felt) was just that. The adagio pace is principally scored for strings in the initial section; with some sixty instruments playing conservatively the BFO showed off the acoustics of the Birmingham venue to full advantage – hushed, intense and beautifully sustained. But this glorification of nature is not all sweetness and light, and Fischer had to call upon all sections of his well-drilled orchestra to celebrate the ‘divine love’. It is here that the true drama of the work is crystallised. The tension builds only to collapse into a poignant flute solo, but  Mahler,  under Fischer, raises the 'ante' once more for the final bars, a climax worthy of the greatest symphonist since Beethoven, or perhaps ever.

The crowded but not completely full audience gave all performers a rousing reception. Although Fischer rightly spread the honours around, mention here must be made of the concertmaster Violetta Eckhardt, equally at ease with both her solo parts and leading responsibilities. But most of credit must go to Fischer himself. His stamina on the podium was only matched by his twenty-five years as musical director of BFO – the orchestra is his baby, which says a lot. Come back soon please!

Geoff Read

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