Recorded live at Esplanade–Theatres on the Bay in Singapore on November 22 and 23, 2010, this DVD also comes in a BluRay and 3-D format. I can only judge it from the plain old DVD version—how does one keep up with the technology?—and it looks like it sounds, except slightly more surreal. It is digital at its most digital: each sound is spotless and clear and each image looks separately drawn. We see the glint off the brass and a reflection in the shiny double-basses; each finger on the French horn players’ hands is impeccably manicured, shoes are shined, faces are recently shaved or beards are impeccably trimmed. The camera allows us into every tootle on the piccolo and every pluck of a harp string in softer, less-heavily-orchestrated passages, and the principal harpist is wearing nice pearl earrings. The detail is remarkable—and somewhat distracting. The hall itself—immense and handsome—is filled mostly with young people who respond enthusiastically.
The Symphonic Dances are first on the program. Brilliantly colored and vibrant, they are just right for a young audience, and Simon Rattle and the Berliners do a fine job. The strange marking for the first movement—“non allegro”—actually makes sense here: Rattle finds a tempo that is invigorating but allows for the rhythmic changes. The waltz movement is beautifully played, with some menacing brass exclamations and plucked strings effective at every dynamic level. The warm violin solo that leads into the waltz itself is delicious. The finale picks up steam as it goes along and ends with a terrific blast, the tam-tam resonating through the hall for a full 10 or 15 seconds. If I had a criticism, it would be that a certain Russian flavor is missing.
The Mahler 1st is more of a problem, particularly at its start. As beautifully as the opening is played, it lacks mystery and personality. Rattle plays the whole movement “straight”, and while the explosion that comes minutes before the end of the first movement is perfect, with the brass utterly glorious, the fact that the build-up to that moment is so literal does not allow it to stun. The second movement does not excite either: it lacks any rusticity; instead it’s simply beautiful. Rattle gets the “Frère Jacques” movement right, from the opening funereal theme through the wind-dominated klezmer sounds to the sentimental melody. It drags perfectly to its quiet tam-tam whoosh, and then takes off immediately into the last movement, which opens with one of Mahler’s famous orchestral screams, here stunningly effective. And from then on it’s an exhilarating ride, with the beautiful string melody lofty and the magnificent final eruption simply thrilling. But it still isn’t on a level with many CD recordings: Bernstein (either), Solti, Zinman.
Comparing this performance with any other seems superfluous. Without being unkind, and while appreciating the performance of the Rachmaninov and parts of the Mahler, this release probably will be bought in its 3-D format for specifically that purpose (as well as for its sonics) and not for a definitive performance. Erich Leinsdorf leads a more compelling reading on ICA Classics, albeit in mono and black and white (from 1963). Rattle’s, a feast for the senses, somehow does not have the desired effect.
