Anyone who saw the directing (we recently remembered Don Juan and dun dune dance of the seven veils dazzling) quickly realizes that music is not a profession for him, but a vital necessity, like air that he breathes and the bread that feeds him.
To date, three symphonic programs conducted by Mikko Franck disk: Sibelius, four Legends, already in OndineEn Saga op. 9 / Lemminkainen Suite op. 22; more recently, RCADebussy Debussy from: Images - Spring - Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, with his future band; and between both thereof.
The disc souvre by a piece of Rautavaara, Apotheosis, taken from his opera Theo (Van Gogh). The deliberate naivety of Rautavaara's music, with its flute arabesques, its post-sibélien language and message "I watch the birds take flight and I contemplate infinity" does not always talk to me. In any case, one can not better direct Rautavaara that what Mikko Franck here with gentle fervor.
Piece de resistance, Symphony Pathetique. This interpretation all along held high, and very well received, has two extraordinary moments: the first is the development of the first movement, which results in a kind of slow-motion disaster, with terrifying trombones. The second is the Finale, where Mikko Franck takes all the time it considers necessary for the farewell to the world (the second idea, especially retained): full implementation of nobility, a partition as contemplated very high. The broad tempi, to do justice to a great work: that sen complain? The result is gorgeous, and we must greet the orchestra of strings of the Swedish Radio that make us hear what the leader wants: a Tchaikovsky so serious and that he collected na more tears.
For this Adagio lamentoso, the timings are: Willem Mengelberg, April 1941Symphonie No. 6 "Pathétique", 920; Mikko Franck, the early 21st century, 1415. Amazing, is not it.
If for the third movement, we heard more mind-blowing, and most intoxicating orchestral virtuosity (starting with Mengelberg himself, which heats the room and whips the public into blood maestro true legend that he was), the two moments i reported this rise well above the disk only "good record of a promising chef."
I havent heard Vladimir Jurowski in this music - see what has been said here that LDTchaïkovski: Symphonies No. 1 & No. 6; but just look at the timings to know that the result can be very different; Mikko Franck for his part chose unusually large and with lassumant laplomb of someone who knows what he does.
One can sintéresser to Tchaikovsky even if one remains attached to old recordings like those of Willem Mengelberg, already mentioned; Derich Kleiber (Orchestra of the League of conservatories, Paris, Decca) and Vaclav Talich (Czech Philharmonic, Supraphon); not to mention of course of Ferenc Fricsay and dEvgeni Mravinsky.
According to Ms. Michu, fine music lover according to his friends and acquaintances, everything goes wrong, marketing has plagued all and there is more great leaders (the latter Abbado? Celibidache? Karajan? Furtwängler? We discuss by the hour tea). The problem is not only that the déclinisme has its followers in all times and always better cétait yesterday; the problem is mainly that Madame Michu (I do not want to overwhelm most quune or another) is shifting from long concert, not Nachete discs that carry delle unknown names. What is this disdain quon does not know. Even Klemperer was young and critic had to risk a day for the first time, to distinguish, without being stopped by the fact that nobody was washing done before him.
Mengelberg listen again, because the disk allows. And listen Mikko Franck, a leader of our time, which we wish all the best.