Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
The Complete Symphonies
Camilla Tilling (soprano), Kelley O’Connor (mezzo-soprano), Issachah Savage (tenor), Ryan McKinny (bass-baritone), The Washington Chorus, National Symphony Orchestra / Gianandrea Noseda
rec. live composite, 2022-2023, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC, USA
German text and English translation of Friedrich Schiller’s An die Freude provided
Blu-ray audio options: 5.0 DTS HD MA 24bit/192kHz; 2.0 DTS HD MA 24bit/192kHz; Dolby Atmos
National Symphony Orchestra NSO0013 SACD/BDA [5 SACDs/2BD-As:338]
The current season (2023/2024) is Giandrea Noseda’s seventh as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra. It’s by no means uncommon for conductors and orchestras to display their credentials as an artistic partnership through a Beethoven symphony cycle, sometimes committing the results to disc. During 2022 and 2023, Noseda and the NSO gave a complete cycle of the Beethoven symphonies in concert and they issued recordings of all the performances. The live recordings were made in the Concert Hall of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, the NSO’s home base. I think I’m right in saying that initially these were only issued as individual digital downloads but now the NSO has gathered the cycle together in a boxed set of five hybrid SACDs and two Blu-ray Audio discs. The second Blu-ray also includes a filmed concert performance of the Ninth. When doing my listening I used the SACDs and, primarily, the 2.0 DTS HD MA 24bit/192kHz stereo layer of the BD-As.
I first encountered this set in the most recent session in the MusicWeb International Listening Studio. My colleagues and I had time only to do the briefest of sampling – as we made clear at the time – but our experience with the first movement of the Seventh symphony was positive. We liked Noseda’s tempi, the excellence of the orchestra’s playing, not least in the matter of observing dynamics, and the clarity of the recorded sound. So, I approached the full cycle with some confidence.
Before beginning, I think it’s pertinent to make one or two general remarks. The performances are given by a conventionally-sized symphony orchestra playing on modern instruments. Nonetheless, the performances have clearly been influenced by HIP practices; in particular, string vibrato is closely controlled. Tempi are on the swift side – something which brings positive and less-than-positive features. Textures are consistently clear and the recorded sound allows us to hear all sections of the orchestra very well – there’s excellent cut-through for the woodwinds, for instance.
The First symphony gets off to a good start. The introduction is graceful, albeit paced somewhat more swiftly than I would expect given the Adagio molto marking; however, I like the flow that Noseda imparts. The main Allegro con brio is sprightly, with good energy levels. In the slow movement (Andante cantabile con moto) Noseda takes note of the ‘con moto’ element in the marking. Dynamic contrasts and accents are well observed and the playing is neat. The Menuetto is swift and dynamic. That I like, but I’m less sure of his decision to maintain the exact same pulse for the Trio; I would prefer – and expect – at the very least a modest easing of the pace here. The main body of the last movement is marked Allegro moto e vivace. My initial reaction was to like the very dynamic approach, which makes the music playful and lithe. I came to modify that view, however; maybe it’s the fast pace or the bright orchestral sound (at least as recorded) or, more likely, a combination of both, but eventually I felt that the performance appeared to be driven too hard.
Much the same thoughts occurred to me as I listened to the Second symphony. The introduction seems to be more of an Andante than the marked Adagio molto but I like the momentum imparted to the music. The Allegro con brio bowls along at a lively pace. I enjoyed the slow movement, which is nicely cantabile. Noseda’s way with the Scherzo mirrors his approach to the comparable movement in the First symphony: a very lively pace which is maintained unaltered in the Trio. The finale is high-energy and full of brilliance.
The ‘Eroica’ opens with an account of the first movement which is definitely ‘con brio’. However, whilst at first I appreciated the energy in the music making, it wasn’t long before I craved more of a sense of space. I wrote in my notes “a bit unremitting” and that sums up my reaction to the account of the whole movement; I listened in vain for any feeling of ‘give’ in the conducting. The Marcia funebre has the additional marking Adagio assai. That’s certainly not what Noseda offers. I suppose that the fairly fleet basic tempo is not untypical of many conductors these days, but as the movement unfolded, I felt the approach was rather too plain spoken; Noseda didn’t really convey any sense that he was digging below the emotional surface. The Scherzo followed what had now become Noseda’s established practice: a very fast tempo for the Scherzo (which the orchestra negotiates dexterously) which is maintained into the Trio. At this point, I had become more than a little irritated by this way with the Trio sections so I did a little experiment. I took down from the shelves the cycle which Nikolaus Harnoncourt recorded in 1990/91 for Teldec with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (review). Harnoncourt was no slouch in Beethoven. I hadn’t listened to his bracing performances in a while so I was interested to remind myself of how he approached the third movements of the First and Third symphonies. He’s no less swift than Noseda but in each case he eases back on the throttle a little for the Trio sections. This is much to the music’s advantage and confirms me in my dislike for the Noseda way. Noseda opens the finale at a very fast pace. The orchestra copes well but even so the music sounds snatched. This is Allegro molto indeed, but I’ve heard other conductors find more in the music at a slightly less hectic speed. Rather to my surprise, the conducting of the slow variations (from 5:44) is much more “conventional” and expressive. Noseda allows a pleasing amount of space to the music and the performance is immeasurably better for it. Of course, Noseda reverts to his very fast pace for the movement’s conclusion – it would have been completely illogical had he not done so. The ‘Eroica’ is the symphony in which Beethoven’s stature as a symphonist was truly revealed for the first time. As such, it should be a pinnacle in any complete cycle but, unfortunately, Noseda comes up short.
During the ‘Eroica’ something else which had been nagging away in the background came to greater prominence. Presumably because they’d been instructed to minimise vibrato, the NSO’s violins have an edge to their tone which, when they play loudly, almost verges on the aggressive. I’d felt in the first two symphonies that the violin sound lacked warmth but this characteristic was more noticeable in the ‘Eroica’. I’m sure that the sound that we hear in these recordings doesn’t accurately reflect the accomplishment of the NSO’s violin section – in all other respects I admired their playing very much – and had they been allowed to play this music with more vibrato I’m sure we would have heard them to better advantage.
The Fourth symphony opens promisingly: there’s good suspense in the Adagio introduction and then the Allegro vivace explodes into life. That’s all well and good, but though the performance is very lively, I never get the sense that Noseda relaxes anywhere. There’s much to commend the account of the Adagio second movement – not least the expressive work of the NSO woodwinds – but the lean string tone rather compromises things as far as I’m concerned. The Menuetto is fast and lean, the accents sharply observed. To my surprise, on this occasion Noseda does relax the pace for the Trio and the effect is wholly beneficial. The Allegro ma non troppo finale fairly scampers along. Depending on your point of view, you’ll find the performance either exhilarating or a bit wearying. As a one-time bassoonist myself I didn’t envy the NSO’s player when it came to the little bassoon solo partway through. The player delivers the goods but, frankly, at this speed the solo is a bit of a blur.
Unsurprisingly, the Fifth is right up Noseda’s street. The first movement is fast and dramatic; I would have expected nothing less. In the Andante con moto, he certainly takes the ‘con moto’ injunction to heart. To be honest, the performance is too sprightly for my taste; I can’t help feeling that Noseda rather skates over the surface. The Scherzo is characteristically energetic; I admire the suppressed tension that is achieved in the transition to the finale. The last movement is a blaze of C major energy and light. Perhaps the music seems too driven, but Noseda certainly wouldn’t be the first conductor to make that effect.
I was more than a little curious to hear how the ‘Pastoral’ Symphony would fare in Noseda’s hands. The first movement is marked Allegro ma no troppo, I honestly don’t think Noseda takes sufficient notice of the ‘ma non troppo’ element: the music is so paced that we skip along through the countryside. To be fair, the performance has an open-eyed feel to it which might be thought of as refreshing, but I’m afraid I think it’s all too hasty. If Beethoven is here suggesting a pleasing stroll through the countryside, then in all honesty we’ll be out of breath when we reach the end of our walk. There’s no question of admiring the scenery; instead Noseda consistently hurries us on our way. Happily, the ‘Scene by the Brook’ is very much better. Noseda paces the music intelligently and he achieves a nice, easy flow. In a well-judged performance the beguiling work of the woodwind section is a special pleasure. In the third movement the peasants’ revels are decidedly nimble; I quite like that, though perhaps it’s a bit on the swift side. The storm is dramatic. The Shepherds’ Song finale has a nice lilt to it but had the tempo been just a fraction easier it would have made all the difference; I don’t feel that the music truly sings.
As I mentioned above, the Seventh was the work of which I’d heard part before getting down to serious listening to the complete set. Rehearing the first movement reinforced the favourable impression I’d formed in the Listening Studio. As I reported then, the Introduction is intelligently paced and this leads into an athletic account of the Vivace. The clarity of the playing is admirable, as is the way the engineers have captured the orchestra’s sound. It’s probably heresy to say so, but I’m afraid I have always found the Allegretto Beethoven’s least interesting symphonic movement; the principal thematic material seems uninspired. Thankfully, Noseda chooses a tempo which means that the music doesn’t trudge along; he keeps the music on the move and, as in the first movement, obtains excellent dynamic contrasts. In the Presto sections of the third movement, the music leaps like a gazelle; the Trio is well-judged too. The finale is taken at a very fast pace. Inevitably, this put me in mind of Carlos Kleiber’s electrifying rendition of the movement (review). I couldn’t resist the temptation to make a comparison with Kleiber’s incandescent performance. Interestingly, Kleiber’s tempo is just a bit steadier than Noseda’s and as a result he gives the Vienna Philharmonic a fractional but crucial bit of extra time in which to articulate the music. Furthermore, Kleiber seems to find more light and shade in the movement. I came to the conclusion that Noseda is too unrelenting: the race is not always to the swiftest. This is a bit of a disappointment after he’d been convincing in the preceding movements. I should record that the edginess in the violin tone which had bothered me at times during earlier symphonies was not an issue in the Seventh.
Noseda leads an enjoyable account of the Eighth symphony; indeed, I’m inclined to think it’s the most successful of the performances so far. The first movement is nicely judged; the wit in Beethoven’s writing comes across well. The Allegretto scherzando is also a success; the performance is light-footed. I also like the delicacy that’s evident in the third movement. The finale is dynamic and energetic; I like Noseda’s pacing. This symphony suits Noseda; he does it well and gets sprightly, alert playing from the NSO.
The first movement of the Ninth is all about tension, drama and rhythmic energy. As such, it seems tailor-made for Noseda’s view of Beethoven. The punchy performance that he leads has plenty of strength and drive. The Scherzo needs a crisp, swift approach and that’s just what Noseda delivers. Opinion may be more divided when it comes to the slow movement. The principal tempo marking is Adagio molto e cantabile, eventually giving way to Andante moderato. Noseda’s tempo selection leans more towards the second of those injunctions. I approve of the flow with which he invests the music but some listeners may feel, as I tend to do, there is not quite sufficient breadth and gravitas. The orchestra plays very well indeed for him; I love the way that inner detail comes out very naturally. The finale features strong vocal contributions; the solo team is good with the tenor and bass, who have more prominent roles, impressing in their respective solos. The Washington Chorus makes a sterling showing; I appreciated the attention to detail, especially in matters of dynamics. It seems to me that Noseda evidences a strong grip on the proceedings; his tempi are judiciously chosen. This is a largely successful recording of the ‘Choral’.
I’m afraid Noseda’s Beethoven cycle is too inconsistent. I’ve tried to summarise, fairly, I hope, the reservations I have about the performances of the first six symphonies. I hope that I’ve indicated that there are positive aspects too. There’s quite an improvement in the last three symphonies. With these three works I found the chosen tempi were much more to my taste: earlier in the cycle speeds often struck me as too fast and unyielding. Also, in the earlier works the recorded sound seemed rather bright and analytical. I wonder if there is any significance in the fact that the last three symphonies (and the Second) were the last to be recorded: those performances took place in May and June 2023 whereas the other five symphonies were given during 2022.
NSO’s presentation is very good. The substantial booklet (in English and Spanish) includes useful notes on each symphony by Peter Laki. In addition to a good number of colour photographs, the booklet also features colour reproductions of nine abstract paintings by the American artist Mo Willems. There’s a picture for each symphony and every one is divided into panels, one for each movement. I can’t pretend to understand them but it’s an unusual presentational addendum to a Beethoven cycle. What will primarily concern readers, though, is the recorded sound. For once, I find myself a bit on the fence. The sound is clean and clear and this clarity is welcome in many ways; the strands of Beethoven’s orchestra are all nicely audible and the recordings are well balanced. But maybe the clarity adds to the impression that several of the performances are too lean and driven. I have to admit that I didn’t discern a significant difference between the SACDs (stereo layer) and the BD-As.
The catalogue is bulging with Beethoven symphony cycles. In the last analysis, I don’t think this set from Gianandrea Noseda and the National Symphony Orchestra is sufficiently distinguished or consistent to rank alongside the best. For me, it doesn’t seriously challenge the hegemony of recent versions by Blomstedt, Chailly or Mackerras.
John Quinn
Previous review: Ralph Moore (April 2024)
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