Herbert Von Karajan - Bach Violin Concerto No 2 (DVD)

...an impressive legacy, Austrian-born conductor Herbert von Karajan was wise to adopt the available modern technology early on to record his works for posterity. 'His Legacy For Home Video', as the DVD project was called, gave him complete artistic and technical control over the entire production. Notwithstanding the pomposity of the name, the series from Sony Classical does earn its place in every classical music lover's library for the sheer excellence ...
...already recommends this DVD. Herbert von Karajan is always a musical force to contend with as well. This New Year's Eve concert delivers a sumptuous and regal musical feast that will bring pleasure to most audiences, even if sticklers may be put off by the overwhelming and big sound. But one can choose to take it for what it is - and still enjoy some first-rate performances of two works that again serve to remind us of the towering genius that was ... more

With an eye to leaving an impressive legacy, Austrian-born conductor Herbert von Karajan was wise to adopt the available modern technology early on to record his works for posterity. 'His Legacy For Home Video', as the DVD project was called, gave him complete artistic and technical control over the entire production. Notwithstanding the pomposity of the name, the series from Sony Classical does earn its place in every classical music lover's library for the sheer excellence of the recorded material.

One disc that never goes out of favour for this listener is the all-Bach 1984 New Year's Eve Concert (Silvesterkonzert) held at Mr Karajan's stomping grounds, the Berlin Philharmonie, where he directs the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The featured soloist is German violinist and Karajan protegé Anne-Sophie Mutter, who plays the Violin Concerto in E Major. This is followed by the great 'Magnificat', for which a handful of guest singers hold forth splendidly, backed by the RIAS Kammerchor (Chamber Choir). Herr von Karajan helms this ship from the keyboard of the second harpsichord. Already about 77 years old at the time of this recording, the man is much more sparing in his movements. (By contrast, the late Hungarian Georg Solti was still an energetic 90 at the time he guest conducted the Washington National Symphony Orchestra just a couple of years before his death.)

The Berlin Philharmonie (Berlin Philharmonic Hall) is differently designed to the usual concert venue. The stage is close to street level and surrounded on four sides by the audience, with higher, tiered seating on three sides. Tubular light fixtures hang in staggered fashion from the ceiling like huge raindrops high above the stage. A massive pipe organ stands to one side. I do wonder how good the acoustics of the place is. (Alas, bad timing robbed us of the chance to attend a concert here during our visit to Berlin last September, and we had to be content with surveying the distinctive circus tent-like buildings in the complex from the outside.)

VIOLIN CONCERTO IN E MAJOR, BWV 1042

The E Minor Violin Concerto holds a special niche in my musical heart, having been one of the early pieces that introduced me to the magic and mystery of J. S. Bach when I was just entering my teens. The work has yet to grow old for this listener.

Mr Karajan here throws the entire weight of the modern symphony orchestra wholly at the service of the piece, producing a huge, all-encompassing sound that might seem foreign to the composer himself were he alive to hear it today. (The DVD Programme Notes do acknowledge this 'historically inauthentic' setting, too.)

This particular work is among the most musically satisfying pieces in the classical/Baroque music repertoire, beginning with its vibrant Allegro opening that awakens you with its expression of sheer joy at being alive. It's followed by a meditative (but not gloomy) Adagio, and finishes with the brief but triumphant Allegro assai. As the final chord is struck, you'll feel like jumping to your feet and applauding like crazy, so fulfilling is this piece for the soul. However, period music purists will be aghast at the heft of this rendering - although one can still extract much enjoyment from this version despite its anachronistic largeness of character. Given the occasion for the concert, I believe the work is played more for its celebratory appeal than musical authenticity.

Not yet having shed her baby fat at the young yet mature age of 21 (seems the strapless gowns were already a signature by then), Fraulein Mutter, the child prodigy, approaches the piece with a businesslike seriousness, and flawless, unadorned playing is what we get - loads of it - which is not a bad thing. She is truly a gifted instrumentalist as one can witness here, whose career wasn't at all hurt by Mr Karajan's influence. It's safe to assume that Ms Mutter's forthright interpretations of the showcase violin repertoire then owed much to Mr Karajan, who had mentored her since she was a child. (After his death in 1989, Ms Mutter jumped at the chance to re-record most of these popular pieces on her own terms - with decidedly mixed results, to put it kindly - but that issue has been addressed in an earlier review of her return to the Beethoven Violin Concerto.)

I do, however, appreciate Ms Mutter's disciplined approach to public demeanour, since onstage histrionics by classical musicians are as pleasurable as nails scratching on a blackboard. Only at the end of the concerto does she let a brief smile soften her countenance, as she shakes hands with her mentor and with the concertmaster. Otherwise, the violinist just struts her stuff with little fuss. (Others may like a bit more warmth and pizzazz in their player, but that's an entirely individual preference unrelated to the music itself.)

MAGNIFICAT IN D MAJOR, BWV 243.

Written for Vespers on Christmas Day, the monumental 'Magnificat in D Major' with its Latin text receives an equally grandiloquent treatment by Herr von Karajan, the Berliner Philharmoniker and the soloists. Although originally written for orchestra and five voices (soprano I and II, alto, tenor and bass), here - as is usual today - four fine singers take up the vocal duties: soprano Judith Blegen, alto Helga Müller Molinari (singing both soprano II and alto parts), tenor Francisco Araiza and bass Robert Holl. The original orchestration called only for three trumpets, timpani, two flutes, two oboes, strings and continuo, and only the relevant instruments play during the various subsections.

The work opens with a dazzling opulence, as the chorus joyously proclaims in melismatic glory, 'Magnificat (anima mea)!' ('My soul doth magnify the Lord') against the colourful heraldry created by the whole orchestra, its bright, piercing trumpets sending you straight into the heavens. The full orchestral complement also shadows Ms Molinari (alto) in the second section, 'Et exsultavit spiritus meus'. Each soloist then continues to sing her or his piece in turn with selected instruments for company. So we have a single, mournful oboe with Ms Blegen (soprano) in 'Quia respexit humilitatem', tinkling harpsichords, cellos and double basses with Mr Holl (bass) in 'Quia fecit mihi magna', fluttery flutes and a plucked double bass with Ms Molinari in 'Esurientes implevit bonis', etc.. These are all above-par, if straightforward and beefy realisations of the music.

Having said that, it's not exactly a walk in the park for these vocalists and wind players. Bach's music notoriously disallows breathing on the part of the singers, oboists and flautists, so excellent breath control is a must for anyone desiring to succeed in the performance of Bach. (Try singing those continuous melodic lines yourself, and you'll see what I mean.) In this the musicians acquit themselves admirably.

By the time the final 'Gloria Patri' rolls around, one cannot fail to be impressed by the majesty of this work, and it almost reaches a transcendent, religious experience to hear it - despite Mr Karajan's relatively ponderous version compared to many newer versions out there. Still it's not a bad way to spend an hour of one's time, really.

AUDIO

Considering the vintage of the sound recording technology used here, the audio is quite impressive, as befits the character of the performances. It's presented in Stereo PCM-Dolby Digital, which suffices for an enveloping sound, although a home theatre processor can also be used to tweak the experience according to taste (with audio settings such as Neo06 Music, Dolby PLII Music, etc., depending on your system).

I must say, though, Herr von Karajan's orchestra lays it on so thickly that Anne-Sophie Mutter's fine violin is nearly swallowed up by the big waves of symphonic strings. On the other hand, one can also hear with delight the tinkling of the harpsichords off to one side. The music won't leave you wholly unmoved, at any rate.

VIDEO

Now over two decades old, the low-resolution picture on this DVD becomes evident on a High-Definition television screen (where it resembles the highest quality of an analogue VHS tape recording), but doesn't suffer as much on a regular CRT monitor. You'll be so caught up with the music, however, that the picture quality won't matter that much.

Director Humphrey Burton keeps the viewer from lapsing into boredom with subtle and appropriate cuts. The advantage of video lies in allowing the viewer to see who's in the spotlight at any given moment. Watching the orchestra and its parts doing their thing gives the audience a better appreciation of the musicians individually, and as a whole.

And for those interested, subtitles to the text of the 'Magnificat' are available in English, German and French, but are flashed too briefly, and only once. Programme notes are also provided in all three languages.

FINAL THOUGHTS

J. S. Bach is always a wondrous listen, and right there is one factor that already recommends this DVD. Herbert von Karajan is always a musical force to contend with as well. This New Year's Eve concert delivers a sumptuous and regal musical feast that will bring pleasure to most audiences, even if sticklers may be put off by the overwhelming and big sound. But one can choose to take it for what it is - and still enjoy some first-rate performances of two works that again serve to remind us of the towering genius that was Johann Sebastian Bach. Four-and-a-half stars (rounded off to five).

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DVD Notes:

(This DVD is available for purchase at few places. Here's one, sendit.com, for £10.99/ list is £14.99:

http://www.sendit.com/video/item/7000000062208.)

This being a musical performance DVD, some criteria rated above do not apply, but Ciao forced me to make a selection, anyway!

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NEW YEAR'S EVE CONCERT 1984
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
(1685 - 1750)

Concerto for Violin, Strings and Continuo in E Major, BWV 1042
I. Allegro 7.54
II. Adagio 7.02
III. Allegro assai 2.39
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Violin

Magnificat, BWV 243
Judith Blegen, Soprano
Helga Müller Molinari, Alto/Contralto
Francisco Araize, Tenor
Robert Holl, Bass

RIAS-Kammerchor
Berliner Philharmoniker
HERBERT VON KARAJAN

DVD Special Features
+ Interactive Menus
+ Liner Notes, Biography (of H v Karajan)
+ Languages: English, Deutsch, Français
+ Audio: PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital

Studio: Sony Classical UK
DVD Release Date: 16 October 2000
Run Time: 57 minutes 

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