Conductor
Neeme Jaervi
's performances in his native Estonia tend to have a relaxed, confident quality, and this group of live recordings is no exception. The marketing for this
Chandos
release refers to an 85th-birthday concert given by
Jaervi
in Tallinn in 2022 and even includes a photo of that event, but actually, the material on the album was recorded at a pair of 2019 concerts with the
Estonian National Symphony
, several months apart. It is not clear why customers don't merit the real thing, but the fact is that these are strong performances, nicely recorded, with music that fits
well.
Wagner
's rather bombastic early overture
Polonia
is not often recorded, but it benefits from
's restrained melodicism. The real find here is the four-movement
Serenade, Op. 95
, of
Max Reger
, which falls squarely in the conductor's late Romantic comfort zone. This light, lithe work is worlds away from
Reger
's usual heavy counterpoint, and this sparkling performance just might carve out a space for it in the repertory.
also shows himself a fine manager of the
State Choir Latvija
in the
Brahms
Schicksalslied, Op. 54
, and especially in
Mozart
's
Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618
, which receives a gorgeously warm performance. While this may not be the promised "commemoration" of
's 2022 concert, it is an attractive release devoted to music that seems close to the conductor's heart. ~ James Manheim