Marek Janowski: Meistersinger (CD) w. Albert Dohmen, Georg Zeppenfeld, Dietrich Henschel, Robert Dean Smith, Edith Haller, Matti Salminen

Not a Top-Tier Meistersinger

by RML, 21 January 2012

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is the second installment in the series of Wagner operas released by PentaTone recorded live in the Berlin Philharmonie with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under the baton of Marek Janowski. (Although chronologically Parsifal was performed and recorded before Meistersinger.) The conductor has made a name as a Wagnerian for his complete studio recording of the Ring with the Staatskapelle Dresden originally for Eurodisc in the 1980s, in which his main objective was to interpret Wagner’s score with absolute clarity.

The years haven't changed Maestro Janowski’s approach – the new release’s strong feature hardly is its theatrical flair. As it was live in Berlin last June 3, the orchestral sound is very rich yet impressively transparent, even if there is not very much personality in the string section in passages requiring fast articulation or soft dynamics, especially when one compares this with the Berlin Philharmonic under Karajan live in Salzburg. (Since this is a live performance recorded in one only concert, I’ll refrain from comparing it with studio recordings).

Even if tempi are here on the lively side, there is very little spirit behind the notes – one just has to sample the already mentioned Karajan, to hear how the orchestra comments the action, with the soloists on stage for expression and charm. The new recording too has the orchestra in the middle of events, but in an abstract, purely musical way. In the live performance singers had a bad time having to pierce through the dense orchestra – and one felt almost obliged to discover many niceties in woodwind or in the kaleidoscopic contrapuntal writing in big ensembles, as in the cleanly and coherently built closing scene of the second act.

If one can find in structural clarity a reason for the release of these CDs (although one might rightly point out that Kubelik or Sawallisch have nothing to fear in this particular regard), this cast offers nothing really exceptional in order to be documented for posterity. Edith Haller was clearly not in her best voice in that concert – her voice is all right girly, but too often wiry and sharp, and her phrasing suggests rather a mechanical doll than a charming and passionate young woman. Michelle Breedt’s fruity Magdalene is far more varied and animated. Robert Dean Smith is a reliable Walther who relishes the leading man approach, but his tenor lacks some squillo to suggest the impetuosity and the youthfulness. A last minute replacement for Cristoph Strehl, Peter Sonn is a more lyric David and accordingly less fussy than most – the required flexibility and tonal coloring is not entirely there though.

There is very little pleasure to be derived from Dietrich Henschel’s raspish and dry-toned Beckmesser. There is sense of comedy in his performance, but his expressive tool is often nothing but emphasis and after some time one is dying to hear a clearly produced baritone in this role. Albert Dohmen’s Sachs requires some time to produce its effect – his large, dark voice cannot help sounding more spontaneous in its voluminous, clear diction and ductility. In his monologues, he can achieve moments of real intimacy and pensiveness, but when hard-pressed in the higher end of the tessitura, there is some unfriendliness in his Wotan-like utterances. Georg Zeppenfeld is a light, pleasant Pogner, and minor roles were quite efficiently taken, especially in the context of a concert performance.

Although the microphones have adjusted the balance between singers and orchestra, the sonic representation is spontaneous and is relatively faithful to the large orchestral perspectives offered by Maestro Janowski live in the Philharmonie. There is plenty of air and hall perspective in the choral singing, without any loss of clarity. Does this recording take over the Meistersinger discography by assault? Not in any way – those who were in the concert had a pleasant evening in a very clean performance of a difficult score. But a recording is supposed to be a memento of a truly special occasion. Other than that, what would be the point?

RML's blog, I Hear Voices covers Wagner and other opera performances.

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