Rubinstein: Symphony 6 (Heribert Beissel / Hamburg Symphony)

[John Boyer]

Heribert Beissel's early 1970's recording of Rubinstein's Sixth Symphony for Vox/Turnabout is finally (that is, finally) available again from Naxos (streaming/download only):

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=VOX-NX-2865

I have always greatly preferred this performance to Gilbert Varga's hectic account for Marco Polo.  Varga robs the first movement of much its grandeur, rushing through as if he were afraid to miss the last train out of Grand Central.  He even doubles the tempo in the final bars for no apparent reason.  He subjects the slow movement to the same breakneck pace.

The only advantages to the Varga are the smoother playing of the Philharmonia Hungarica, the more spacious sound, and the absence of the several cuts that Beissel makes in the finale.

It's good to hear the Beissel again after so long an absence.

[Ilja]

Thank you for your vigilance! It's also on YouTube, Presto and Spotify, for those who are interested (and/or are subscribed to those services).

Ah, one person's grandeur is another's longueur; interestingly IMSLP gives 40 minutes for a typical performance, which I assume is based on contemporary reports - well under either Varga (at 42 minutes) or Beissel (at 48). On the other hand, it gives 65 minutes for the fourth, which also seems rather extreme.

I've always found Beissel's rendition interminably dull, largely because of the pace but not only. It seems to me that both he and Varga suffer from the same problem, a lack of tempo diversity. Rubinstein's music requires a well-defined vision and a firm hand (which is prepared to ignore the composer's notes at times) to get the best out of it, and I don't see that in either of these performances. Really, the only Rubinstein symphony I've heard sofar that feels "right" is Andreescu's performance of the Fifth on Marco Polo. I like Mantsurov's version of the Ocean, but it is admittedly a tad idiosyncratic.

In the Sixth, Varga does seem rushed, mostly in the 2nd movement (not really a slow movement) where it becomes more of an allegretto than moderato assai. On the other extreme, Beissel eliminates any of the rhythmic "bounce" (for lack of a better word) from the first movement, and the resulting lack of contrast spreads the already thin musical material to breaking point. I think that as a rule, too fast is preferable over too slow in Rubinstein.

[Mark Thomas]

A good spot, thanks, John. I've got a foot in both camps: I got rid of my old Vox LP when Varga's Marco Polo CD was issued but have always felt that he took the first movement way too fast; there is indeed a nobility to it which Varga lost. I have no problem with the rest of his interpretation, although I do take Ilja's point about treating Rubinstein robustly. So, it's good to have Beissel's interpretation available again, and I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

[Mark Thomas]

Having reminded myself of both interpretations, I've changed my mind. Overall, despite the poorer recording and scratchier orchestra, I prefer Biessel's account, and not just in the opening movement. That sets the tone for his whole interpretation: this is a symphony on an epic scale, with a certain granite-like solidity, not to be rushed, and that informs Biessel's tempi throughout the work, giving it consistency. Despite giving it more light and shade with greater dynamic contrasts, Vanska dashes through everything, rendering it humdrum in the process. The finale in particular, although admittedly the most rambling of the movements, seems reduced to a series of randomly pasted-together episodes in his hands.

There's no denying that Rubinstein was a flawed composer, and in this symphony, as in many other works, his ambition exceeds his ability. It would certainly have benefited from being more concise, but this is one of his better efforts, and he did manage to produce a piece which has, as John wrote, a certain "grandeur", which is wholly missing from Vanska's throw-away account.

[eschiss1]

Has Vänskä ever conducted Anton Rubinstein?