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Herbert von Karajan's famous Unitel concert films of Tchaikovsky's last three symphonies have been released on DVD by Deutsche Grammophon.
Part of an extensive line-up of CD and DVD titles to mark the maestro's centenary in 2008, these Tchaikovsky performances date from the early 1970s and capture Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the peak of their powers. The first conductor to use films as an extension of his artistic credo, Karajan had by this time made several experimental films for Unitel with directors Henri-Georges Clouzot, Hugo Niebeling and Ake Falck including a complete cycle of the Beethoven symphonies. Having learnt from these men, Karajan became his own producer, adapting their ideas to suit his conception of how orchestral music should be filmed.
Indeed, these Tchaikovsky performances belong to the period when Karajan's approach to recording as a whole was changing. In 1973, the Berlin Philharmonie was rebuilt inside to accommodate studio facilities while a wooden platform was installed to restage the orchestra for the cameras. Both developments allowed Karajan to record and film in long-takes (sessions at the Jesus-Christus Kirche in Dahlem were interrupted every four minutes by flights into Templhof airport) and have a solid foundation for long-term project development. Together with the Brahms Symphonies - due on DVD next year - the last three Tchaikovskys were the first concert films to be made in the Philharmonie after the changeover.
By this time, this music had become a staple of Karajan's extensive repertoire. In fact, he had made his professional conducting debut with Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony as long ago as 1929 while the 'Pathetique' was his first recording with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1938. The present performances fall between Karajan's DG stereo LP versions of 1964 and 1977 and are near contemporary with his EMI recordings of 1972. However, these Unitel performances are the most impressive of all, combining the high-powered technical finish of the DG sessions with the more dramatic intensity of the EMIs.
That dramatic immediacy is reinforced by the look, shape and rhythm of the film itself. Apart from a long shot from the back of the hall during the opening credits, everything is filmed in exciting close-up or middle distance, with the actual instruments of the orchestra taking on an almost iconic quality as the cameras follow the line of the musical argument. A classic example is the very beginning of the Tchaikovsky Fourth where the brass are shown in profile as they play the famous opening 'fate' motif. Karajan himself is seen from various angles, often in dramatic close-up from either the left or right of the podium, his controlled hypnotic gestures demonstrating the shape of each phrase. He is also seen further away when making wider, more emphatic movements to indicate both dynamic and rhythmic flow at nodal points. The Karajan of the 1970s draws on a level of energy which will surprise those who only remember the crippled veteran of the 1980s.
Contrary to popular myth, Karajan is not filmed to the exclusion of the players. In fact, these films are a wonderful record of the Berlin Philharmonic at their very best. Legendary players like Michel Schwalbe, Thomas Brandis, Eberhart Finke, Lothar Koch, Karl Leister and Reiner Zepperlitz are all visible; sometimes shown in close-up themselves. While the abstract noodling of Nibeling is left largely behind (shots from the top of a double bass or upside-down perspectives of the timpani have been dispensed with)there remain vestiges of what would eventually be known as the 'Karajan Style': bright, linear lighting, probing instrumental focus and quick-cutting sectional interchange. Many of these ingrediants, again initiated by Alke Falck and Arne Arnbohm, would distinquish almost all Unitel's concert productions from Karl Richter in Bach to Bernstein in Mahler. But much of it began under Karajan.
By using 35mm film instead of videotape, Unitel was able to secure a much wider range of angles and a higher percentage of colour resolution, something which this new remastering has successfully brought out. I also think this approach helps to bring the occasion to life. A standard television relay on the other hand, with its limited angles, endless long-distance views and low-level lighting is what makes so many orchestral videos boring to look at - a recently released DVD set of Solti concerts from Chicago just one example. As Glenn Gould once declared: "Every other attempt at orchestral shooting pales by comparison with the Karajan approach."
As to the actual musical content, all the hallmarks of Karajan's Tchaikovsky at its very best are on offer: Powerhouse emotions contained in calm self-possession; long-term structural command, keen rhythmic attack and an almost supernatural feel for orchestral sonority. The collective outswing and breadth of phrasing the Berlin Philharmonic bring to the music is little short of miraculous. This isn't just virtuosity, this is redefining how orchestral music is actually played.
As usual with DG DVD releases, there are a series of audio options, including PCM stereo and DTS surround. More often than not, I find the PCM option the more natural experience but the multi-miked perspectives of the Philharmonie open up nicely on the surround system although it won't always work on PC playback systems, so check that out first against your software.
Coupled with an impressive trailer for further 'Karajan Year' releases, this Tchaikovsky DVD is an essential purchase, and not just for aficiandos. It is a powerful reminder to the orchestral world of today of what real artistic excellence is all about.
Robert Kenchington.
