I like Bernard Haitink. A lot.
I remember Amsterdam-born Maestro Haitink (1929- ) from my Bruckner projects a year or so ago (see My Year-Long Project page). That’s why I chose him for my Beethoven project.
There was something about Haitink that stood out from almost all other conductors to which I listened. Could have been the orchestras. Could have been how the music was recorded. Could have been how the record labels mastered the music. Could have been all combined.
Whatever it was, Bernard Haitink’s interpretations were among the highlights of the 207 days I spent listening to Bruckner’s symphonies performed by two dozen different conductors.
Understandably, I was eager to hear Haitink show me what he’s got when it comes to Beethoven.
So here I am, listening to what Haitink – at age 77 when this symphony was recorded – has got.
And it’s a lot.
And his ace in the hole this time around is the London Symphony Orchestra, one of the most prestigious musical ensembles in the world. That, and a flawless recording (SACD, multi channel) in an acoustically pleasing concert hall (the Barbican Centre).
There’s something missing, though. I’ll explain below.
Beethoven wrote his symphonies in four parts (except for the Sixth, which is in five). The time breakdown of this particular one (Symphony No. 1 in C Major), from this particular conductor (Haitink, at age 77) and this particular orchestra (London Symphony Orchestra), at this particular time in history (April 29-30, 2006) on this particular record label (LSO Live) is as follows:
I. Adagio molto………………………………………………………………………………..9:40
II. Andante cantabile con moto………………………………………………………6:51
III. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace……………………………………………….3:19
IV. Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace…………………………………………………5:45
Total running time: 24:55
My Rating:
Recording quality: 5 (SACD multi-channel recording, rich, lush, and crystal clear)
Overall musicianship: 5 (flawless)
CD liner notes: 5 (big booklet with lots of pertinent information and essays)
How does this make me feel: 4
I really wanted to rate this a “Huzzah!” – the highest rating I can bestow on a performance. Alas…
Don’t get me wrong. This is a superb recording, as clear as a bell and as dynamic as one could hope to capture on tape.
My only quibble (and it’s a slight one) is that the performance isn’t fully emotion packed. It sounds as competent as one could expect – professionally played, and expertly conducted – but I didn’t get the snap, crackle, and pop feeling the way I did listening to Bernstein’s performance. The LSO sounds safe, not crackling with energy, not punch-drunk with enthusiasm for the source material.
It’s worth noting that Haitink’s First Movement is the second longest (at 9:40) of the eight conductors to which I’ve listened thus far. Yet, his overall timing (at 24:55) is the quickest of all previous seven conductors.
When it comes to Beethoven, I tend to like quick – meaning, dynamic, vivacious, and breakneck.
The slower Adagio seemed to make this performance top heavy and not as energetic as I would have liked it to be.
Still, this is a fine, albeit restrained, performance. I recommend it.
NOTE: The photos on the cover of the CD sleeves are intriguing. They’re body parts. On this particular CD (which is Disc 3 in the set) is of a clenched fist. I’m not sure what LSO Live was going for with these unique CD sleeve photos. But they are noteworthy, that much I can say.
Niles: It was an exquisite meal, marred only by the lack of even one outstanding cognac on their carte de digestif.
Frasier: Yes, but think of it this way, Niles: What is the one thing better than an exquisite meal? An exquisite meal with one tiny flaw we can pick at all night.