Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125

Album review

Ordinarily, when one encounters a period performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral," expectations are that the orchestra will play with a pristine sound and pretty fast tempos, and serious scholarship will be emphasized, demonstrating that the conductor has done the research for a truly authentic rendition. The 1994 performance by Jeffrey Thomas and the American Bach Soloists certainly provides the clean and shiny sonorities of original instruments, a trimmed-down orchestral ensemble, and the brisk pacing that makes Allegro molto verge on Presto, and the scholarship seems secure enough to satisfy any pedant. But what makes this historically informed version different from the typical authentic fare is its high levels of vitality, emotion, and energy that make it comparable in power to many superb mainstream modern performances. Once the period timbres become familiar and the extra-sharp execution is accepted (including amazingly punchy timpani), this performance delivers all the Romantic soul-searching and heaven-storming grandeur that the Symphony No. 9 demands. There are no controversial textual discoveries, like John Eliot Gardiner conducting the tenor solo in the Finale at double-quick time, or eccentricities of interpretation, like Roger Norrington's quirky revisionist performance, so we can be thankful that Thomas hasn't gone out on a limb to find novelty where none is needed. For all its early music bona fides, this is still a fairly direct interpretation that has no point to make except to communicate the music's passion, beauty, and ecstasy. The Ode to Joy has a wholly traditional feeling to it, with the combined forces of the American Bach Choir, the Pacific Mozart Ensemble, and the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus delivering the choruses with full sections, instead of reduced forces, and the quartet of soprano Tamara Matthews, alto Judith Malafronte, tenor Benjamin Butterfield, and bass David Thomas is outstanding in its control and expressiveness. So in some respects, this recording meets most expectations for an authentic re-creation, yet it preserves much of the tradition that has grown up around this masterpiece. Highly recommended.
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