Program
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Resurrection (1888-94) by Mahler (1880-1911).
Artists
Hanna-Elisabeth Muffer, soprano; Ekaterina Gubanova, mezzo-soprano.
New York Philharmonic Chorus - Malcolm J. Merriweather, director.
This was it, the last concerts of van Zweden's tenure with the NY Phil.
I did come to the concert with high expectations. No matter what one's view of van Zweden's success as the NY Phil Music Director, a farewell concert carries with it nostalgia, sadness, (self-)reflection, and hope for a new beginning, among other emotions. (For the record, I have enjoyed going to concerts he led.) To boot, this would be the first time (as far as records in this blog go, and per my memory) I got to hear Mahler's second symphony, and this would complete the cycle of nine symphonies for me.
While Mahler provided a program for this composition on a couple of occasions, he ultimately withdrew them, thus leaving the interpretations to the performers and the audience. Since those programs are still available, it would be difficult not to associate what one hears with the stories/scenes Mahler was trying to describe; that there are lyrics in the last two movements make it near impossible. Of course the vastness and complexity of the work allows for different specific interpretations of what one hears at a particular movement, that there are stories being told in each movement is inescapable.
One can find many references to the "plot." The one found in today's Program Notes is distilled from Mahler's three known explanations: the struggles of a titanic (or at least "well-loved") hero, his succumbing to fate and to death, the striving of the soul toward God, the inner experience of redemption, and so on. I find the description in the book "Beauty and Sadness" by David Vernon particularly convincing and mesmerizing. I was surprised that I ended up hearing something slightly different from what I had in mind going into the concert. Indeed the first movement (Allegro maestoso) describes death and man's struggle with it, with the soft note at the end signifhing resignation, or that all is lost. The second movement (Andante moderato) is a delightful landler, broken up a couple of times by dark passages. It was what 'peace' would be like (most of the time, anyway). The third movement (in quietly flowing motion) the stirrings of discontent and grief reappear in the scherzo, punctuated by the "death shriek" chord (B-flat major/C), which is also used to start the last movement. The title of the fourth movement (Primal Light: Very solemn, but simple) is self-explanatory. The poem from Des Knaben Wunderhorn describes how the protagonist (or, if one prefers, the hero) refuses to be turned away from God. The last movement, with a tempo marking of "In the speed of the scherzo - Allegro energico - Slow, mysterious," started with a long passage of instrumental music before the voices joined in. The words to the poems written by Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock and Mahler clearly point to a resurrection (aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n wirst du; was vergangen, auferstehen!). The Program Notes makes a distinction between The Resurrection (Christian) and the resurrection Mahler had in mind - a rebirth of the individual into immortal triumph. One could argue the words Mahler chose are more of the former kind. Perhaps it should simply be left to the listener to interpret what the words mean? (I am sure Mahler did not have the meaning spelled out, although he was widely regarded as an atheist.)
This was a powerful symphony, even a memorable one. In terms of personal impact, it didn't quite rise to the level of the third symphony performed in March 2023 by the LA Phil, conducted by Zubin Mehta. Nonetheless it held my attention for the entire 85 or so minutes. The choice of the work to mark van Zweden's end with the New York Philharmonic is natural. I first thought van Zweden was using this to describe his experience the last few years, and his hope for the future. The Program Notes describes the decision as "conveying a message composed more than 100 years ago by one of his most eminent predecessors on our podium pointing to the Orchestra's future, while also saying farewell to the players and audiences who has accompanied his journey here." Fair enough.
The symphony uses a lot of instruments, and a couple of off-stage ensembles. The New York Philharmonic Chorus had its inaugural concerts in the 2022-23 season - that explains why I had never see it before; I wonder if they will now be used regularly as the chorus for NY Phil concerts. Both vocalists stood out in their brief appearances (even less for the soprano). They were on stage for close to an hour for those passages. One could argue an opportunity to participate in such a production is worth the wait.
Van Zweden was recalled to the stage many times by the enthusiastic applause of the audience.
I remember a report that Yo-Yo Ma saying to Alan Gilbert at the end of Gilbert's tenure of the NY Phil that (paraphrase) "you have been the music director of the NY Phil, there is nothing more to prove." The same must be said of van Zweden. Looking back on my blog entries, it was interesting that both Lorin Maazel (No. 8, June 2009) and Alan Gilbert (No. 7, June 2017) performed a Mahler symphony as their last program with with New York Philharmonic.
Anne couldn't make the trip, so I asked CS to join. We met up at the auditorium, and afterwards he took the subway to Penn Station to catch a train, and I got off Port Authority to catch a bus for Hoboken.
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