Bernard Haitink’s somewhat stogy tempo for the opening movement of Poulenc’s Gloria (Gloria in excelsis deo) initially raises fears of a dull performance to come. But such concerns are soon alleviated as he picks up the pace from there on. There’s certainly nothing dull about the singing: Jessica Rivera’s light, bright voice ideally suits Poulenc’s entrancing Domine Deus solo, while the Chicago Symphony Chorus sounds robust and energized, with admirable focus on tone and diction.
These same qualities present even more strongly in Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, especially in the bewitching wordless choral passage at the end of Part 1. The chorus’ use of the “oo” vowel enhances the music’s haunting atmosphere. Haitink sounds fully in his element, conducting this very French masterpiece with a refreshing freedom and alacrity you don’t often hear from him in the German symphonic repertoire. His flowing tempos (ex: in the Danse religieuse) occasionally are reminiscent of Munch. And while Haitink doesn’t match Munch’s intensity (or for that matter Martinon’s or Bernstein’s) in the more dramatic passages, he holds his own quite well.
It certainly helps that he’s at the helm of the Chicago Symphony (an orchestra we rarely hear in this music), and the ensemble plays magnificently for him. The recording, while not up to the finest studio quality, presents a vivid recreation of a concert in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, with solid imaging and clear detail (especially in SACD stereo). Haitink’s Daphnis doesn’t displace the classic versions, but it’s very good, and coupled with the Poulenc makes for a highly enjoyable disc.
