Marin Alsop’s Brahms cycle comes to a close with this enjoyable performance of the Fourth Symphony. There is very little to criticize here, and much to praise. Alsop’s care over dynamics pays dividends as early as the counterstatement of the first movement’s opening theme, where the prominence of the curling woodwind figures creates a fascinating interplay of color and texture atop the tune in the violins. The inner movements are both extremely well done, with the andante flowing forward purposefully and the scherzo bold and brash (no affected fussing about with the rhythm in the opening phrases).
If I have any reservations, they concern Alsop’s control of tempo in both the first movement and finale. She starts both relatively swiftly, and this seems to promise a high degree of excitement, but in the end her “steady as she goes” approach comes across as just a touch staid. This is particularly true in the passacaglia conclusion, where conductors such as Jochum offer a conspicuous and thrilling jolt of additional energy toward the end. Granted, most performers handle the music much as does Alsop, but that’s the point: she is missing a chance to give her interpretation additional character without sacrificing either her seriousness of purpose or Brahmsian propriety.
Through it all the London Philharmonic sounds very good, and plays very well, albeit with that lightness of bass that seems endemic to English orchestras. Also, a bit more firmness and clarity from the timpani would have given the tuttis more power (again, comparing Jochum with this same orchestra is instructive). The filler, a batch of Hungarian Dances newly orchestrated by Peter Breiner, Naxos’ house arranger/composer, adds nothing of exceptional importance to the overall equation. They are competently done, but certainly not better or more interesting than the traditional versions. At the end of the day, Alsop’s Brahms cycle has given us one truly outstanding performance (the Third), and three very good companions, and that’s certainly nothing to sneer at. Overall, a good job. [9/20/2007]
