Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Symphony No 5 in B-flat major, D. 485
Symphony No 8 in B minor “Unfinished”, D. 759
Rondo in A major, D. 438
Stephanie Gonley (violin)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Maxim Emelyanychev
rec. 2023, Caird Hall, Dundee, Scotland
Linn CKD748 [69]
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s relationship with Maxim Emelyanychev, the man who is now their Principal Conductor, began with Schubert when Emelyanychev was a late stand-in to conduct them in the Great C Major Symphony. The magic with which their relationship blossomed was captured on their first recording together, of that very symphony (review). This new release brings them back to Schubert. If the results aren’t quite as revelatory or as fresh as that first disc, then they’re still bursting with life and well worth the attention of anyone who loves the composer.
From the start, you get a good impression of how the disc will develop. There’s a lovely sense of sweetness combined with playfulness in the Fifth Symphony’s opening movement, and Emelyanychev pilots the whole thing with charm and wit. Listen, for example, to the way he subtly softens the last note of the violins’ first phrase, giving it the tone of a mischievous grin. It might not be strictly notated in the score, but it gives it a lovely sense of character. There are endless “authentic” touches that give the sound its own distinctive tang, such as the fruity flutes and oboes that seem to hark back to an earlier age, or the vibratoless strings, who sound like they’re playing on gut. They really come into the own with the silken, gorgeous main theme of the slow movement, which feels like a blissful idyll when played with the focus and beauty of tone it gets here. The third movement has more of a skip to it than I’ve heard elsewhere, sounding much less severe than it does in the hands of others. The central Trio manages to sound both charming and ever-so-slightly insidious with its quietly chuckling bassoon. The finale is a quick fire scamper, enlivened by some cheeky rubato and some daringly elongated pauses.
However, the real gem on this disc is the Unfinished Symphony, for which the mood darkens considerably and the sound world seems so different that you’d scarcely believe it was the same team. The basses of the opening growl with understated threat, and Emelyanychev’s tempo for the first movement is much more deliberate, imparting a much deeper air of solemnity to the music. There is still silky beauty, as you’ll hear in the lithe way the cellos play the second theme, but there’s a jagged edge to the playing of the violins which never lets you forget you’re in a landscape of much more severe contours and brooding drama. The conductor uses every touch to heighten and deepen that drama. The climax of the development, for example, brings a sharp increase in tempo that accentuates the tension noticeably, meaning that when the recapitulation comes in it seems only to heighten the mood’s uncertainty rather than bring any consolation.
We’re not even granted that much consolation in the slow movement, which is taken faster than you might expect – properly con moto – giving it the quality of a solemn march. This makes the minor key outbursts even more incisive than they normally sound, so that the tussle between major and minor always feels like it’s dragging the mood steadily downwards. Through all this, however, the playing is marvellous, the violins striving towards blissful hope, with liquid beauty coming from the winds and horns as they uphold the soundscape. The tonal shift in the coda here sounds even more poignant than usual, because it seems to hold out the promise of fulfilment that is further away than ever.
Orchestra and conductor bring all the same qualities of precision and attention-to-detail to the A major Rondo, alongside some beautifully subtle orchestral playing. That acts as a supportive cushion to the chalky, transparently lithe solo violin playing of Stephanie Gonley, which responds well to the piece’s many mood changes, by turns meditative, playful and skittish. It’s undeniably a less substantial piece than the symphonies, but it’s an appealing filler that might just persuade some people who already have recordings of the symphonies to part with their cash.
Be in no doubt, though, the symphonies are worth your money on their own. There are musical and dramatic insights aplenty, particularly in the Unfinished, and the recorded sound is first-rate, too. The Linn engineers do an excellent job of capturing the acoustic of Dundee’s Caird Hall, while also achieving all the transparency and detail you’d want.
Simon Thompson
Previous review: Michael Greenhalgh (November 2024)
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