Boston Philharmonic Presents Mahler's Third
by Peter Bates, Stylus, November 25, 2002
Posted: 2002-12-05 10:28:58
As the world's longest symphony (almost two hours) Mahler's Third Symphonysometimes needs special skills to keep up audience interest. This was Seji
Ozawa's dilemma, when he conducted (and recorded) a rather pedestrian
version of this work several years ago. Happily, no such problem confronted
Benjamin Zander at a recent concert at Sanders Theater. The performance was
stirring, bold, and exciting. The first movement has been accused of being
"long and drawn out," perhaps a bit thick and effusive. It does account for
more than a third of the six movement symphony's length. Yet Zander begins
its ebullient opening with gaity and brio. His interpretation of the march
melodies are filled with unusual delicacy, even sublety. Two thirds of the
way through, the movement adopts a swaggering, scherzo-like feel and Zander
revels in it. The finale is played with an alarming and exhilerating
celerity. Wisely, he plays the second movement minuet with the requisite
dash of sentimentality, but also injects an undercurrent of darkness. The
third movement features the wonderfully atmospheric posthorn solo, which the
conductor justly places far in the distance, where its melancholy strains
transform into song. The fourth movement features the "Midnight Song" from
Friedrich Nietzsche's Also sprach Zarathustra, a philosopher whose works
initially attracted, then repelled the religious Mahler. Mezzo-soprano Jane
Struss does a good job with this spartan text and sings quite tenderly. The
Chorus Pro Musica and the Boston Boy Choir are also exemplary. Why is it
that adolescent boys sing so well together but tend to be shakey when
singing individually? A sensitive Langsam ends the symphony, with a coda as
lovely and drawn out as that in the Eighth Symphony. I am looking forward to
the inevitable Telarc recording, which will probably include Mr. Zander's
spirited lecture as a bonus disc, like the others he has recorded.
--Peter Bates
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