BRUCKNER
Symphony No. 6; Wolf: 4 Goethe-Lieder: Harfenspieler- Lieder: I. Wer sich der Einsamkeit ergibt; II. An die Türen will ich schleichen; III. Wer nie sein Brot mit Tränen aß; Anakreons Grab. Ricardo Chailly conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Decca 289458 189-2 70:31
Reviewed by Robert Cummings

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The common wisdom on Chailly's Bruckner is that it is a youthful take on the music, as opposed to the more mature approaches of, say, Jochum (EMI), Wand (RCA), Barenboim (Teldec), or Tintner (Naxos). In a limited sense that view is maintained here, for Chailly serves up a reading that eschews passion for poise, intensity for impetus, producing, in the end, a Bruckner Sixth that catches the sunlight and beauty, all right, but one that's not exactly devoid of wisdom and serenity, either. Thus, it can also be viewed as an interpretation from a mature mind. For one thing, Chailly's overall timing is on the moderate-to-slow side, but nowhere does it lack thrust or forward motion. Of the competition mentioned above only Tintner clocks in slower (59:47 compared with 57:30), and while there are some minor textual differences among some recordings of the Sixth (Wand/RCA, for one), there is nothing substantial, unlike most others in the Bruckner canon, that would account for significant differences in timing. Thus, tempo choices are the only important variable when one counts the minutes in this work. Chailly's reading, then, could best be characterized as an intelligently- conceived, somewhat middle-of-the-road affair that is ecumenical in its bridging of many approaches.

The Tintner is certainly a worthy contender in the ever-widening field, especially considering the budget price, but the offering under review has an obvious advantage over that issue in the superior playing of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. (Tintner's band is the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, a competent, spirited but not exactly world-class ensemble). The main theme in the first movement here is muscular and robust without ever sounding bloated. It's a creation that has always struck me as a quasi-Latinesque sort of theme that, in the wrong hands, can border on the pompous. Chailly, however, never crosses that line, nor does he go over the top in the Adagio as Solti and others have. Bruckner wasn't Tchaikovsky, and this conductor certainly knows that, sparing the listener any undue emotionalism, while still capturing the beauty and warmth of this splendid movement. In the Scherzo and finale he again is on target: in the former he deftly points up the pastoral qualities of the trio and the defiance of the outer sections; in the latter he makes an excellent case for this iffy music with sensitive phrasing and fine balances. Overall, this vies with the best Bruckner Sixths on record.

As for the four Wolf Songs, logical fillers, as there is a stylistic kinship of sorts between this composer and Bruckner, Matthias Goerne sings them splendidly, finding in all four a rather serene darkness amid the grief and torture of Goethe's texts. These are fine accounts, then, and Chailly's accompaniment is completely sympathetic. Decca offers excellent sound and good notes.

© 1999 - Robert Cummings