Gustavo Dudamel takes on Tchaikovsky’s Fifth symphony, one of the warhorses of the romantic symphonic repertoire, and does a pretty decent job of it. His first movement, after a somewhat labored introduction (akin to Karajan’s), goes at a brisk, energized pace, with strong emphasis on the more dramatic passages (particularly the string and brass climaxes in both appearances of the waltzing second subject). The Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra’s well-drilled playing communicates the young musicians’ enthusiasm. However it is in this movement that you first notice a certain reticence in the horn playing–not something you want in this symphony with its carefully crafted harmonic horn writing. Happily, no such concern arises for the famous horn solo that opens the Andante cantabile second movement, which is beautifully done. Again, Dudamel milks the big climaxes, though he anticipates the brass’ eruption of the motto toward the end, lessening its shock value.
The scherzo dances along in an easy if undistinguished manner, but it’s the finale where Dudamel clearly has loaded all his ammo. It’s a vigorous allegro, with bracing rhythmic energy (though not as manically driven as Mravinsky’s), and he brings home the conclusion like a superbly conditioned athlete crossing the finish line.
The coupled Francesca da Rimini is a disappointment. Dudamel drives the stormy outer sections hard, but instead of a glimpse of paradise he makes the central interlude more like another level of Hell thanks to his drearily slow tempos. The live recording nicely captures the impact of the music in the somewhat dry acoustic. Overall this recording will please fans of this new wunderkind conductor. (Rating is for the symphony. Those seeking a great Tchaikovsky Fifth should check out the listed alternatives.)
