Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D major
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Roger Norrington
This is the latest Mahler recording from the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Roger Norrington. The reactions by the public are sure to be very controversial for the following reasons:
Norrington clearly calls for the vibrato-free playing of the strings. Since his orchestra knows how to do that, the sound is clearly different than other orchestras, where the vibration of finger on the instrument strings produces a sound filled with a lot of overtones. Under Norrington, the sound is more direct, perhaps seeming a little sharper, and clearer and, I suppose, ’purer’.
In the first movement of the Ninth, Mahler wanted to achieve an eeriness and bare-bones quality, so this approach supports the composers intentions by leaving off the vibrato; But — in my view — as soon as Mahler asks for the first buildup of sound, this orchestra sounds weaker and is not able to get the desired effect.
Below are two reviews from the British press:
“it is fascinating to set aside sensationalism in favor of re-evaluation and to hear this remarkable piece stripped, as it were, of its veneer and laid bare before us in all its unsettling majesty and humility…Refresh your ears and your perceptions and prepare to be surprised again.”
……………………………Gramophone Magazine, May 2010
“This vivid live recording is a total vindication of Roger Norrington’s belief that orchestral string sound acquires power and eloquence when played without any vibrato…it is especially in the last movement that Norrington’s momentum and the pure, clear sound of the strings come together”
…………………………………….The Observer, 13th June 2010
I could not find a video of Norrington’s performance of Mahler 9th. So here’s Leonard Bernstein conducting the very moving ending of Mahler’s 9th symphony, with the Wiener Philharmoniker in 1975
Tags: Mahler 9th Symphony, Roger Norrington, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra