There
was something inspiring seeing Wolfgang Sawallisch,
now 80 years old, controlling Bruckner’s vast
Fifth Symphony with minimal movements,
yet yielding maximal musical excitement. In
noticeable contrast to the hyperactive school
of conducting favored by some (and I like
both approaches), just a small wave of Sawallisch’s
left hand produced a huge swell of tone in
the Philadelphia Orchestra’s unparalleled
string section.
The
stealthy pizzicatos that open the work
sounded almost like raindrops, with a delicacy
and accuracy that grabbed attention immediately,
helped by an audience that was absolutely
quiet. The movement lasts about twenty minutes,
but somehow the time seemed to speed by as
Sawallisch gradually assembled the disparate
components – more of those pizzicatos, as
well as ringing octaves and huge chorales
– into a resounding whole.
The
second movement, the softly meditative "Adagio",
also begins with a slow pizzicato introduction,
followed by a sighing theme in the woodwinds
that gently travels through the entire orchestra.
Sawallisch made sure that the slight syncopations
– flowing woodwinds gliding over the strings
– were absolutely clear and rhythmically precise.
Meanwhile, in some heavenly solos, the orchestra’s
principal oboe, Richard Woodhams, produced
some of the loveliest, most ruminative playing
one could want.
The
"Scherzo" uses the same opening
melodic line as the slow movement, but considerably
speeded up, and Sawallisch made it smoke and
dance. Monumental is not the same as plodding,
as some seem to think. Sawallisch brought
out all the rich contrast between the quiet
openings of the phrases and their massive
endings, the latter with the Philadelphia
brass thundering down gloriously.
Much
of the final movement is a huge fugue, with
a lengthy section comprised of a recurring
dotted rhythm that probably drives some listeners
mad. But in Sawallisch’s view, the logic of
the repetitions, coupled with their increasing
frenzy, only paved the way for the triumphant
apotheosis. And what a finale! In the final
minutes, Bruckner unfurls the brass section
in a magnificent, unabashedly joyous chorale,
and the Philadelphia players only seemed to
gain strength for the blazing finish.
The
evening was hardly sold out, and I suspect
the culprit is the composer, rather than Sawallisch
or the orchestra. Bruckner can be deceptively
difficult to bring off, with long phrases
and huge block chords that sound miserable
if not in tune. Like some of the contemporary
minimalists – say, Steve Reich and Terry Riley
– Bruckner shares an interest in tiny units
that are subjected to sometimes minute changes
over a long time span, resulting in a whole
that is ultimately more substantial than it
might have seemed at first. It’s also unfortunate
that Bruckner’s work has a reputation for
being leaden and monotonous, since in spiritual
hands like those of Sawallisch, the sound
has a unique sense of light and space. Like
most of his symphonies, Bruckner’s Fifth
vaults those who are patient to some higher
ecstatic state, and Sawallisch must be counted
as one of the few conductors today who are
up for the task.
Bruce Hodges
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