Translated material
Quiet Wagner flew by
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Daniel Barenboim in Moscow
Conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra played for two days in a row in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall and the Great Hall of the Conservatory. The two-day tour, organized by the Moscow Philharmonic and its partners, became a world-class event: the sound of the orchestra caused dizziness and inexplicable, piercing sadness in the hall - the alien performing skills are strikingly, to the point of tears, different from the content of everyday concerts and even holidays here.Unlike the Vienna Philharmonic, who shocked the BZK in 2003 with Valery Gergiev, the “Argentine-Israeli” pianist and conductor, one of the most recognized and actively working musicians in the world, has not been to Russia for a very long time - the last time he appeared here was during Soviet power. For many years he worked with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and since 2000 he has headed the Berlin Staatsoper, which has strengthened its impeccable and progressive reputation during this time. One of his latest projects is “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, directed by Dmitry Chernyakov. One of his closest projects is “Tristan and Isolde” with director Patrice Chéreau at La Scala and then “The Ring of the Nibelungs” there: Barenboim becomes the main guest conductor in Milan.
Barenboim’s work and views are associated with as many ideas about the impeccability of musical taste (even taking into account that in his youth he liked to be extravagant at the piano) as there are sensations and even scandals. Slamming the door with a bang, he left the conservative Parisian Opera Bastille (naturally, even before the revolutionary Gerard Mortier arrived there). And Barenboim’s main scandal was the performance of Wagner in Israel several years ago (where Wagner had not been played for 70 years) with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Then there were sensational and equally ambiguously received concerts in the Palestinian territories. Then - demands to apologize (for performing Wagner to the Israelis) and at the same time a prize for “contribution to the reconciliation of the parties.” Daniel Barenboim is one of those few musicians for whom the loud pathos of social activity does not flow into the music in an undigested form. His interpretations are an example of subtle and enlightened musical romanticism.
Wagner is a special passion for Barenboim. His musical direction, coupled with Harry Kupfer's direction, made Die Ring of the Nibelungs (1988-1993) at Bayreuth one of the best. Barenboim's other serious hobby is Bruckner.
Both composers were presented in Moscow concerts. Serious programs that bisected the peaks of late romanticism were completed: one with Schumann's Fourth Symphony (which is absolutely not a repertoire work for local stages) and the other with Mozart's most popular 27th concert with Barenboim as soloist and conductor at the same time.
It is absolutely impossible to say which program was stronger. After Schumann, who amazed with the impossible orchestral quality, the transparent smoothness of the sound of all lines and the complex form built somehow incredibly organically distributed in time, Wagner became a shock, although he had previously caused reproaches of populism - they say, Barenboim put hit orchestral fragments on the program in I will demand it from the public. But the interpretations of fragments - the overture to "Tannhäuser" and "Die Meistersinger", "Siegfried's Journey", "Funeral March" from "Twilight of the Gods" - turned out to be so "unhit" and at the same time piercingly organic that any suspicions of ideological or musical populism were dispelled like smoke. Barenboim's Wagner turned out to be deafeningly quiet, full of gloomy tenderness and tension hidden in the echoing silence, growing into restrained, non-screaming climaxes. The orchestra responded brilliantly to the conductor. The dizzying work of the brass, the incredible softness in the sound of all groups and the fantastic beauty (precisely beauty, not just structure) of balance and phrasing - everything turned Wagner into a priceless gift. It’s as if everything that you imagine in your dreams, that you “listen to” in other performances, comes true before your eyes, is carefully presented in full view and permeates the huge hall right through.
The same feeling of incredible organicity - soft and subtle, charming and deafening - is in Mozart. For Barenboim, it was not extravagant and not updated with authentic nuances, but a romanticized Mozart that had already been “won” into culture, but absolutely convincing in its transparent tenderness and even more than convincing, it enchanted the hall in the final cadenza.
Bruckner provided a contrast to the warmth of Mozart's lines. The icy bulk of the Seventh Symphony was realized in all the smallest, most sophisticated details and details, without losing the volume and density of form; the orchestra still amazed the imagination with a unique, seemingly never heard before live “pianissimo”, but now its deep, rich tutti became a dazzling, cold and piercing fortissimo - more and more harsh (and at the same time not rude, not flashy , not exhausting) from beginning to end.
As a consolation to all those saddened by the incredible nobility of the Viennese performing style, it must be said that the orchestra should appear in Moscow again this summer. Although, it seems that it was precisely in the inexplicable nobility of sound that Daniel Barenboim had a great merit - with Gergiev the orchestra sounded no less high quality, but differently. As for the conductor, his Russian plans are not so close and definite, but there is hope that he will not have to wait too long for him in Moscow again. Let us console ourselves with this.