Feature: Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall

In 1989 just a few months before his death, Herbert von Karajan led the Vienna Philharmonic week in New York. One of the programs included Bruckner’s 8th symphony. In Vienna there is a story about this night, true or “ben trovata”. I read it for the first time when I was living in Vienna in an article by the chief music critic of the historic: “Die Presse”, Wilhelm Sinkovicz. The story as I recall it goes like this: an older American music critic said to a younger college: “young man, you may not hear again in your life an orchestra sound like this, but now you know, it is possible”. One can imagine the quality of the performance, given the affinity and deep understanding of Bruckner’s music by von Karajan, as well as his unity with the orchestra, demonstrated also emphatically from about the same time, von Karajan’s very last recording, Bruckner’s 7th symphony with the Vienna Philharmonic. Notably, the orchestra’s “privileged” relationship to the music of that sui generis – one of the kind - composer goes back to the time of Bruckner himself. Bruckner’s 7th was the main piece of the opening program of this year’s Vienna Philharmonic performances under Riccardo Muti.

The charismatic Italian who barely needs an introduction, this year celebrates the landmark of 50 years of cooperation with the orchestra in the subscription concerts, which started even earlier with a performance of Don Pasquale at the Salzburg festival in the summer of 1971 upon the invitation of Herbert von Karajan. Muti has conducted since hundreds of performances with the orchestra and the author of this article has had the quite unbelievable privilege to have experienced, since 2001 a large number of these, including some rehearsals in Vienna and Salzburg (and later in New York Riccardo Muti with Chicago and New York Philharmonic). As stated also in Muti’s interviews, the maestro has held a very long, deep artistic partnership with the orchestra and also shares with its members a deep cultural vision, a way to interpret the history of European civilization. In his recent short video, made in Vienna a few weeks ago during the preparation of the New York performances, Riccardo Muti praises the Vienna Philharmonic. I quote from this video “I have been the music director in some of the most important institutions in the world and I still love these orchestras. But… The orchestra of my life that has been in my heart since 1971 is the Vienna Philharmonic. The Vienna Philharmonic is not just a great orchestra, it is an orchestra that represents the deepest expression of European Culture”

Riccardo Muti chose a very slow tempo to the liking of the writer and seemingly to many members of the orchestra that I have talked to in the past about tempi. When this occurs, it may can make it difficult to keep the cohesion and dynamic of the grand architecture of a piece at one hundred percent at all times. It allowed however, more importantly, the orchestra to extract all its unique expressive qualities, to differentiate every note - to make every repetition of a small element, every “breath”, be beautiful and meaningful. That could be sensed from the very first seconds, when the first violin started very expressive at a barely audible level. The dynamic range from the border of silence to the explosive climaxes was remarkable, with Muti making sure with lowering his hands and sometimes his body how much he cared about the tenderness of the expressive quality of the sound. What prevailed was an atmosphere that gave chills to the first, almost apocalyptic, accord of the first movement.

Again, in a slow tempo with every instrument solo, especially the winds, being expressive and thoughtful with the strings instructed thoroughly by Muti for every nuance and dynamic, but also communicating to each other with their characteristic elegant vibrato, the orchestra superbly met the solemn and transcendent character of the slow movement, creating an almost metaphysical atmosphere in a breathtaking moment that one could sense in the air of the auditorium.

After the slow movement, Muti made a congratulating gesture to the musicians. Once the slow movement ended, the beginning of the scherzo felt as an outburst of energy and a release of the orchestra’s tension. High in energy and unfolding the qualities of the Ländler in a very elegant and sophisticated way, the high contrasts were never harsh, with Muti again presenting a detailed account and assisting the dialogue between the balanced instrument groups. Again, with the texture and the details in focus the orchestra brought the symphony to a grand conclusion.

One who has studied the Athens Acropolis might be aware of the fact that the Parthenon, considered one of the highest achievements of humanity and an apotheosis of artistic spirit, does not have a single direct line. It is made so that the eye sees it as perfect (considering the eye itself, the different perspectives and the light of Athens). In order for that to be achieved, the lines are, in an incredible degree of sophistication, slightly curved, balancing “on the top of a razor”, as the ancient Greek phrase would describe it, between being mathematically perfect and just wrong.

I have the impression that this is what, mutatis mutandis, occurs with the Viennese sound. This fine cultivation of sound, the generation over generation passed on artistic ideal, the very breathing of the orchestra is pointing directly to the senses, rather than to a higher degree of technical perfection, which is of course present as well. What some believe to be a lower level of precision is a far more sophisticated way to “curve the lines”, in this case, the lines of the precision and musical architecture towards a breathtaking beauty, measured by the senses rather than by the metronome.

The “elective affinity” between Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic is also shown in the works of the genius and also tragic representative of the Viennese classic period, Franz Schubert. Muti has recorded all Schubert’s symphonies with the orchestra in the late 1980 and the these are recordings with artistic depth and stylistic unity. He constantly includes the composer in his programs, offering magic moments, even from relatively unknown or underperformed works like Rosamunde. I have vivid memories from such performances in Vienna, a magical slow movement from Rosamunde and I remember myself humming for days the 4/4 motive of the last movement from the 8th symphony under the spell of a great performance in the Golden Hall of the in the Musikverein. On another occasion more than 20 years ago, the 8th was performed in Vienna ahead of another visit of the orchestra with Muti to New York.

Schubert’s 4th symphony, the so called “Tragic” started Friday night’s program and the 8th (sometimes known as 9th) - “The Great” was the main work of Saturday’s concert. Again, here the players adopted to the style of the period with elegance, focus, and communication with each other. The orchestra is known to have “chambers music” qualities, that is to say an intimate communication between the players, as it exists in much smaller ensembles. With this orchestra, Muti makes sure that every detail and dynamic change happens and happens smoothly.

In a review of Schubert’s 8th symphony under Riccardo Muti many years ago, the music critic Wilhelm Sinkovicz, also connects the tender melancholy and the intimacy of the slow movement of the symphony, to the word “Wehmut”, which literally translates as melancholy or nostalgia or wistfulness but points thought its etymology, coming from Mut (courage, bravery) and the word Weh (pain, a word appearing in Nietzsche’s text in Mahler’s third for the struggle of the human existence) to the bravery that somebody has when in pain. Schubert’s internalized pain influenced the way composers after him deal with struggle and suffering. Maybe a little slower than with Muti in past, the Vienna Philharmonic masterfully created again an intimate moment of subtle melancholy.

On Saturday night, before Schubert, Riccardo Muti (always interested in Italian late romantic symphonic composers) introduced to New York a piece by Alfredo Catalani (1854-1893). “Contemplatione” (1878) which, with its lash strings and slow tempo, pointed to the intimate atmosphere of romanticism.

The neoclassical Divertimento from “Le Baiser de la fée” (“The Fairy's Kiss”) by Igor Stravisnky, full of various narrative elements, became a show case for the orchestra’s exceptional soloists. Harpist Charlotte Balzereit, Clarinetist Daniel Ottensamer, Flutist Walter Auer, and bassoonist Harald Müller offered outstanding soli.

In all performances the woodwinds were exceptional, whereas the brass especially in the Bruckner piece offered intimacy and nuance. Notably, among the brass was American trombonist Kelton Koch. In the last performance, Mozart’s last symphony was again perfectly balanced and contained the characteristic texture and signature sound of the orchestra.

Riccardo Muti has a lifelong connection to Mozart’s works and the way he shaped the detail, the contrasts, the elegant dynamic changes and unity and texture is unique, with many in the audience captivated and wondering if anyone could make the Jupiter symphony sound any more sublime than it was. Dvořák’s “New World Symphony” sounded also at its best, with all rich colors texture, naturally flowing lyricism and intimate details masterfully balanced and Muti to speed up the tempo at the majestic conclusion.

Notable in the final concert were flutist Günter Federsel (piccolo), Oboist Clemens Horak Cellist Tamás Varga, Lucas Takeshi Stratmann (the very young leader of the second violins), and last but not least, concertmaster Rainer Honeck. Riccardo Muti, full of energy, very vividly seemed to enjoy every second of the music. Always in control, or maybe better stated, in an intense dialogue and interaction with the players, his gestures also hinted at the fine detailed work that must have taken place in rehearsals. Before speeding up, in the final movements of Schubert, especially in the finale of Mozart and Antonín Dvořák, he made sure that the right texture and balance remained intact, even at a high velocity. Remarkable too was the way that Muti fleshed out details and slight dynamic changes that emerged naturally, without losing for a second the oversight, the lyrical flux, and above all the cohesion and character of the whole.

The maestro then addressed the public repeating in Italian the New Year’s Greetings from Vienna: “Amore, Fratellanza, Pace”- “Love, Brotherhood, Peace” His phrase that this “is not a political statement” and that “musicians can only enrich the world” sounded rather pointed, given his comments during the concert in January. “The New World symphony was performed first here at this very stage”, concluded Riccardo Muti, “Let us make a New World for us all.” Maestro Muti gifted the audience with an encore, or a “smile from Vienna” as he said – the overture from the operetta, “Der Zigeunerbaron” by Johann Strauss Jr. Muti enjoyed theatrically presenting the title (The Gypsy Baron), in three languages. With this piece, the orchestra released any tension regarding world events, and offered a last delight to the audience.

Riccardo Muti conducted only the New York concerts, as the Vienna Orchestra then left for the rest of its American tour. These Carnegie Hall performances offered many enchanted moments, as the members of the Vienna Philharmonic were especially inspired and played at an exceptionally elevated level of attunement with Riccardo Muti. Whatever jet lag they may have been feeling coming to New York was deftly dispensed with.

The performances emphatically demonstrated and justified the esteemed position they hold at the top of the classical music universe. In these moments one can also feel, as Riccardo Muti stated, the “elective affinity” of the orchestra, and of the Maestro himself, I would add, especially in our turbulent times, to the depths of our fundamental European humanistic cultural heritage.