IN TUNE 
Japan

Teutonic Passions
Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht; Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen; Webern: Langasamer Satz; Webern: Funf Satze, Op. 5  (CLAVES CD 50-9412 )

Claves' new release of four late Romantic works by Austrian and German masters offers an unusual approach when played by the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin under conductor Misha Rachlevsky. What one hears is Germanic music, played in a thoroughly Russian style. That may dismay purists, but it's undeniably effective in terms of highlighting the expressionistic passion implicit in early Schoenberg and Webern, as well as late Strauss. The our works include Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht in its string orchestra version; Strauss' Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings; plus Webern's Langsamer Satz ("Slow Movement"), and Funf Satze,Op. 5 ("Five Movements") for string quartet, arranged for string orchestra.

The result almost sounds like period performances from the early 20th Century. Expensive tempos dominate, although these are not allowed to drag momentum. That's largely kept in check by maintaining lots of dramatic tension in the vibrato-rich playing. The Strauss Metamorphosen, for example, normally plays in about 26 or 27 minutes. This recording expands that to 30:19. The broader style - a thing much treasured by conductors such as Furtwangler, Stokowski and Klemperer - allows for more detail of inner voices. What may be lacking in urgency is compensated by the feeling of warmth. One hears primarily sweet meditations on the music, as opposed to a literal presentation of fierceness.

Rubato effects are almost constant, although generally subtle. Rachlevsky seems to encourage slow phrase endings, even within an individual line of music. Thus, the orchestra may be moving forward in tempo, but a secondary rising counterpoint, for say violas, may answer with freedom of phrasing within the general texture. The result suggests a group of soloists playing together, rather than rigidly uniform strands. Ensemble, however, is very good… except for minor blemishes in Webern's Five Movements. The players are together, but mysteriously maintaining their individuality…what in French is called degage music. Certainly, you will not hear more umber performances of Webern or Schoenberg. It's the kind of playing one hears in Furtwangler's Wagner or Stokowski's Debussy recordings.

Beautifully recorded, these art nouveau performances obviously will appeal to special tastes. It's the sort of performance style one would expect for Scriabin or Rachmaninoff - not a bad thing in itself.

H.T.