A masterclass in perfect pacing
Daniel Harding (conductor) Christiane Karg (soprano), Matthias Goerne (baritone); Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/ Daniel Harding Harmonia Mundi HMM902635
Recordings of Brahms’s large-scale choral-orchestral works have to pass two acid tests: first, the balancing of massive structures so that the whole thing hangs together, neither rushing nor dragging; and secondly, the handling of texture, so that listeners can hear individual orchestral-vocal lines and timbres, but also enjoy the seamless fusion of the gigantic collective sound which give such works their meaning.
Harding’s sense of structure in this 2019 recording is assured and persuasive, evoking a slow, dignified but steady move from the depths of grief into a bruised but courageous renewal. The orchestral sound is revelatory, evoking the austerity of a church organ without relinquishing a jot of emotional weight. The unusual string sound borrows much from the world of historical performance, but without sacrificing the luxurious sound and emotional vulnerability that come with the use of vibrato. The choir sounds both substantial and luminous, with crystalline German, effectively navigating the long and demanding fugues.
The second movement – the most overwhelming, almost Verdian number
– begins with an exquisite weariness, evoking the dragging feet of slowly processing mourners. The build-up to the climactic cry that ‘all flesh is as grass’ leaves the listener broken, before the visceral relief at the major-key reassurance which follows. Matthias Goerne is a superbly racked soloist in the third movement – anyone who has helplessly contemplated their own mortality can relate to the Promethean despair (and the rage, in the repeated section) of that molten, burnished voice.
The fourth movement is tidily sung, but it is the orchestra that truly shines
The orchestral sound is revelatory, evoking the austerity of a chuch organ
here, each timbre emerging, glowing from the overall texture, whether high winds, or rounded brass. It is an ideal set-up for the solo soprano movement that follows. Karg’s sound is dramatic, if not ideally matched to Goerne, but again it is the silkysmooth orchestral-choral sound that wins over. The sixth movement is the perfect dramatic corollary to the second, Goerne’s surprisingly tender utterance of ‘We shall be changed’ leading to tremendously exciting choral singing of ‘Death, where is thy sting?’. The stillness and tranquillity of the final movement brings a satisfying sense of closure and healing.