Mahler Symphony No. 4 Sabine Devieilhe (soprano); Les Siècles, François-Xavier Roth Harmonia Mundi HMM 905357 54:05 mins
What is remarkable about hearing Mahler’s most classically-orientated symphony performed on instruments of the period when it was written is that the music’s strongly Expressionist subtext comes across so vividly. Not that François-Xavier Roth and Les Siècles are short on melodic warmth where it’s needed, but Roth’s meticulous attention to detail, particularly when it comes to Mahler’s intricate dynamic markings with their sudden crescendos, brings out an element of unease that lies not so far beneath the surface of the apparently simple, and even at times simplistic, writing.
Particularly unsettling is the scherzo-like second movement, with its insistently repeated out-of-tune solo fiddle effect – a sort of deconstruction of Western culture, as Roth calls the piece in his booklet interview. All this is put to rest in the symphony’s finale – a child’s view of heavenly delights as described in a poem from the folk collection called Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Sabine Devieilhe doesn’t perhaps quite have that elusive quality of breathless innocence and wonder that Mahler’s setting calls for, but it’s hard to fault her singing. Altogether, this very well recorded disc is fascinating in the way it sheds new light on a familiar masterpiece.
Misha Donat
