Interview
Andris Nelsons on his work with the Berliner Philharmoniker Andris Nelsons and Matthias Goerne with works by Tchaikovsky and Mahler
In his Fifth Symphony, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky uses grand gestures to portray his personal psychological drama. Andris Nelsons fully savours the emotional and tonal power of the music – and juxtaposes it intriguingly with Gustav Mahler’s songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Here, there are also fearful chasms, but they occur subliminally, in a seemingly simple folk-song style. The soloist is the outstanding lieder singer Matthias Goerne.
Folk music has a prominent place in Gustav Mahler’s work – not only in his lieder, but also in his symphonies. In Mahler’s own words, such elements are an echo of his childhood. Moreover, it is especially the Wunderhorn lieder that reveal the specific quality of this folk poetry: their apparent simplicity and serenity, which, paradoxically, convey happiness and sorrow just as intensely as wordy pathos. The soloist is Matthias Goerne, “one of the best lieder singers of his generation” (Die Zeit).
In contrast to Mahler’s lieder, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony is a work which does not shun powerful emotions. Even after its completion, however, the composer complained that the symphony suffered from “pretentiousness”. And Tchaikovsky really does take a big risk in describing here a personal psychological drama, the struggle between his own self, destiny and hope. With the passage of time Tchaikovsky nevertheless grew to appreciate his work – which is in fact both an impressive and authentic portrayal of human emotions.
Berliner Philharmoniker
Andris Nelsons
Matthias Goerne
© 2012 Berlin Phil Media GmbH
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