Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Symphony No. 2, Op. 73
Symphony No. 4, Op. 98
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner
rec. 2023/2024, Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway
Chandos CHSA5248 SACD [81]
Edward Gardner’s recordings with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra are becoming the most reliable regular offerings from the Chandos stable. The partnership of conductor and orchestra has reaped enormous benefits over the years, and this CD is another example. It’s the culmination of a Brahms cycle begun nearly a decade ago (the first part of which I confess I haven’t heard) and if it isn’t world-changing then it’s still very satisfying.
The first thing you notice about Symphony No. 2 is how pacy it is. Gardner’s tempi refuse to hang around, and you sense from the opening that this will be no bland meditation: instead from the opening bars this performance feels as if it is steeped in symphonic rigour rather than blissful, rhapsodic nature-worship. That said, there’s always an exploratory tone to the music, as though each line is stepping out into something new. Altogether, it’s very refreshing, and under Gardner’s baton there’s always a sense of being in the hands of someone who knows what he is doing. He shades the textures very expertly so that, for example, the first movement’s exposition grows naturally to its climax without you ever really noticing, and the transition to the repeat is beautifully judged. In all this, there is a generally joyous feeling, which is quite as it should be.
The second movement is weightier but still mellow, with more of a meditative spirit here, yet it is tinged with a sense of darkness, almost a hint of foreboding in some of the bigger tutti sections. The third movement is all unclouded sunshine, the music strolling along with its hands in its pockets, the winds having a gorgeous legato which the strings answer with tripping lightness. The finale is pacy without being headlong, with a lovely legato on the strings in the second subject. Maybe the tempo becomes a little inconsistent, and I could have done with a bit more weight in some of the bigger climaxes, but otherwise this is very satisfying, and it is offset by orchestral playing that is never less than excellent, seasoned by some sensationally good solos: the horn solo that leads into the first movement’s coda will stop your heart.
No. 4 isn’t quite so noteworthy, but that’s probably because it’s an altogether trickier piece to get right. Its opening treads more heavily and more carefully, as though everyone involved knows they’re involved in a much more serious activity than they were in Symphony No. 2. You can decide for yourself whether that’s an approach that’s appropriate for you. I liked it well enough, but it makes the two symphonies sound like rather odd partners on one disc, and it places Gardner’s Brahms 4 as an equal competitor with some of the most famous versions in the catalogue without that much to distinguish it from the competition.
That said, everything here goes off very straightforwardly, if without anything too flashy or remarkable. The strings are icy at the start of the first movement, but flow with volcanic surge in the second. The brass have a baleful edge to them, very effectively so in the finale, and there is a lovely melancholia to the winds in the slow movement.
Gardner’s pacing is solid (maybe a little stolid?) without being particularly exciting. The first movement doesn’t really screw up to a climax in the way it does under the baton of Kleiber or Karajan, but there is quiet inevitability to the slow movement and an engaging bumble to the scherzo. The tread of the finale is deliberate and quietly unstoppable, with a compelling sweep to the strings from their first entrance onwards. It’s to Gardner’s credit that he broadly sticks to his guns in this movement, not pulling the tempo around or attempting anything flashy, but letting the music unfold on its own terms, and by doing so he manages the tightening screw effect that had eluded the first movement.
So this is very enjoyable. It might not be in the top rank of Brahms cycles, including Karajan in Berlin (in the 1970s), Chailly in Leipzig or Haitink in London, but fans of Gardner’s work in Bergen need not hesitate.
Simon Thompson
Buying this recording via the link below generates revenue for MWI, which helps the site remain free
