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Ultimate Romantics 1,Mahler and Wagner:  London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Vladimir Jurowski,  Symphony Hall,Birmingham  10.12. 2008 (GR)


If Glyndebourne wish to run through any more productions of their forthcoming year in the Birmingham Symphony Hall, they are perfectly free to do so – as far as I’m concerned anyway. The venue is not a bad rehearsal room by any standard. If the real thing sounds anywhere near as good as Act II of Tristan und Isolde did on the 10^th Dec 2008, then the Sussex DJs are in for a treat.

But first things first, Vladimir Jurowski wound up his London Philharmonic Orchestra with the Adagio from Mahler’s Symphony N^o 10. Considering the pivotal role the respective partners of Mahler and Wagner played in the composition of both pieces on the programme, this was an inspired choice in this the first of a short series of Ultimate Romantics concerts in Birmingham. While Richard Wagner bounced ideas off Mathilde Wesendonck during the composition of Tristan und Isolde, Gustav Mahler’s mind in 1910 was in turmoil over his wife Alma’s affair with Walter Gropius. Comments he made on the Adagio manuscript with reference to Alma included ‘To live for you! To die for you!’

Too often the butt for orchestra jokes, the viola players of the LPO proved they were a force to be reckoned with as they began the andante exposition section of the Mahler movement (Jurowski emphasised the pivotal role they played by singling out the whole section during the enthusiastic applause). The Adagio was the only movement of his tenth symphony Mahler fully completed. Unmistakably Mahlerian, any resemblance to conventional sonata form was heavily disguised. It marked the final chapter in the progression of the composer’s musical style towards an accretion in dissonance. The LPO dexterously exhibited this advancement. Some incredible sounds (not apparent on my Noseda/BBC recording) saturated the Birmingham Symphony Hall – scraping violins, forzando trumpets, a soulful bass clarinet and screeching piccolo. The final chords were worthy of Schoenberg. Maestro Jurowski expertly balanced it all (split violins, cellos on the left, violas on the right) extending his long arms with great precision.

And so to one of greatest love duets in all opera. The music for the Prelude to Act II did more to set the argument than any props or scenery. With no unexplainable directorial concept or exaggerated Gesamtkunstwerk, it was dramma per musica all the way. Wagner’s motive of ‘Day’ resonated through the auditorium, a phrase just as immediate and vital to Act II, as the Tristan chord itself is to Act I. The impatience of Isolde was vividly expressed by the scurrying of the upper strings, the urgency of the moment further highlighted by the lower woodwind and cellos in turn. A longing for love rang out from the seductive flutes before the desperate desire of Tristan and Isolde for each other was suggested by the full swell of Jurowski’s band.

The pronouncement of the horns told us the hunting party was approaching. So desperate was Isolde for Tristan to arrive that she was not only blinded by love but deafened too. Anja Kampe as Isolde appeared bewildered, almost in a daze. Sarah Connolly as Brangaene could hear those off-stage horns, as all the audience could; she convinced me in Der deiner harrt that there was danger afoot but Isolde ignored her fervently uttered gewarnt. The violins raised serious doubts regarding Melot’s loyalty to Tristan. Despite increasingly dramatic and passionate pleas from Brangaene, Isolde was impervious to logic; Kampe’s voluminous G^b s indicated she would win the argument with Connolly, extinguish the torch and so signal to Tristan that it was safe for the lovers to rendezvous. Dein werk? No! There are higher forces involved than you my girl. Isolde praised Frau Minne and Kampe’s zeigen was every bit as fierce as Connolly’s gewarnt.

The scurrying motive returned to announce Tristan and the duet began – a symphonic journey that seamlessly travelled between the motives that dominate the work. The text explored the significance of friendly ‘Night’ and that hostile ‘Day’. Tristan sung by Robert Dean Smith cursed Dem Tage but none too menacingly in my view. Overall Dean Smith gave a solid and reliable performance but this heldentenor lacked charisma. Kampe however had magnetism, was attractive in voice and appearance, exhilarating and passionate when required (I noticed no vibrato either, a feature that often goes with the demands put upon this role). The mood of the two protagonists alternated between frantic passion and serene bliss, culminating in the mellifluous O sink hernieder – a stunningly legato line from Wagner, conjured from the notes of the Tristan chord. The two voices became one as the painful longing of the cor anglais introduced Verloschen nun. Love was momentarily at peace. On the flowery banks a tender oboe accompanied Kampe as she invitingly mouthed a sensuous Mund an Mund. Utter conviction!

Lost to each other the idyllic moment continued from Brangaene despite her Habet acht message. From her lookout in the organ loft she could see everthing; we heard every word. Tristan and Isolde made hand contact for the most tearful and tender moment of the evening. Romantic – and the rest! What a contribution from Sarah Connolly, the highlight of whole evening for me.

At the time of the conception of Tristan und Isolde around 1850, Wagner became immersed in the writings of Arthur Schopenhauer, philosophical initiatives that influenced his libretto. As the Act II love scene continued, so the recitative reached new levels to discover a solution to their pent up desire outside physical satisfaction. The music of singers and orchestra progressively developed the concept that the love of Tristan und Isolde transcends death. Kampe’s und in und, was es bindet was particularly poignant. Jurowski glided everyone into So stürben wir as the ‘Liebestod’ theme emerged and blossomed along with the ‘Ecstasy’ motive into a glorious climax on Liebeslust.

Jurowski asked for and got a tumultuous crescendo from the LPO to usher in the hunting party. Although Wagner only scores ff at this point, it sounded spot on. The interjection from Stephen Gadd as Kurwenal signalled further commotion. Gadd also sang Melot and effectively crowed to the King. Marke began his diatribe, often considered to be the weak point of the Second Act. Such was absorbing delivery of Lásló Polgár the 12 min rallentando flew by – a bass voice to die for (well, to be mortally wounded for anyway). Polgár evoked sympathy and while Dean Smith remained impassive, Kampe visibly showed compassion, a sentiment shared by the bass clarinet. Tristan said little in reply – the Tristan Chord said it for him.

With no visuals to support Melot’s blooding of Tristan, it was appropriately left to the magnificent Jurowski and his virtuosic LPO to close with an emphatic D minor chord. Theirs was a smooth transition from first to last. Perhaps the final word should remain with Wagner, words taken from a letter to Liszt in 1854:
 

‘As I have never in my life felt the real bliss of love, I must erect a monument to the most beautiful of all my dreams, in which, from beginning to end, that love shall be thoroughly saturated. I have in my head a Tristan und Isolde, the simplest, but most full-blooded, musical conception.’

Geoff Read

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