This morning’s conductor of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major is Liverpool-born conductor Simon Rattle (1955- ) working his magic with the Weiner Philharmoniker. Warner Classics is the record label.
At 63, Rattle might very well be the youngest conductor to which I’ll listen during my exploration of Beethoven’s nine symphonic works. He was only 47 when he recorded this music.
Surprisingly, until today I had not heard anything conducted by Simon Rattle. This morning will be a first for me.
From his bio on Wikipedia,
Sir Simon Denis Rattle OM CBE (born 19 January 1955) is an English conductor.
He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–98). Rattle was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic from 2002 to 2018.
It was announced in March 2015 that Rattle would become Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra from September 2017.
As a passionate supporter of music education, Rattle is also the patron of Birmingham Schools’ Symphony Orchestra, arranged during his tenure with CBSO in mid 1990s. The Youth Orchestra is now under the auspices of charitable business Services for Education.
From the liner notes written by Bayan Northcott,
Rattle conducts Beethoven
Beethoven’s nine symphonies are so universally recognised as his central achievement that it is easy to forget they offer a less-than-complete representation of his creative career. In fact, after delaying till he was 29, he then composed the first eight of them in a rush over a mere dozen years, waiting another decade before elaborating on the solitary Ninth.
in light of what was to follow, Symphony No. 1 might almost seem to play safe in its cheerful neatness. Yet there are novelties enough. Haydn may have naughtily opened the odd movement with what sounds like a closing cadence, but never a cadence several steps removed from the home key as Beethoven does in the slow introduction to his first movement, while the sidling upbeat to his finale outdoes Haydn in its slyness.
Although titled “Rattle conducts Beethoven,” there’s nothing in the essay that discusses Simon Rattle. The essay is about Beethoven.
I’ve been listening to this performance for an hour as I type all these other words and research some aspect of this recording. Here’s what I have to say about it.
Beethoven wrote his symphonies in four parts (except for the Sixth, which is in five). The time breakdown of this one (Symphony No. 1 in C Major), from this particular conductor (Rattle, at 47) and this particular orchestra (Weiner Philharmonker), at this particular time in history (April 29-May 17, 2002) on this particular record label (Warner Classics) is as follows:
I. Adagio molto………………………………………………………………………………..8:36
II. Andante cantabile con moto………………………………………………………7:07
III. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace………………………………………………4:03
IV. Adagio – Allegro molto e vivace…………………………………………………5:43
Total running time: 25:31
My Rating:
Recording quality: 4 (seems to lack depth and breadth; doesn’t feel full and rich)
Overall musicianship: 4
CD liner notes: 3 (one essay about Beethoven in English, German, and French; nothing about Rattle)
How does this make me feel: 3
What a difference a day makes!
Yesterday, I was prepared to dislike what was (to me) an unknown conductor (Pierre Monteux) on an unknown label (Memories Reverence), on what seemed like an ancient recording that nobody knew about. I was surprised. I loved it.
This morning, I was prepared to like what was (to me) an unknown conductor (Simon Rattle) on a well-known label (Warner Classics), on what seemed like a relatively recent recording that I figured a great many knew about. I was surprised. I disliked it.
Today’s performance is an exercise in the mysterious. Why does one performance wow me, but another does not? What is it in the recording or the performance itself? Does it have something to do with how the recording sounds? Is it wholly subjective, as in the orchestra doesn’t come across as playing with wholehearted enthusiasm?
I’ll probably never figure it out.
But here’s what I know: This recording bored me to tears. I wasn’t excited once. The performance – although, I suppose, technically great – seemed lifeless to my ears. I wasn’t caught up in the excitement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1. On the contrary, I felt nothing. A total “Meh.”
I cannot recommend Rattle’s performance of Beethoven’s First.
Your mileage may vary.