Leoš JANÁČEK (1854-1928)
Glagolitic Mass (1928 version, ed. Jiři Zahrŕdka) [39:26]
Adagio for Orchestra (1890) [5:47]
Zdrávas Maria (Ave Maria) (1904) [4:13]
Otče náš (Our Father) (1901/1906) [14:36]
Sara Jakubiak (soprano); Susan Bickley (mezzo); Stuart Skelton (tenor); Gábor Bretz (bass)
David Stewart (violin); Johannes Wik (harp); Thomas Trotter, Karstein Askeland (organ)
Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Choir of Collegiűm Műsicűm, Edvard Grieg Kor, Bergen Cathedral Choir
Bergen Philharmonic/Edward Gardner
rec. Grieghallen (Mass, Adagio) and Bergen Cathedral (Otče náš, Zdrávas and organ part of the Mass); 17-20 August 2015, Bergen, Norway
Reviewed as a 24/96 Studio Master from
The Classical Shop
Pdf booklet includes sung texts and English translations
CHANDOS CHSA5165 SACD [63:22]
Given the turmoil at English National Opera the end
of Edward Gardner’s music directorship there in 2015 looks like
a lucky escape; even more so now that his successor, Mark Wigglesworth,
has quit as well. Gardner is in demand, though; he was made principal
guest conductor of the CBSO in 2010 and took up his post as principal
conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic in 2015. I’ve already reviewed
his Bartók
and some of his Szymanowski
and Janáček,
which I greeted with a mixture of delight and disappointment.
John Quinn has been more complimentary about Gardner’s Janáček
recordings – three volumes so far, including this one of the Glagolitic
Mass; however, he was less impressed with this conductor’s
live CBSO account of the piece, which he reviewed
for Seen & Heard in March 2015. Gardner’s Janáček
albums offer a mix of major and minor works; in this case it’s
the Adagio for Orchestra and his settings of the Ave Maria
and The Lord’s Prayer. Although none of these could be
classed as juvenilia – the composer was 36 when he wrote the Adagio
– they are still a world away from his later, grittier style.
Janáček’s biographer Jaroslav Vogel has suggested that the
Adagio was written in response to the death of the composer’s
two-year-old son Vladimir; others have surmised it may have been intended
as an extra overture to his opera Šárka. Whatever the
true context it’s a taut, darkly lyrical piece that’s well
worth hearing. Gardner emphasises the work’s ebb and flow –
perhaps 'undertow' is more accurate – and he shapes
it all so well. As for the Grieghallen recording it’s full and
detailed, if a little dry.
We move to Bergen cathedral for the remaining fillers. The change of
acoustic is both obvious and welcome, especially in the Ave Maria.
Composed for soprano, organ and four-part chorus it has a simple foundation
– Karstein Askeland is the discreet accompanist here – above
which Sara Jakubiak’s firm, fearless voice soars most beautifully.
The brief choral contributions, clear and heartfelt, are just as satisfying.
What a winning little number this is, and how perfectly proportioned.
Speaking of which perspectives are believable and the mellow tones of
the cathedral's 1997 Rieger are superbly rendered.
Janáček’s setting of The Lord’s Prayer is
somewhat unusual. Written to raise funds for the Brno Women’s
Shelter it’s a series of tableaux vivants for tenor,
four-part chorus and piano. The version played here is the revised one,
with a harp and organ in place of the piano. I was captivated by Johannes
Wik’s glorious harp playing – what a haunting figure that
is in the first and penultimate sections – and by the fervent
choral singing; even more arresting is the tenor Stuart Skelton, whose
plangent, nicely scaled delivery seems just right for the piece.
Without hearing a note of the main work I’d say this album is
a must-buy for the fillers alone. I’ve revisited The Lord’s
Prayer again and again, and each time it’s been a deeply
moving experience. The vigour and vision of the piece – not to
mention its latent theatricality – is astonishing. And are the
drenching Amens a precursor of those in the Mass,
penned fifty years later? The engineers are Ralph Couzens and Jonathan
Cooper, who did a fine job with Xiayin Wang’s Tchaikovsky and
Khachaturian (review),
not to mention Neeme Järvi's Ibert (review).
They are assisted here by Gunnar Herleif Nilsen of the Norwegian state
broadcaster NRK.
No review of a new Glagolitic Mass would be complete with reference
to some of those that have gone before. There are many fine recordings
of the so-called 'standard edition', as played here; chief among them
are those by Karel
Ančerl and Sir
Charles Mackerras, both on Supraphon. Mackerras also recorded Paul
Wingfield’s ‘restoration’, based on Janáček’s
original score (Chandos).
While that is clearly an important piece of scholarship I still have
a soft spot for the familiar, albeit simplified version that I first
heard more than forty years ago. Now there’s a third option that
reconstructs the first performance in December 1927 (review).
In preparation for this review I dipped into several recordings of the
Mass. First up was Sir Simon Rattle’s extremely visceral
account with the CBSO, which I enjoyed more than I have in the past
(EMI-Warner).
Then it was the clear-eyed Rafael Kubelik and the BRSO; his DG account
from 1967 and an off-air recording taped in 1976. After that Riccardo
Chailly and the Wiener Philharmoniker seem much too smooth and refulgent
(Decca). I also listened to a rather idiosyncratic recording with Pierre
Boulez and the Chicago Symphony; that’s on Vol. 19 of the orchestra’s
From the Archives series, which is now very hard to find.
There are many ways to play this piece. Most conductors I’ve encountered
on record and in the concert hall go for the raw, atavistic approach.
And why not, for this is earthy, elemental music that makes great demands
on singers and players alike. Indeed, good soloists who can sing well
at their limits are hard to find, as my random sample makes clear. That
said, if you prefer something less extreme, and with fine singers too,
I’d urge you to hear Leoš Svárovský’s ArcoDiva
recording; intimate, personal and profoundly affecting, it’s proof
that the Mass works just as well when presented on a more human
scale (also
reviewed here).
So, how do Gardner and his forces fare? Well, the Introduction
has the necessary amplitude and attack, the dragging brass has startling
presence and the timps are as robust as one could wish. There’s
no lack of weight or colour in the Kyrie, either. The choirs
are suitably distant and the recording captures plenty of inner detail.
Even though Jakubiak is clearly at full stretch there’s little
sign of impending distress. However, she’s much too far forward,
leaping out of the mix in a way that’s almost intimidating. Still,
she’s suitably transported in the Gloria; ditto Skelton,
who steers clear of bluster or histrionics.
Incidentally, the organ parts in this recording of the Mass
have been spliced in. It’s a tried-and-tested technique that usually
works well. I’m sure many of you will remember Daniel Barenboim’s
celebrated DG account of the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony, onto
which was grafted a recording of Gaston Litaize playing the organ of
Chartres cathedral. The result was pretty spectacular. Bergen cathedral’s
Rieger – played here by Thomas Trotter – is particularly
impressive in the Gloria; those febrile Amens have
seldom sounded so intoxicating.
Gardner articulates the work’s distinctive rhythms with passion
and a sure sense of style; he also finds a degree of inwardness in the
Credo that rivals tend to miss. As with Berlioz’s great
ceremonial pieces it’s easy to forget that there’s lots
of telling detail in Janáček’s large-scale ones as well.
I also like the fact that Gardner doesn’t push the music too hard,
and that allows rhythmic patterns and timbres to register with maximum
effect. The bass, Gábor Bretz, is very decent and the choirs' antiphonal
passages are well caught. The sound has terrific presence, with more
than enough rasp and crunch when required.
There’s transparency too, especially in the opening of the Sanctus,
and Gardner knows just when to crank up the tension. Indeed, there’s
a pleasing unity to this performance, with no obvious joins or gear-changes,
and that’s no mean feat. The Agnus Dei, so easily becalmed,
sails on regardless. The soloists, including the mezzo Susan Bickley,
work very well together, both here and in the Sanctus. As for
Trotter’s mighty organ solo is it too much of a good thing? Perhaps,
but it’s still a stunner. After that the Intrada can
seem rather feeble; that it doesn’t is a tribute to Gardner’s
strong rhythmic sense and theatrical instincts.
My comparative listening confirms that few recordings of this masterpiece
are completely satisfying. That said, I wouldn’t want to be without
Ančerl, the earlier Mackerras, Rattle or Svárovský. What about
Gardner, I hear you cry? I was sold on his fillers from the start, but
the rest took a while to work its magic. Having lived with Gardner’s
Glagolitic Mass for a few weeks I’m now convinced it’s
a good 'un. Superb sonics and Janáček scholar John Tyrrell’s
authoritative liner-notes complete a most desirable package.
Lovely fillers and a glorious account of the Mass; huzzahs
all round.
Dan Morgan
twitter.com/mahlerei
Previous review:
John Quinn
Earlier volumes in Edward Gardner's Janáček series: Vol.
1 ~ Vol.
2