Christus am Olberge (Christ on the Mount of Olives) is Beethoven's sole
Oratorio. Although it carries the opus no. 85, the work was composed in
1803 about the time of Beethoven's 2nd Symphony; he delayed publication
until 1811. The music was set to a libretto by Franz Xaver Huber, and
Beethoven eventually had only negative commments about the text. Huber's
libretto is quite different from the norm in an oratorio in two respects;
there is no narrator, and Jesus is very "human" with the weaknesses that
most people possess.
Recordings of Christus am Olberge are infrequent. I'm only aware of three
versions on cd, and one of them, from Bella Voce, was recorded in the
1950's. I am not familiar with that one, but I have the other two
recordings:
Christoph Spering - Opus 111, 30-281 (1999).
Serge Baudo - Harmonia Mundi, 905181 (1987).
I recently bought Spering's account; it's on period instruments. Baudo's
is on modern instruments, and I've had it for over 10 years. At this
point, I don't have any particular opinions regarding the quality of
Beethoven's oratorio; it's been a few years since I last listened to it.
So, I'm looking forward to that aspect of the review as well as the
comparison between the performances of Spering and Baudo.
The Oratorio is essentially in two parts. In the first, Jesus is grappling
with the prosopect of his destiny. In the second, he is found by Roman
troops and moves toward his destiny.
Christus am Olberge begins with an orchestral introduction/prelude in E flat
major; the music alternates between abrupt/hesitant and flowing passages.
It is very dramatic with some stirring and lyrical themes. The introduction
precedes the recitative and aria by Jesus where he feels terror at his
prospects one moment and then tries to work himself into a frame of mind of
acceptance the next. With that in mind, the introduction is most effective
when it feels heavy and burdensome. Baudo projects those qualities
wonderfully with a dark and bass driven reading of strong drama. His
Orchestre National de Lyon also performs very well. Spering is more crisp
with brass that really ring out, but I don't find this advantageous; the
scene is not one of royal ceremony.
Baudo's brass are better integrated into the orchestral fabric. Most
important, Baudo gives me the sense of being introduced to the essential
emotional and spritual themes of the oratorio. Spering's reading is more of
a generic intepretation which is a fine display of period instrument
strengths and excellent execution but has little affinity with the work's
themes. Am I right? The Fanfare reviewer thinks not, as he indicates that
Spering is at his best in the introduction with an "ideal sound for the
passage" (opening passage). There sure are strange reviewers on the Planet.
In the Jesus recitative and aria, he is a person very unsure of himself and
having great doubt and fear of his destiny. The tenor vocalist needs to
make sure he does not project too strong a personality, but one having
vulerability; Jesus is feeling much like a victim with no control over his
future. The music itself is stirring, dramatic, and with some lovely
passages.
We all know a tenor when we hear him, right? I keep listening to Baudo's
tenor, James Anderson, and I'd swear he's a baritone. It could be a buid-up
of wax in my eardrums, but I have the suspicion that the wrong voice was
selected for this role. That could be mitigated some by an attractive
voice, but Anderson fails on that score as well. To his credit, Anderson
has a voice that won't quit. The star of this segment is again Baudo. He
is directing matters expertly with a keen sense of Beethoven's style.
Spering continues as before - lean and festive. I'm sorry, but I think it's
all wrong. His tenor, Steve Davislim, has a more attractive voice than
Anderson at first blush, but I later developed a dislike for it. It's a
voice that starts off well but goes nowhere. I end up preferring Anderson,
and that's not saying much.
All told, I do enjoy Baudo's version very much; Spering's is disposable.
In the next segment, the whining ways of Jesus are replaced by a very
positive soprano Seraph who is quite proud of the sacrifice Jesus is making
and also thrilled that mankind being saved. The segment consists of a
soprano recitative, soprano aria, and a chorus featuring the soprano. Being
upbeat in mood compared to the previous segments of the Oratorio, Spering's
approach can now pay some dividends. However, I still prefer Baudo's deeper
and richer orchestral delivery. The main difference between the two
versions is the quality of the soprano. Spering's singer, Simone Kermes,
has a "chipmunk" feature to her voice which I find as annoying as her tenor
partner portraying Jesus. Baudo's soprano, Monica Pick-Hieronimi, has a
rich and full voice. I wouldn't say that it's one of the best soprano
voices I've heard in recent times, but it certainly is advantageous compared
to Kermes. Again, Baudo provides the better music-making. And this music
is excellent with a lyrical and lovely aria and a stirring choral
contribution.
The music even gets better with the duets for recitative and aria between
Jesus and the Seraph. The recitative starts off with Jesus still whining
about his future. The Seraph, increasingly exasperated with him, gives him
a dose of tough love:
"Thus spoke Yahew: as long as the holy mystery
of expiation remains unfulfilled, men will be
lost and deprived of eternal life."
The above words impact Jesus greatly; at the beginning of the aria he's
ready to absorb "the flood of suffering". I make a point of bringing this
up because the Seraph's words to Jesus, for appropriate delivery of the
theme, need to be strong. Baudo's Seraph has strength as her primary vocal
advantage; Spering's Seraph sounds too vulnerable. I can't believe that she
could possibly impact Jesus or anyone else so convincingly.
The aria duet finally finds Spering giving a highly effective performance.
This aria is flat-out gorgeous and poignant, and Spering's reading is
superb; his brass and strings are outstanding. Also, his singers do very
well apart and in unison. Not that Baudo and company are third-rate. Baudo
does fine, although his intrumental incisiveness and beauty are this time
not up to Spering's level. Baudo's vocal soloists also sing effectively.
Overall, I am glad to be able to say some good things about Spering's
recording. I just wish that it could have been more effective in the
Seraph's lecture to Jesus; I consider her words to represent the turning
point in the Oratorio.
The Roman troops are introduced in the next segment which consists of two
recitatives for Jesus, a chorus for the troops, and a chorus for troops and
disciples. Jesus is now fully prepared for his capture and doom. The Roman
troops are hot on his trail, just about salivating at the thought of
capturing the outlaw. By the time the troops have surrounded Jesus, his
disciples are seized by panic with their thoughts of retribution at the
hands of the Romans and the loss of Jesus.
When the troops are introduced, it's important that the music display a
"march-like" and military posture; both versions do well in portraying this
scene. The chorus of the troops and disciples is very dramatic, and Spering
once again takes on a rather festive quality which dilutes the tension and
drama of the chorus. Based on that problem, Baudo again provides a more
idiomatic reading.
A number of things happen in the concluding segment:
1. Jesus is not only ready to face his fate with a "stiff upper lip", but
he's really into it and totally focused on his mission.
2. Peter is introduced, but his role is meaningless. This is the weakest
part of the libretto.
3. As the soldiers approach Jesus, his disciples turn on him; it's not easy
being brave in the face of torture and death.
4. A choir of angels praises Jesus. I think it's for two reasons: the
redemption to mankind that the sacrifice opens up, and the change in Jesus
that was necessary to effect redemption.
Musically, there's much to enjoy: fine duets and a trio, and rousing
choruses. Both versions are very good. Spering's festive penchant finds
its true soulmate in the concluding chorus of angels. His singers are
effective including his Peter, Elke Wilm Schulte. Baudo gives a very
operatic treatment to most of the music, and I like it very much. His
singers do well, although his Peter, Victor von Halem, sounded like he
hadn't quite finished with dinner.
Christus am Olberge is not one of Beethoven's masterpieces, but it is
excellent music that is very likely to please most listeners. The libretto
has its weak spots; it also has the advantage of giving Jesus a human mind
and feelings through which his weaknesses can be identified and empathized
with - although I could have done without the whining.
Don's Conclusion: To capture the moods in the first half of the Oratorio,
Baudo is required listening. Spering, in my opinion, misses it badly. He
does hit his stride in the second half, but Baudo also continues to direct
excellently. None of the vocalists are really memorable although I'd give
the edge to Baudo's singers on the strength of Monica Pick-Hieronimi's
voice. My recommendation goes to Baudo by a wide margin. I did check out
its availability. The listing is in Schwann Opus, although that might not
mean much. More reliable, CDNOW has it listed, unfortunately at full
price.
Anyways, if you can get hold of a copy, give it a listen. I think it would
be appreciated by most folks who enjoy Mozart and Haydn choral works. For
major Beethoven fans, it is an essential part of the library.
Don Satz
[log in to unmask]
|
