Les Siècles give a fresh performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 — album review

The period instrument movement has been slow to follow up on its early questing spirit. A few adventurous forays apart, the later romantic and early 20th century repertoire has remained largely unexplored, but now it seems that is changing.

In the past few years French conductor François-Xavier Roth and his period-instrument orchestra Les Siècles have been making inroads. After recordings of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Stravinsky ballets and much Debussy and Ravel, here is their second Mahler symphony to date.

The instruments being used are detailed individually in the booklet, most of them dating from 1900 to 1910. Those who have favourite Mahler recordings by orchestras on traditional instruments may find the orchestral sound thin (strings especially shallow) and the style undemonstrative, but the upside is a performance that is newly fresh and clear.

Of all Mahler’s symphonies, the Fourth is the best suited to this approach. Its childlike simplicity, “almost naive” as Roth says, is nicely captured, not least because the music is rarely pulled about for emotional effect. The lightness of the strings brings the wind instruments to the fore and the chamber-like quality of Mahler’s writing has rarely sounded so translucent or detailed. Sabine Devieilhe is the light, pure soprano in the last movement.

Think of this as a fascinating alternative to the many fine recordings already on the market. It will be interesting to see how Roth and Les Siècles fare if they press on to the more challenging peaks on Mahler’s symphonic journey.

★★★★☆

‘Mahler: Symphony No. 4’ is released by Harmonia Mundi