Symphony No. 4 "Dramatic" (Stankovsky, Slovak Spo) [CD]

With this, the fourth of Anton Rubinstein's six symphonies, the re-release by Naxos of the Marco Polo complete cycle seems to have petered out. This is unfortunate, I think, even if only because the last two symphonies are arguably the best (or at least, most consistent) of his works in the genre - and they are certainly better performed and recorded than some of those already released; had symphonies 5 and 6 been released first, perhaps the Naxos Rubinstein edition would have garnered more sales overall, the lack of which I assume has resulted in the series being abandoned.

So what of Rubinstein's "Dramatic" Symphony? Rubinstein admitted himself that he was not one to revise, polish or edit his scores - once set down on paper in the full flow of inspiration, he rarely saw reason to return to his first thoughts and reconsider their effect. This can make for frustrating listening as, when he is at his best, his actual material can be both effective and memorable; he is certainly a finer melodist than he is given credit for but all too often - and this gargantuan symphony epitomises the problem - his themes grow wearisome throughout the course of over-protracted, prolix movements and laborious development that relies on mechanical sequences. The opening movement here is a case in point, coming in at over 23 minutes, it has neither the closely knit argument nor the disciplined patience to fill out its expansive framework - instead, the composer provides us with a good deal of rather hectic juggling of themes and motives. Rubinstein does manage to whip up a storm (or two) here to be sure but without any clear sense of either emotional or harmonic direction. And that's a shame, as the motive that launches the `allegro' proper after the slow introduction is both striking in itself and also pregnant with possibilities for symphonic development if only Rubinstein had mustered some self-discipline in his handling of it.

The same problems predictably mar the finale, where Rubinstein adds trombones and piccolo to his generally Classical orchestral complement, and strenuous climax follows strenuous climax, linked by every trick for building tension in the Romantic composers' handbook. The most interesting element of Rubinstein's instrumental works for me is the way his music so often echoes that of Tchaikovsky, no doubt a result of the latter's study under him at the Conservatory; while those stylistic fingerprints can sometimes still be seen in Tchaikovsky's mature works, albeit transmuted from base metal into gold by his own compositional alchemy, some passages in this symphony could easily be transposed into Tchaikovsky's earliest works (such as `Fatum') without seeming the slightest bit out of place.

The two inner movements are not particularly "dramatic", it has to be said, but they do provide some respite from the melodrama of the opening `Allegro' and the finale. The scherzo is very long (over a quarter of an hour in duration) but it does contain some very attractive music, including the introduction of a solo violin that plays a dance-like tune for all the world like a tavern fiddler. The movement as a whole is marked `Presto', though you wouldn't guess so from the performance here, which takes the music far too slow even if the standard of playing is generally fine; at a faster pace, this scherzo could be not only considerably shorter but also something of an orchestral tour-de-force, I think. The remarkably short (in context) `Adagio' is one of Rubinstein's most eloquent slow movements, based on two broad and attractive themes and orchestrated with warmth and sensitivity.

Much as I admire Rubinstein the man for his many achievements and his generous spirit, I am no apologist for his distinctly variable compositions. Too often in this symphony, he oversteps the line between pathos and bathos, between drama and melodrama but, that said, there is a good deal to enjoy here too, especially during the internal movements - and even the blood-and-thunder of the outer movements can raise a smile at times, albeit not one intended by the composer. The music is generally well-played, although I feel Stankovsky might have avoided some longeurs had he pressed forward a little in both the outer movements and in the scherzo, and the sound is acceptable also, without being remarkable.

Three stars is, I think, a fair assessment all in all - at Naxos' bargain price, this disc provides a good overview of both Rubinstein's faults and virtues as a composer.