Bernstein VS. Nanut: Conductors' Different Interpretations of Beethoven's 5th Symphony

v Ljubljana Radio Symphony conducted by Anton Nanut

Classical Heritage 7:20 minutes

v Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic) conducted by Leonard Bernstein

Deutsche Grammophon 8:39 minutes

Comparing Beethoven Symphonies under different conductors is as if one would compare the different colors available to us from Crayola. Specifically, the Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Allegro con brio is only one movement which one can compare through many directors. I have listened to two orchestras under different conductors, and the first movement alone of the Fifth Symphony has certain contrasting interpretations. However, one has to literally compare them side-by-side or have listened or learned one version very well in order to tell the slight differences between recordings. The first recording is of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic on Deutsche Grammophon Records, recorded in 1980. This interpretation of the first movement is 8:39 minutes in duration. The second recording is the Ljubljana Radio Symphony (now the Slovenian Radio Symphony), conducted by Anton Nanut. It was compiled by Classical Heritage in 1992 and the duration is 7:20 minutes. Already, one version is implied to have been conducted at a brisker tempo by at least one minute and twenty seconds. So we begin the interpretive differences in one movement of Beethoven.

From listening to both recordings for the "overall" effect of the Allegro con brio, both conductors seem to have similar knowledge or interpretations of dynamics and climax. Bernstein conducted the famous lengthy fermatas for dramatic effect. Even from the beginning measures, each fermata was held long past the length of the bar, as by the definition of fermata. Nanut's ideas of fermatas in this four note motif were much shorter, not to mention the tempo was consistently brisk, passing through some longer moments so as not to overdo the effects. The second time the motif occurs after the first two, Bernstein uses an allargando into the fermatas, and even keeps the ideas the same on the repeat to the beginning (not doing anything lyrically or dynamically different the second time around). These specific measures the fermata is nothing more than an extra millisecond of time spent on the violin half note before diving into the imitated motif in the following measure. Nanut moves right along until he gets to the fermata, without an allargando, and perhaps holds the fermata even less than Bernstein, before moving right along, and past the second one. It is during this last fermata at this section that Bernstein's orchestra sounds their chords a bit on the wide side, sounding out of tune. Although Beethoven's luck at creating harsh chords is evident in much of his music, the intonation of Bernstein's orchestra seems to catch the educated listener off-guard. The orchestral sections under Nanut, however, are clearly heard: when the winds have the motif, it is not just background; it is foreground until the strings come in with their idea, and so forth. Nanut's directions are obvious and clearly heard, although more time absorbing the chordal harmony of Beethoven might be best spent listening to Bernstein's orchestra.

Articulation poses important in both orchestras. Bernstein's orchestra, at a bit slower tempo than Nanut's, the strings especially are playing more staccato during the short eighth note-motives. Because of the tempo Nanut takes, the strings seem to be playing more spiccato, trying to keep up (rather, keep together) with the conductor's awakening choice of speed. Tempo leads to phrasing: Bernstein's tempo allows one to feel different measured phrases because of the opportunity to take time in spots to be more lyrical, and conduct less in 2/4 and more conducting in four, the four bar phrases in singing dolce passages. Nanut's version seems more in one and perhaps a bit easier to sense when that fortissimo comes alive on the downbeat.

The oboe has a cadenza marked Adagio before the motive comes in again tutti a tempo. Bernstein holds the orchestra back more and more, creating tension up until and through the oboe solo then continues in tempo afterwards. Nanut again moves right along until the oboe's turn. The oboist's cadenza is slightly faster than the Bernstein oboist, and again right after, Nanut returns to tempo losing no time. Another stylistic aspect that deals with the orchestra players: even at the tempo Nanut takes with the orchestra, the vibrato is more prevalent in the sustained pitches in both violins and winds. There is not too much of this in Bernstein's group.

In the coda section of the Allegro con brio after the grand string chords and into the following measures, Bernstein once again takes a bit of time and catches the tempo in the next measure. He does this again with allargandos before the last fermatas. Nanut drives right into the fermatas each time and all the way to the end. The last chords of the piece in Nanut's orchestra are shorter in length; his conducting style seems much more vertical and in one or a subdivided (choppier) ONE, than fluid like Bernstein's interpretations.

Both conductors are clear in their conducting styles and interpretations, as the orchestras portray both ideas very well. Bernstein's freedom with Beethoven gives the movement a more Romantic result, taking and giving of time as the style of the middle and later years of Beethoven's compositions called for. Nanut's driving excitement portrays perhaps the Romantic idea of Allegro con brio, reaching to the extremes and unexpected of tempi. Any one aspect of conducting, such as the differences in tempi between two conductors, can impact other aspects of performance including freedom of style, articulation choices, fermatas, syncopation, and so forth. Nanut's idea of moving forward in the first movement of the symphony has affected these latter musical ideas (as heard in the violins spiccato instead of other impossible uses of bowing at that tempo!). Bernstein's choice of give-and-take in the music has affected other Romantic principles of soloing, melodic line, group articulation, harmony, et cetera. Neither of these conductors is wrong in their choice of style, as they direct convincingly plausible Romantic properties in the music of the Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Allegro con brio.