During the last week of February, Concertgebouw Brugge organized a "masterworks week" dedicated to Ludwig Van Beethoven. This event coincided with the reissue in a cd-box on the label Alpha Classics of the nine symphonies of Ludwig Van Beethoven recorded by Jos van Immerseel and Anima Eterna Brugge between 2005 and 2007.
These performances are of course characterized by authentic historical performance practice, the trademark of Jos van Immerseel for years now. For this recording, he conducted thorough research in the library of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna so that he – without claiming to hold a monopoly on truth or to offer the ultimate solution – could make well-considered and motivated choices regarding instrument choice, tempo, pitch, and so on. In his justification of those choices in the cd booklet, he clearly states the conditions he considers necessary: "The first duty is a correct performance of the musical text, the use of the instruments prescribed by the composer, the application of the practices of the time such as pitch, balance within the orchestra, respect for the prescribed tempo etc. Freedom is then being a person of today with the (always personal) erudition and sensibilities, the ability to balance all available elements and to be allowed to communicate all of this."
Sharp detailing
The orchestra naturally uses historical instruments (e.g. woodwinds of Viennese make and string instruments with thick gut strings) and plays at the pitch of 440 Hz. Van Immerseel also adheres to the orchestra composition as Beethoven generally prescribes it. The result we hear on the cds is skillful and exciting. No exaggerated swelling romanticism in the strings, but detailed precision, sharp and beautifully delineated tempo changes, woodwinds that neatly come to the fore and temptingly accentuate the themes. The performances are characterized, as Jos van Immerseel rightly calls it, by "chamber music mentality". An absolute plus point of the integral.
It is not the intention here to examine each symphony individually, but we would like to point out a few (almost randomly chosen) individual passages. The sharp entry in the Allegro con brio of the third symphony, nicely alternated with the lovely oboe. The contrasts are sharp, the symphony is energetic and indeed "heroic", with a firm tension arc in the marcia funebre with shrill brass and threatening strings and a rousing finale. Van Immerseel does realize something of the "compositional heroic deed" here, as Jan Caeyers calls this symphony in his Beethoven biography. Also in the fifth symphony (also called the fate symphony) the rhythmic motif is set in accented fashion and becomes a driving force in the repetitions. The Allegretto from the seventh symphony also gets punch and power in the sometimes overly sweet-melodic Allegretto, while the following Presto still arrives with surprisingly fierce tempos. In the pastoral, the motif of the "heitere Empfindungen" is presented in fine instrumental delineations that then culminate in cheerful interplay. The Szene am Bach from part two comes across as rather weak and somewhat characterless, but the Sturm and the Gewitter of course get quite a bit of panache and the timpani are allowed to do their thing. By the way: why are those parts not named with their German designation in the cd booklet, but with an English translation?
The ninth symphony was the supreme moment of the "masterworks week" at Concertgebouw Brugge. The soloists in the final section do differ from those at the live concert, except for tenor Markus Schäfer. My preference does go to the soloists on the recording and the balance between orchestra and soloist is certainly in their favor.
In general, I dare to say that Jos van Immerseel feels more at ease in the sharp passages where he can let himself go and spur the orchestra to vibrancy. The brass blares and the timpani beat away. In the soft or Andante sections, sometimes a slight languor (or flatness) appears. Thus, the Andante section in the sixth symphony (Pastoral) sounds almost weak, whereas part four with the storm provides spectacle. But the overall listening experience is a fascinating journey of a fantastic orchestra with a brilliant conductor through the symphonic oeuvre of the brilliant Beethoven.
Beethoven with Anima Eterna Brugge in residence
At Concertgebouw Brugge, Jos van Immerseel enjoys a long-term residency with his orchestra Anima Eterna. With Anima Next Generation, he wants to prepare the future of his orchestra and therefore he passes the baton for the prestigious closing concert of the "masterworks week" to Korneel Bernolet, who has also worked as his assistant. On the program - as mentioned - the grandiose ninth symphony of Beethoven.
The most special thing about the concert was definitely the "lecture" that accompanied the performance. Better than "accompanied" I cannot describe it, because it was not a dry introduction beforehand, which then hopefully would stick with you during the listening afterward. It was indeed a lecture-performance with the orchestra together on stage so that whenever Pieter Bergé explained an aspect of the symphony we immediately got to hear it. No matter how short the motif, ranging from the "utterly dull triad" - as Bergé put it – at the beginning, to a la-mi motif or a scherzo in the timpani, a march of the Janissaries or a fugue, each time the orchestra joined in with the striking illustration of the theory. The symphony was not analyzed drily, but vividly explained in a meaningful context for the listener. At the same time, a consideration was given of what the composition meant for Beethoven and his time and how we can interpret that to this day. Thus, in the conclusion, the symphony was also placed in a (possible) moral interpretation of fraternity, fear and joy and a comment was made about "the most misused musical work in the world" (again Bergé).
An extremely fascinating prelude to the complete performance of Beethoven's Ninth by Anima Eterna Brugge under the direction of Korneel Bernolet. That of course fitted into the conscientious reading of a nineteenth-century symphony by an orchestra that plays with a Viennese instrumental repertoire and is known for performances that are historically as responsible as possible. The symphony was therefore brought not so much as a monumental orchestral work, but as a refined reading with much attention to detail in the orchestration. Indeed, the utterly dull triad at the beginning was beautifully countered by the wild timpani, which also shone in the clever Scherzo. In the Adagio the strings caressed peacefully and the horns sounded restrainedly warm. Korneel Bernolet maintained close contact with his musicians who followed his instructions with concentration. The final section set in with thundering force and full tension, force that also alternated with intense restraint. As expected, the final section was brought magnificently and intensely by the excellent Collegium Vocale Gent. The soloists were perfectly cast with a particularly striking beautiful baritone part by Daniel Ochoa. Perhaps the orchestra could have sounded slightly more restrained under the solo passages. A detail criticism that does little to detract from Korneel Bernolet's brilliant performance as conductor. A concert evening that not only made the journey to Brugge, the residence city of Anima Eterna, definitely worthwhile, but also stimulates listening to the box with symphonies and orchestral works by Beethoven with Jos van Immerseel.
- WHAT: Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) | Symphonies and Ouvertures
- WHO: Anima Eterna Brugge directed by Jos van Immerseel and Korneel Bernolet
- RELEASE: Alpha Classics 380 (6 cd's)
- WHERE: Concertgebouw Brugge as part of the highlights week 22-25 February 2018
- PHOTO CREDIT: © Philippe Van Ootegem, Paul Willaert
