Robert Craft’s association
with the works of Webern goes back a
long way. Here are his most recent thoughts
on the Master’s opus along with a large
selection of chamber and vocal works
for small forces. This is announced
as Volume 1 of the complete Webern –
I shall be watching the remainder with
keen interest.
The Symphony
kicks things off. At just over ten minutes
it is, for this composer, of near-Wagnerian
length. The hushed first movement is
almost reverential here, shifting and
mysterious. The good recording ensures
all is audible, and helps convey the
supreme confidence of the second movement
finale.
The interspersing of
the larger-scored pieces with smaller,
more intimate works is a strong point
in the disc’s favour – a straight-through
listen is a pleasure when programmed
like this. So the juxtaposing of the
Symphony with the Five Canons
for soprano and two clarinets means
a complementary move to more intimate
climes.
Jennifer Welch-Babidge
is the soprano for this disc, described
in her bio as a ‘singer-actress’. She
is fairly expressive in the Five
Canons, Op. 16, but the latent expression
in Webern’s disjunct larger intervals
can certainly be more beautifully rendered
than here, Welch-Babidge’s voice being
just that little bit too timbrally thin.
She is better in the Volktexte,
Op. 17, for soprano, violin, clarinet
and bass clarinet, especially the hyper-delicate
final movement.
The Songs, Op.
18 are scored characterfully for soprano,
piccolo clarinet and guitar; Pierre
Boulez must have loved these! The beauty
of these songs - and their performance
here - is one of the highlights of this
disc. To move to the famous Op. 20 String
Trio is a smooth journey. Craft describes
Op. 20 as ‘one of his [Webern’s] greatest
creations’, without actually saying
why. There is indeed a purity here;
the sweet tone of Ani Kavafian’s violin
certainly helps. There is also a real
feeling of chamber-music. The more abrasive
second movement works in good contrast.
Allegedly, the Op.
22 Quartet (tenor saxophone, violin,
clarinet and piano) is ‘widely recognised
as the "coolest" music Webern
ever wrote’ (Craft), although no explanation
of this statement is given. Presumably
it refers to the inclusion of a sax?
Actually the sound of the sax used in
these surroundings takes on a whole
new meaning. Although the second movement
dances, surely it is closer to the finale
of the Op. 24 Concerto than to cool
jazz?
Christopher Oldfather’s
account of the Variations, while
not rivalling the sovereign Pollini
(DG), is interesting for the way in
which the intimacy of the first movement
invites the listener in. The second
movement dances, but possibly the highlight
of Oldfather’s interpretation is the
way the finale dies away into silence.
The longest single
work on this disc is the Six Pieces
for Orchestra, Op. 6. Having an
orchestra of the Philharmonia’s calibre
at one’s disposal guarantees a certain
confidence in execution. Craft finds
a good deal of warmth in this score,
that Boulez can at times eschew. The
Funeral March (the fourth movement)
is absolutely hypnotic, certainly having
me hanging on every note. The climax
is highly impressive, the recording
coping well with the onslaught. I like
Craft’s description of the muted tuba
notes of the final movement ‘floating
up like bubbles from the bottom of a
tank’.
Craft cites a rather
surface description of the Op. 7 in
his notes, but does not accredit his
quote. The performance is masterly however.
Jesse Mills and Oldfather clearly worked
hard on ever micro-nuance. Fully fitting
that the Op. 11 cello pieces should
follow, the logical continuation of
the supremely terse mode of expression
that Op. 7 offers. Fred Sherry finds
almost Romantic expression in the brief
second piece (0’24) while maintaining
the intensity throughout. Oldfather
is once again a responsive accompanist.
The (in)famous Concerto
is given a dedicated performance. Very
confidently despatched, this is clearly
seen as ‘pure’ Webern. Dovetailing and
conversing between instruments is deftly
done, the rarefied atmosphere of the
slow movement well sustained. All this
makes the barely-disguised rudeness
of the finale all the more shocking.
Try the sudden coming together at 0’15,
which is played up for all it is worth.
Excellent.
The decision to follow
the Concerto with Webern’s arrangements
of Schubert is one I remain unsure of.
These are the most famous of Webern’s
arrangements. I have yet to hear his
arrangements of three Schubert Piano
Sonatas for small orchestra that Craft
alludes to in his notes, apparently
made a decade prior to these dances.
Suffice to say that the Dances are affectionately
moulded in Craft’s hands.
The standard of performance
on this disc is very high, the care
always evident.. Do investigate.
Colin Clarke
Philharmonia Orchestra/Robert Craft. 
