★★★★★ Jansons continues his sudden rise to greatness, this time in Strauss

Strauss: Don Juan & Ein Heldenleben

What has happened to Mariss Jansons? For years, I had a lukewarm opinion about the Latvian conductor, despite his international renown and the prominence of his positions at the Royal Concertgebouw and Bavarian Radio Symphony. But he's been a new conductor lately, with originality and insight that has shocked me. Frankly, I now watch him with more expectation than any other conductor on the scene.

After such a laudatory prelude, how is his Strauss? We hear a good sampling in the Don Juan that starts out the program. Jansons' approach is refined and inward-looking, not out for display but almost indifferent to it, actually. For some it will be too low key, since this is far from a lurid, go-for-broke type of interpretation. But the inner meaning is gripping, and the virtuosity is natural and beyond words. I appreciate Karajan for lyric intensity, Tennstedt for fervent romanticism, Haitink for youthful infectiousness, and Abbado for exuberant virtuosity, but there's something here that screams for attention. If I enjoyed Dudamel's recent reading with the Berlin Phil, Jansons is a step higher.

★★★★★ Nelsons strikes a win with his first release with the Boston Symphony

Andris Nelsons Wagner and Sibelius

I anticipated this first release of Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony with high hopes. I've become a great fan of his, and his career has been on a fast upward note. His blessed lack of superficiality is his greatest strength, especially when coupled with his enthusiasm. My only worry with him as a musician is that he would seem susceptible to relying on natural instinct, missing potential for drama. But my concerns have usually been unwarranted.

Starting with Wagner's Tannhaauser Overture, Nelsons stands out for his natural poise and spontaneity. Nelsons is more concerned about freedom of expression than overwhelming power, and he doesn't seek achieve maximum control. Nonetheless, there is an efficacy in the fluidity of his interpretation that enables the lyricism to soar. His feeling of breadth is unmissable. Certainly this is Wagner with a greater emphasis on inner emotion than grandeur. If Nelsons isn't as persuasive as past rivals, this is still an encouraging reading.

★★★★★ Faust and Harding unite for a deeply touching Bartok Second Violin Concerto

Bartok: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Sometimes a recording moves the listener in a personal way, making it difficult to translate the impact into words. I feel that way about this Bartok Second Violin Concerto from Isabelle Faust with Daniel Harding and the Swedish Radio Symphony. My love for this concerto is limitless, and to hear interpreters capturing its meaning with such inspiration has left me on the verge of tears, no, actually wiping them.

The disc starts out with the First Violin Concerto, which isn't nearly as successful as Bartok's following masterpiece. I own a splendid version of the concerto from Gidon Kremer with Pierre Boulez and the Berlin Philharmonic, a recording the maximizes the depth and sonority of the Berliners. Here the mood is lighter and more austere, without the dark plunges. It's subdued, so the sound world of the piece comes across very gently.The mood is almost too withdrawn. Harding's accompaniment is backseat, reducing the intensity. It doesn't hurt to take your time in this music, though, and the sensitivity and nuance are striking. I certainly prefer Kremer, but there's a rustic feel here that will keep me returning on occasion.

★★★☆☆ 1/2 An odd idea that's mainly a miss, with smooth conducting from Tilson Thomas

Masterpieces in Miniature

It's an interesting idea for a major conductor and orchestra to release a disc of random short pieces. The program is reminiscent of the budget Classical sampler discs that float around in space. But perhaps Michael Tilson Thomas and his San Francisco Symphony wanted to reach out to the lucky dippers while still appealing to serious listeners. At least we don't have any of the horrific condensed movements from symphonies or any other such nightmares. There is a rather cheesy arrangement of Debussy's La plus que lente, though.

As it is, we start off with the best selection of all. Litolff's Schezo from the Concerto Symphonique No. 4 is a dazzling, scampering piece. And it's hard to imagine anyone outdoing Yuja Wang, who plays with her distinctive control and playfulness. But heading deeper in the program, everything soon starts to suffer from sameness. Hearing classic short works like Faure's Pavane, Rachmaninov's Vocalise, and Sibelius's Valse Triste one after the other isn't my preferred format for listening. But the main problem is that Tilson Thomas runs through most of them rather glibly, without much feeling. One can't fault the playing of the orchestra or the sound, but how many of us want to spend an hour listening to smooth readings of these pieces? As we move through multiple musical idioms, character seems homogenized. Delius should sound quite a bit different from Rachmaninov. After ten fairly tranquil selections, I found relief with the final track, the Cortege de Bacchus from Delibes Sylvia. At least it's upbeat.

★★★★☆ Gorgeous, ravishing readings, but Rattle can be emotionally removed

Schumann: The Symphonies

This new set of the Schumann symphonies is an historic release, as it marks the beginning of the Berlin Philharmonic's new enterprise as a label. I'm enthusiastic about the prospect, which should enable the orchestra to release whatever it wants to, without having to please a major record label. This set should have been the orchestra's last release with EMI, but we hear that EMI turned them down, saying the symphonies wouldn't sell. Freed from restriction, the orchestra hopes also hopes to release the symphonies of Beethoven, Sibelius, and Lutosławski. I'm thrilled to bits.

For now, the orchestra is making the listener spend a pretty penny to hear their CDs. I downloaded the set from iTunes for $25, which was by far the cheapest price I could find. The physical CD comes in a luxury package with multiple playing formats, bonus Blu-rays, and a ticket to the Digital Concert Hall. Rather elitist, it seems, but as soon as I started listening, I was floored by the sound quality, which is far above what EMI produced for the orchestra. It's clear, vivid, and natural, the closest I've heard a  recording come to capturing their sound live.

★★★☆☆ Jarvi skates across the surface of the Nutcracker--at least the ice doesn't crack

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker

Another Christmas, another Nutcracker, and why not? I've been a fan of Tchaikovsky's ballet since infancy, and repeated exposure has only increased my admiration. I can enjoy the music for its own sake after all these years, but does the prolific Neeme Jarvi have anything new to say in the ballet?

From the start, it's clear Jarvi is taking a balletic approach, not the symphonic one featured on the last major release with Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. The Bergen Philharmonic isn't aiming for depth here, or at least Jarvi isn't. He chooses a lean sound and we start out with chipper tempo. Has the March become a racetrack? It might be thrilling momentarily, but it is painfully lacking in substance. There's a wealth of inner drama that develops in Act One that Jarvi rides over with spiritless energy.

And the lightness of the orchestra actually detracts from the nostalgia and festivity.There's a difference between speed and charm, baby. Valery Gergiev took the speed approach in his famous interpretation with the Kirov Orchestra, but at least he has genuine drive. I find Jarvi to smack of glibness, a tendency to interpret the music as if though all the greatness could be assimilated in a quick sight read. And a quick sight read this is, but why cheer?

★★★★☆ New ideas abound, but can we forgive Fischer for toning down the abandon?

Mahler: Symphony No. 5

Does the rise of new ideas deserve to be applauded? I had to ask myself that question multiple times listening to this Mahler 5th from Ivan Fischer and his Budapest Festival Orchestra. Shifting trends have brought about a stylish new approach to Mahler that is light on emotions in favor of more accuracy and articulation. In general, I'm not a fan of this development. Fischer veers in that direction, but he's a convincing representative. More than anything else, he shows conviction in his conducting, the main thing lacking in much modern Mahler.

So we start off with a funeral march played with more tenderness than passion. The Budapest Festival Orchestra isn't on par with the Berlin or Vienna Phil, but they have a compact, impressive sound. The orchestral landscape is detailed and intriguing, but rather homogenized, so you don't hear individual parts jumping out, even if they're nicely welded together for the whole. This subdued feeling continues into the 2nd movement, where Fischer avoids the scrambling brutality one hears from Abbado and Rattle. This is a nicely judged account, with freshness and new ideas. I can't think of another reading like it. But must it sound so nice? I miss the strings digging into their notes with raw fervor.

★★★★★ Jansons is searching and galvanizing in the Verdi Requiem--expect things you haven't heard before

Verdi: Requiem

I've surprised myself by becoming a fan of Mariss Jansons, a conductor who was suddenly hit with inspiration with his Bavarian Radio Symphony. There's vitality and sparkling new ideas coming from Germany that we haven't heard in Amsterdam. Irony prevails; I'm glad Jansons is leaving the Concertgebouw instead of the Bavarian Radio Symphony, even though most critics will tell you that the Concertgebouw is the better orchestra.

Jansons is releasing his new Verdi Requiem just over a year after Decca released Barenboim's reading with La Scala, including star soloists Anja Harterost, Elina Garanca, Jonas Kaufmann, and Rene Pape. Jansons' quartet of  Krassimira Stoyanova, Marina Prudenskaja, Saimir Pirgu, and Orlin Anastassov isn't on the same level. Pirgu's Ingemisco is refined and lyrical, a far cry from Kauffman's effusive power.

★★★★★ Yet another great Alpine Symphony, the second one from Welser-Most

Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie

When is the flood of great new Alpine Symphony recordings going to stop? After years of abuse from critics, Strauss's elusive masterpiece has finally come to the fore. We haven't been lacking in new readings in the new millennium. Before this reading was released I already owned stellar accounts from Thielemann, Harding, and an earlier one from Welser-Most with the Mahler Youth Orchestra. So here Welser-Most is duplicating himself within the same decade, but with good reason. This is an entirely different animal from his earlier reading. And who could turn down yet another reading from the Bavarian Radio Symphony, which plays with such striking virtuosity? And BR Klassik's sound is impeccable, of course.

The opening is aptly mysterious, building naturally, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony plays with more virtuosity than the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. This time around, Welser-Most seems less inward and more propulsive. It's hard to blame him, really, considering how full and magisterial the orchestra sounds. When you add the stellar sonics, this release is bidding to displace Thielemann's reading with the Vienna Phil as the best modern virtuoso version.

It would be wrong to suggest that Welser-Most is simply going through the motions, but this reading isn't as searching or elusive as either his earlier recording or Harding's from earlier this year. He unabashedly aims for thrills, and they're a joy to hear. The warmth of the orchestra is unmistakable. As much as I appreciate other versions, there's a Straussian instinct inherent in the best European orchestras that's hard to replace. The vibrancy from the first desk players is delicious and ravishing in its gentle-hued beauty.

★★★★☆ A moving memorial for a great conductor, though Abbado is subdued and low on intensity

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9

I find myself trembling penning this review, surprised at my own audacity in delivering a critique so soon after our beloved Claudio Abbado passed away. Music lovers universally have mourned the loss of one of our greatest conductors. Despite Abbado's success in Mahler, he seems less suited to Bruckner, despite a generous assortment of discs on DG with the Vienna Phil. Abbado seemed unlikely to gain intensity last minute, given his fragile health, so I didn't expect this Bruckner 9th to truly compete with the best. Nonetheless, I'm too devoted a fan not to give it a listen.

Abbado seems calm and controlled in the opening. He gets a full sound from Lucerne, caught in great sound by DG. Heading into the lyrical second theme, he is fairly subdued and straightforward. This music sounded more passionate under Sir Simon Rattle on his recent recording with the Berlin Phil, and of course Karajan is the perfect exemplar of fire and intensity. Here the strings don't have a real full presence; there's not the sonority in full volume found in the best rival European orchestras. I'd appreciate more impact in the climaxes. But the lyrical passages aren't much better. Abbado has a rare gift of sensitivity that enables him to bring out detail with touching sincerity—I wish I heard that in evidence here. As it is, this first movement sounds like a highly accomplished run-through. The main thing missing is mystery. Abbado is capable of maintaining the line and flow, but he doesn't seem to be searching for anything; at its best, this music is unsettling. The problem isn't so much that he holds back the power in the climaxes as it is that he doesn't find a captivating pulse. It feels smooth, well considered, yes, but not emotionally involving. There's not the rapport between Abbado and the musicians that is indicative of him at his best.

★★★★☆ 1/2 Finally one of the Russians sounds original in Brahms, if highly unusual

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4

With this final release in his Brahms cycle, Vladimir Jurowski naturally finds himself competing with Valery Gergiev, his elder Russian compatriot also at the head of a major London orchestra. I was disappointed with Gergiev's cycle, which was moderate and resigned with almost no new ideas. Did Jurowski eclipse the more experienced Gergiev, and more importantly, did he prove that the Russians have a legitimate approach to Brahms?

Thanks partly to the clearer sonics, we instantly hear that Jurowski's Brahms is much fresher than Gergiev's. The opening movement of the 3rd Symphony feels alive and warm, and Jurowski voices with compelling impact. It's a tad on the lean side, though; it sounds more modernist than romantic. But it's more moving than I was anticipating. It has a very precise, rhythmic feel, but nothing seems stodgy—Jurowksi is fully involved. Heading into the heart of the movement, Jurowski doesn't try to compete with the heft of the Berlin Phil. He is still fairly lean, but again, surprisingly moving. He's not simply going through the motions, even if he's not outright passionate and far from turbulent. This is comparatively smooth sailing over a land of incredible beauty, realized impeccably. The back and forth between the strings is immaculate. Proceeding into the closing minutes, Jurowski is excitable, but he doesn't try to build to a ringing climax in the way that Karajan and Rattle do. He's entirely stripped of any pretense of nobility. It sounds a bit aloof, but only by a little.

★★★★★ A thrilling solo recital from the blossoming Weilerstein that's sure to please her many fans

Alisa Weilerstein Solo

I've found it thrilling to follow Alisa Weilerstein, the young American cellist who has suddenly come under the spotlight in the past few years. It makes sense that Decca is releasing her first solo album, since her charisma is thrilling all by itself. Earlier this year, she was galvanizing in the Dvorak concerto, only I found that she had several times more imagination than her conductor, Jiri Belohlavek. Her tone showcases an incredible warmth and richness, all delivered with the power of one of the rare greats.

I'm not a solo cello aficionado, so all the works on this disc were new to me. I'd dare to guess, though, that most prospective buyers will be enticed based on their satisfaction with Weilerstein's concerto discs, as I was myself. I found the most delight in the first work on the program, the Kodaly Sonata for Solo Cello. But there's plenty of interest in the Bright Sheng Seven Tunes Heard in China, which has a strong folk flavor. For me, the most important part of this disc is that Weilerstein plays everything with the same golden tone, the same variety, and the same concentration. She seems unable to play without inserting her own personality, which I find gripping and moving. Decca captures her with close-miking, a bit larger than life. It just adds to the impact, though. Her ability to plunge beneath the depths of these scores is penetrating. I only hope she doesn't lose her raw passion as she continues to grow. It's not an everyday phenomenon. 

★★★☆☆ Chicago plays marvelously, but Muti is unsmiling and dogmatic

Prokofiev: Suite from Romeo and Juliet

Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet seems inherently virtuosic to me.  The music has a wealth of marvelous orchestration, and thankfully we have masterful readings with the Berlin Philharmonic from both Salonen and Abbado.  The Chicago Symphony is in very good shape today, and it helps that the sound on the CSO Resound label is full and rich.  Ricardo Muti favors the big, brassy sound that makes the orchestra famous. At under fifty minutes, the timing is very stingy; couldn't they have recorded more?  Either way, I'm a great fan of the music, so I listened with anticipation.

From the beginning, one hears a powerful sound from the orchestra, very much in a heroic mood.  The Montagues and Captulets is fairly stolid, relying on a heavy bass feel.  Cold accuracy dominates, driving the music with solid blocks of rhythm.  From the start, however, a problem begins to surface: Muti is rather aloof.  This isn't desperate passion; it's more of a military march. Juliet as a Young Girl shows beautiful solos, but the tempo is slow and the color rather dark.  There's no blissful abandon here, and for all the crystalline attention to detail, there's a lack of grace. Although the sound of the orchestra is attractive, Muti seems to be admiring the music from a distance.  And one does hear a gentle building of emotion; it's just that romanticism is treated with caution.  Muti favors distinct thrusts of sound, so the Minuet feels deliberate and almost forceful. He seems a stranger to lilting energy, so the Masks is earthbound instead of mercurial and vivacious.

★★★★☆ Better than Gergiev's Brahms cycle, but still not back to greatness

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique and Waverly Overture

Perhaps in preparation for his upcoming post with the Munich Philharmonic, Gergiev has lately turned to the traditional romantic repertoire with the LSO.  He just finished his Brahms symphony cycle and now he's back to Belioz's Symphonie Fantastique, a decade after recording it with the Vienna Philharmonic.  Unfortunately, I found the Brahms set to be a great disappointment and I've worried that he is sacrificing too much of his own personality in an attempt to adapt with the romantic style.

The work opens with a soft hush, Gergiev almost tip-toeing his way through the opening lines.  Unlike Jansons in a thrilling recording earlier this year, Gergiev doesn't have an overriding air of spookiness.  He prefers a sense of classical refinement, with intrinsic sensitivity.  As the movement develops, Gergiev slowly warms up, although he's still surprisingly unaggressive, without taking advantage of the potential swirling, jagged sounds.  The execution is great, just rather timid.

★★★☆☆ 1/2 Dudamel is refined and subdued overall, but the finale is thrilling

Mahler: Symphony No. 7

I've been a fan of Dudamel's Mahler in the past; both his 5th with the Simon Bolivar Orchestra and his 9th with the Los Angeles Philharmonic were telling successes.  Although the "youth" part of his Venezuelan orchestra has been dropped, it's been a joy to see the level of talent Dudamel has encouraged.  A few years ago, it might have seemed a stretch to imagine the orchestra being prepared to tackle the massive Mahler 7th, but now they are fully up to the challenge.  In fact, by now it's a bit outdated to view them on a separate scale than the world's best orchestras.  They play with astonishing virtuosity.

But has the increased level of playing threatened to take away the orchestra's exuberance?  Opening the symphony, Dudamel is a little deliberate, stressing lyricism and focused lines.  Sonics are great, and climaxes ring with impact. Dudamel is more inward than spontaneous, and his flow is gentle and natural.  In a blatantly elusive symphony, however, is it wise to aim for a seamless feel?  The absence of jagged edges threatens to remove some of the originality.

★★★☆☆ Gergiev is tame and detached in these Brahms symphonies--a surprising misfire

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4

I've been enthusiastic about most of Valery Gergiev's output with the LSO Live, and when it was announced he would be leaving the orchestra in 2015, I was disappointed. It was intriguing to hear he'd be moving to Munich, since he has recorded very little of the standard Germanic repertoire. So his Brahms cycle with the LSO seemed a toe-dipping experiment before he acclimates to his upcoming post.

I respect Gergiev enough that even with no prior familiarity with him in this music, I looked forward to the cycle with high expectations. But when the first two symphonies were released last fall, I was disappointed to hear conducting that was unremarkable and withdrawn.

I had hopes that with this concluding disc, Gergiev would find himself back in his element, but I'm sorry to report that this is simply more of the nondescript conducting that defined the first release.