Bruckner 8 debate anyone??

[DarkAngel]

I am very big fan of Bruckner 8th, my two favorites:

Bohm/Koln RSO/Great Conductors 20th Century (live studio 1974)
Schuricht/VPO/Great Conductors 20th Century (1963)



Hansler is selling an older Schuricht 8th but it is not as good as the VPO 8th shown above, originally paired with an
excellent 9th on EMI also with VPO

[DarkAngel]

Another great Bruckner 8th not mentioned yet is the Horenstein/BBC Legends

If I were to do a top 5 list it would come in at 5 and possibly 4 position, comes paired with a
very good 9th

I have a few Furtwangler 8ths but would not rank any of them in my top 5
The Giulini/VPO 8th does not rank too high on my list, but his DG/VPO 9th is the best I have heard

[donaldopato]

Skrowaczewski Saarbrücken Radio on Ohems is one of my favorites. An overlooked Bruckner cycle in my opinion. I recently heard him to the 8th in St Louis with the SLSO. Magnificent, especially for an 85 year old conductor.

One of the most magnificent musical creations ever. A desert island work for me.

[Keemun]

Bruckner's 8th is also my favorite symphony (closely followed by Mahler's 2nd).  I have not been able to rank them, per se, but I do have what I consider to be a list of top-tier recordings.  I suppose this is because some of the recordings have unique qualities that don't necessarily make them better than others, but do make them stand out above the rest.  I really don't have an appreciation of "historical" Bruckner recordings (Furtwangler, et al.).  I personally find the music demands a higher sound quality than say, Beethoven's 9th.  Here is my list of top tier recordings:

Boulez/VPO
Celibidache/Munich PO
Karajan/VPO (1989)
Wand/North German Radio SO (Lübeck Cathedral)

I haven't connected with Giulini/VPO (at least not yet).  Wand/BPO is on my to-hear list. 

[Superhorn]

   Rattle has already recorded the Bruckner 7 for EMI with Birmingham, but I have not heard it. I generally admire Rattle's work, and see no reason why he would not be a fine Brucknerian; I'll wait and see.
Ditto with Gergiev; I have not heard his controversial live LSO Mahler, but I was very much impressed by the Met Parsifal broadcast by him which I heard some time ago on WQXR. He seems to have a real feel for Wagner, would like to hear more, and would welcome recordings.
Gergiev is not only great in Russian music.
  The Schuricht VPO Bruckner 8th was my introdiction to this sublime work many years ago on LP, and other recordings I admire are both the Karajan DG versions with the BPO and VPO, the Tennstedt/LPO on EMI among others.

[Sergeant Rock]

I own these: five favorites in bold:

SZELL/CLEVELAND
INBAL RSO FRANKFURT
KARAJAN VIENNA PHIL
KARAJAN BERLIN PHIL (DG)
KARAJAN BERLIN PHIL (EMI)
DOHNÁNYI CLEVELAND
CELIBIDACHE MUNICH PHIL
CELIBIDACHE STUTTGART RSO
KLEMPERER NEW PHIL
BOULEZ VIENNA PHIL
MAAZEL BERLIN PHIL
JOCHUM STAATS DRESDEN
GIULINI VIENNA PHIL
SCHURICHT VIENNA PHIL
BÖHM TONHALLE ZÜRICH
BARENBOIM BERLIN PHIL
WAND BERLIN PHIL
FURTWÄNGLER BERLIN PHIL

Sarge

P.S. to Jens: I definitely prefer Wand's Berlin performance to his first recording in Köln but I was let down  by the recording...or is it Wand's fault for the often poorly balanced sections? (Or is Hurwitz right and the Berlin Phil ain't what she used to be?   ) Horns, for example, are reticent or buried completely at key moments. The finale's coda is congested. This robbed much of the works emotional content, at least for me.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I'm not a great expert on this piece, but I've been through a few recordings of it. My intro, back in LP days, was first the Solti/VPO which I took out of the library. I don't remember what impression it made on me.

Then I acquired Karajan/BPO, in the set which had the bird's wing in powdered sugar (or whatever) on the cover. This was OK, but I liked better the Haitink/Con'bouw recording that came out in the early 80s. I have no idea if this one is available, or even if it ever came out on CD.

I have the Giulini that everyone loves, and I love it too. I've also held onto the Barenboim/BPO, a much swifter performance which makes for a nice contrast.

[Renfield]

Sarge, is the Szell available on CD? I had no idea he had recorded Bruckner, let alone the 8th!

[Herman]

My correction

 
Gergiev is not only great in Russian music.

And not always BTW

[Cato]

Two words: Eugen Jochum!   0:)

#1 would be the DGG version with the Berlin Philharmonic, and #2 the EMI/Staatskapelle Dresden performance, which is a little rawer than the DGG.

Karajan and Horenstein would come next in my estimation.

I discovered Bruckner over 40 years ago, through the DGG Jochum recording in 1964, and so it has the bias of imprinting!   

[Renfield]

Two words: Eugen Jochum!   0:)

#1 would be the DGG version with the Berlin Philharmonic, and #2 the EMI/Staatskapelle Dresden performance, which is a little rawer than the DGG.

Karajan and Horenstein would come next in my estimation.

I discovered Bruckner over 40 years ago, through the DGG Jochum recording in 1964, and so it has the bias of imprinting!   

Interesting!

The DG Jochum never sat well with me; but the EMI I've always found refreshingly earnest, perhaps because of that "rawness" you note.

(That having been said, Jochum would still be in my "alternative favourite" list, vs. my "main" preferences for the symphony.)


I'm also intrigued by the Horenstein. May I ask for more details?

[ChamberNut]

Two words: Eugen Jochum!   0:)

#1 would be the DGG version with the Berlin Philharmonic, and #2 the EMI/Staatskapelle Dresden performance, which is a little rawer than the DGG.

Karajan and Horenstein would come next in my estimation.

I discovered Bruckner over 40 years ago, through the DGG Jochum recording in 1964, and so it has the bias of imprinting!   

I am surprised Cato!  Besides me, you were the only person to comment at all on Jochum to this point (and now Renfield has as well).  0:)

[Lethevich]

Two words: Eugen Jochum!   0:)

#1 would be the DGG version with the Berlin Philharmonic, and #2 the EMI/Staatskapelle Dresden performance, which is a little rawer than the DGG.

The later live 8th (and 9th) seems to me to warrant recommending before one of the studio cycles, due to their great similarities...

[Renfield]

The later live 8th (and 9th) seems to me to warrant recommending before one of the studio cycles, due to their great similarities...

Is that the Hesse Radio Symphony Orchestra one on Tahra? That one I remember liking a lot, but the sound was rather uncompromisingly harsh.

Edit: "Harsh" in the sense of being uncomfortable to listen to.

Edit 2: No it's not, you said "later". Presumably the Bamberg one?

[jwinter]

Sarge, is the Szell available on CD? I had no idea he had recorded Bruckner, let alone the 8th!

I'm not Sarge, but this used to be available on a cheap Sony Essentials.  The thieves at Amazon are now charging an arm and a leg, naturally...

[Renfield]

I'm not Sarge, but this used to be available on a cheap Sony Essentials.  The thieves at Amazon are now charging an arm and a leg, naturally...

I was afraid that would be the case. Thanks, jwinter!

[drogulus]

     Is the Jochum "philosophical"?

     If I acquire another 8th I might choose from among Szell, Jochum, and this mystery recording:

     

     Blomstedt/Leipzig SACD/Hybrid Multichannel.

     

[Renfield]

     Is the Jochum "philosophical"?
     

Of course not! We wouldn't want it to be entirely useless now, would we?


Coming back to the 1949 Hesse(n) Radio Symphony Orchestra Bruckner 8th by Jochum, I just listened to the final movement again. It does have some problems in the orchestral playing, and the sound is every bit as harsh as I remembered it, but it's a very inspiring performance!

[Herman]

     Is the Jochum "philosophical"?

     If I acquire another 8th I might choose from among Szell, Jochum, and this mystery recording:

     

     Blomstedt/Leipzig SACD/Hybrid Multichannel.

     

I'd go for Blomstedt. He's great live.

[Haffner]

Of course not! We wouldn't want it to be entirely useless now, would we?

Jochum, Karajan (the '70's DVD), Karajan (BPO/DG), Celibidache.