This DVD shows why
this medium is perfect for this kind
of event. Too often, music DVDs are
made of concert performances of the
major classics and these can be sterile
with little or no atmosphere. In these
May Day Concerts, given annually by
the Berlin Philharmonic under a chosen
conductor, we have the advantage of
a warts-and-all concert, often of varied
repertoire. Rarely is there a unifying
theme: what we get, almost consistently,
is an excellent concert in very good
sound with an exceptionally interesting
backdrop.
For the 2003 concert,
Lisbon was the chosen city, and who
better to partner the orchestra than
Maria João Pires, working with
the conductor Pierre Boulez.
This DVD is features
imaginative camera work and superb sound
to enhance our pleasure. This, incidentally,
is shared by the audience who, I am
sure did not hear the concert as well
as we are allowed to on this DVD. This
is because of the cavernous acoustic
of the enormous building, complete with
beautiful pillars and a superb ceiling,
all of which are used to full effect
by Bob Coles. It must have been a nightmare
to obtain sound that reflected the location,
but did not get lost in substantial
echo.
The Berlin Philharmonic,
now with many new personnel, due no
doubt to Simon Rattle, although still
retaining first oboe and piccolo and
a few other players, is not as assured
as it has been in previous years, but
I am sure that this will change as they
get used to working together.
Pierre Boulez, now
the grand old man of the French musical
scene, seems to get better as the years
go by. The use of hands-only in his
conducting does not seem to cause any
problems with the orchestra, and he
continues to give a superlative performance
of his compatriot’s music. The Ravel
is a model of how the piece should go,
with rhythms natural and unforced and
with the woodwind and strings perfectly
balanced. As most of the score is relatively
lightweight the cavernous acoustic is
not a problem.
Maria João Pires
joins the orchestra for a superlative
performance of one of Mozart’s revolutionary
piano concerti, and the orchestra is
inspired to give of their best by such
musicianship. I am not sure who wrote
the cadenzas. I have not heard these
before and there is no indication in
the notes as to their source.
After the interval,
Boulez returns to conduct a stunning
performance of Bartók’s masterpiece.
It is here that the orchestra sound
a little stretched which is not helped
by the acoustic. The sound rolls around
the building and the quality coming
out of the speakers is fantastically
exciting if you like a cathedral-like
acoustic. Some critics would get out
of their prams with this kind of sound
quality, but I for one enjoyed it immensely.
It all adds to the experience.
This trombone glissandos
in the fourth movement sound decidedly
approximate and the rushing strings
at the beginning of the last movement
are only just negotiated. I can’t imagine
this happening under Abbado.
Boulez then returns
and introduces the encore – Fêtes
from Trois Nocturnes of Debussy
– very much a party piece for the conductor.
I expect that the 16th
Century building has rarely hosted music-making
of this standard. I can heartily recommend
this richly enjoyable DVD.
John Phillips
Maria João Pires (piano)
DVD 2053079 [120:00] 
