REVIEW: BEETHOVEN/PAAVO JARVI

posted by James Reel

    For a forthcoming issue of Fanfare:

BEETHOVEN Symphonies: No. 3, “Eroica”; No. 8 * Paavo Järvi, cond; German Ch Phil Bremen * RCA 88697-13066-2 (hybrid SACD: 69:32)

    The most important Beethoven symphony cycles on SACD are DG’s two-channel reissue of the early-1960s Karajan set, which I reviewed in Fanfare 27:5 (“Karajan’s first DG Beethoven cycle has been a standard by which others are judged for 40 years, and this new SACD remastering ensures that it will remain so for the next generation”); Haitink on LSO Live (received orgasmically in England, more mutedly on this side of the pond); and Väska on Bis (not yet complete, but so far it’s a stunning achievement). Now here comes Paavo Järvi with his Bremen chamber orchestra, and his first installment blows Haitink out of the water fully rises to the high standards of Väska’s identical coupling of the Third and Eighth symphonies, which I reviewed in Fanfare 30:2.
    The main difference between Järvi and Väska has to do not with interpretive choices so much as the inevitable contrasts in texture between Järvi’s small orchestra and Väska’s large one (Minnesota). Even so, Järvi’s strings are definitely up front, and despite their comparatively small numbers they do dominate the tuttis, although the winds have plenty of presence in their solo and ensemble passages.
    Järvi’s “Eroica” is full of punch and brio and fine detail. Just listen to the pulse of the stuttering passage about half a minute into the first movement, the carefully crafted articulation and dynamic control, the supple phrasing, with a strong bass line throughout. The quality of playing throughout the orchestra is superb. The violins are nimble; all the strings largely eschew vibrato, to suspenseful effect in the first movements and with eerie results in the funeral march. The Scherzo is rollicking but never out of control, and the final movement is notable for the clarity of the various voices.
    Järvi launches the Eighth swiftly, but he also keeps the music light, graceful and almost dancelike while applying full force to the knockabout passages. The whole symphony goes by in this manner, and the final movement’s scurrying material is played remarkably quickly, and remarkably cleanly. Here, Järvi is clearly superior to the less witty Väska.
    Compared to Väska, Järvi’s signature has fewer flourishes but is no less bold. Järvi’s attention to precision and detail, and his intelligent forcefulness, alongside a reluctance to over-personalize the interpretation, call to mind Szell/Cleveland in the “Eroica” (also available in an SACD reincarnation).
    Regarding the sonics, there’s a sense of space behind the orchestra, rather than in front of it, giving the ensemble a particular resonance without making it seem distant.
    If you’re looking for a single Beethoven cycle in surround sound, should you invest in Väska or Järvi? Judging from this first installment, Järvi’s traversal has much in common with Väska’s, although the latter conductor tends to italicize his points just a bit more. Each of these in-progress cycles is superb, and you choice may come down to whether you want your Beethoven to sound full or lean.