Alban Berg: Three pieces from the Lyric Suite, arranged by the composer for
string orchestra
Johannes Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, op. 45
Wolfgang Rihm: Das Lesen der Schrift

Kent Nagano
NDR Sinfonieorchester, NDR Chor, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart
Musikhalle Hamburg, March 25, 2002

"A special occasion in Brahms' hometown".  This is how the leaflet that
announced the inclusion of Wolfgang Rihm's 'Das Lesen der Schrift' into
Brahms' German Requiem.  These four pieces were only premiered last weekend
in Berlin, also by Kent Nagano. They were included on short notice.  This
unusual concert began with the three pieces from Alban Berg's Lyric Suite
in their arrangement for string orchestra.  Kent Nagano made the strings
play with a wonderfully warm and round tone.  Unfortunately, this was a
bit at the expensive of clarity.  Berg's counterpoint wasn't as lucid as
it could be.  These miniatures didn't sound like pieces from the second
Viennese school at all, but very sensual, almost impressionist.  The
dissonances were swallowed by the sheer beauty of the sound.  Marvellous.

Now the first curiosity of the evening.  The interval after just twenty
minutes of music!  A questionable practice, but there is no other choice,
given the programme.  The first two movements from Brahms' German Requiem
followed.  From the onset, the chorus was excellent.  It also tended to
dominate the texture a little.  The second movement was stunning, perhaps
the most successful of the evening.  The opening theme was exactly what
Brahms wanted: Legato ma un poco marcato.  No very soft line, nor single
notes - something in between.  I haven't heard this so well done.  The
crucial horns during the build-up towards the giant climaxes were also
perfect.  Present, yet not dominating.  The climaxes themselves were
shattering.  Throughout the evening, Nagano had only little movement
necessary and here it was most effective.  This was truly inevitable death.
After this movement, the main surprise came.  The first of Wolfgang Rihm's
four orchestral pieces.  The firs t was firmly based on the low strings.
Almost the whole piece - all four last for about five minutes each - was
very quiet and in low registers.  Especially wonderful the tremoli of the
basses.  The third movement of the Requiem boasted Matthias Goerne as
soloist, who replaced the ill Russell Braun Especially remarkable was how
the Rihm has hinted at some of Brahms' motifs of the following movement.
He fitted very well into the sound world created by the orchestra and
chorus.  The second piece by Rihm followed, this time more violent.  In
fact, the most violent of the four.  Between brass and timpani attacks,
again the low registers were dominant.  This time, high violins added
another sound.  The fourth and fifth movements of the Requiem followed,
bringing some light.  Especially the fourth movement indeed sang of "Lovely
homes", the chorus well supported by the sweet strings and a relatively
quick pace.  Michaela Kaune also a replacement, sang her solo in the
fifth movement very well, albeit with a very distinct vibrato.  Another
movement of Das Lesen der Schrift preceded the baritone's greatest moment.
The announcement of the last judgement which Matthias Goerne managed
fabulously.  Here the brass players could show how well they master
their instruments.  Especially the tuba player excelled.  Before the last
movement of the Requiem, the last movement of Rihm's work was spliced in.
This was the most ethereal of all, combining the soft basses from the first
and the floating violins from the second.  An excellently sung and played
'Selig sind die Toten' rounded the evening off.

The audience - the hall was sold-out - unfortunately coughed a lot during
the works by Wolfgang Rihm.  I wish they hadn't uttered their dislike of
the inclusion of new music in Brahms, but listened to the music instead.
The musicians were all excellent - only one little flaw during the last
of Berg's pieces was apparent, other than that orchestra and chorus alike
were outstanding - but it was the music that mattered over everything else.
Due to Nagano's ability to make the orchestra sound full and warm without
losing transparency, the Requiem didn't really sound like a requiem.  But
together with Wolfgang Rihm's work it made the impression of 'A Human
Mass'.  I would wish that this combination is performed more often.  A
special occasion indeed.  Brahms would have liked it.

Jan Templiner