Review - Symphonies 1 & 3 (Beethoven), Philharmonie, 12 October 2015

Berliner Philharmoniker

Sir Simon Rattle

I never heard an interpretation of Beethoven third symphony with the same depth alike a Bruckner symphony until this performance by the Philharmoniker, but too much energy in the playing of first symphony for my taste. Last time I heard the Philharmoniker in live was 2010 at the BBC Proms. The Royal Albert Hall acoustic just about to the contain the sheer impact of sound, but this time even with finer acoustic in Philharmonie and a smaller force, one sometimes could feel the sound filled the hall so full that any more would lift the roof off. This was the case with Beethoven one that the instrumental attacks, especially strings, too much or even aggressive aiming for the rhythmic punch. I could understand the brisker tempo would shape the dance rhythmic patterns effectively and sound more interesting, but as a whole the band seems being a restless beast unleashing a lot of energy. Only in the second movement, Andante Cantabile, the calm returned between storms and more poetic playing to give a glimpse of beauty and elegance in the music. The musicians probably took the youthful nature seriously but it was still a work under the shadow of late symphonies by Mozart and Haydn. There could be dramatic moments but not yet with tempest and thunder.

Rattle never lingered on climatic moments or juicy tunes and focused more on transitions between passages. Some interesting results with the phrasing that in the first symphony one felt the musical direction was pushing too hard for the finishing line, in contrast, it worked very well for the structure and musical texture of the third symphony. The longer line of a phrase and expressive passages worked in advantage with the orchestra. The atmosphere changed in the second half that the playing allowed more space and interactions between sections were more intimate. The emotion in the funeral march movement was never over pour but the body of sound resonated in the hall with such level of depth, which one felt very moved as the symphony progressed from shadow to triumphant climax before returning to lament and sorrow. The produced colour captured the dramatic transitions very well that one would see and sense the inner emotion of the composer on the image of his 'hero'. A romantic outlook but still fresh and vivid. One could claim the composer had found his sound in the third but also to remember the first symphony was an accomplished work if with the right execution. As a whole, a memorable performance to remember.