Bruckner's 6th Symphony - Blind Comparison

Started by TheGSMoeller, May 02, 2014, 05:05:52 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Cato

C 5: this is fun!

Another performance recorded before an audience, or else the orchestra members cough a lot!   $:)

Opening is good, perhaps a little blurred in the brass lines, but later things are done nicely with the minor second in the violins coming across with the right expression.  Subtle points in the score are occasionally brought out well.

The tempo is a little slower than it should be at times, making certain sections lumber around, or seem staid. The mystery in the score, however, is often preserved.

Crescendos again are not quite on target, and the horns are sometimes swallowed by the trumpets and trombones.

The last two minutes or so, like many of the others, are right on target!

So, with great difficulty, I now have:


C 3
C 1
C 5
C 2
C 4

One more to go...but my window is closed for a while!  ;)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

TheGSMoeller

Cato is on fire!  8) Thanks for the (almost complete) score and comments!  ;D

TheGSMoeller

#222
Group C seems to be the most balanced so far regarding the criticism of each performance , The two being possibly eliminated at the moment will surprise some I think.

TheGSMoeller

Group B - Round 1 Eliminations

B3

I'm surprised it only received 3 points! Not that I thought it would win, perhaps it's my bias towards the Blomsedt/SFS recordings on London, but I thought it would last longer. It didn't impress enough to move on though.




B6

Georg Tintner, the most polarizing figure on GMG when it comes to Bruckner. He makes headlines with his original recordings of Nos. 2, 3 and 8. But no headlines here, other than C'ya later!


Moonfish

#224
These are hard choices......     ??? ???

Here are my rankings for the C group (finally - sorry about taking so long). This was pretty difficult even after repeated listenings. They were all interesting and engaging in different ways. None of them seemed like a bad apple. Choices, choices....

Peter (aka Moonfish)

C3
C5
C6
C2
C1
C4


C3 clearly stood out and was utterly engaging (almost alive) to my ears. A bit blurry in terms of the sound at times, but the performance makes up for the recording.  The horn section was full of fire and flames! I thought it was a real gem!

"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

TheGSMoeller


Cato

Quote from: Moonfish on July 15, 2014, 12:11:00 AM
These are hard choices......     ??? ???

Here are my rankings for the C group (finally - sorry about taking so long). This was pretty difficult even after repeated listenings. They were all interesting and engaging in different ways. None of them seemed like a bad apple. Choices, choices....

Peter (aka Moonfish)

C3
C5
C6
C2
C1
C4


C3 clearly stood out and was utterly engaging (almost alive) to my ears. A bit blurry in terms of the sound at times, but the performance makes up for the recording.  The horn section was full of fire and flames! I thought it was a real gem!


Quite true above!

Okay, time for my final decisions!

C 6  -  The overall tempo is a little slower than I believe it should be.  The changes in dynamics are done nicely, and that sense of mystery comes through.  Again, I find the crescendos don't always hit the mark, and there is an interpolated "sp" in the central climax which I found jarring and unnecessary.  And yet there is some gorgeously expressive string playing in the last half, and that delicate mysteriousness is brought out quite well.

And two more interpolated "subito pianos" are placed in the final page!

That did it!  To quote Stravinsky: "I HATE interpretation!"  *  :D

C 3
C 1
C 5
C 2
C 4
C 6


* In one of the Robert Craft books, so maybe he did not quite say it!   ;)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

TheGSMoeller

#227
Group C

Neal.   Jens    Moonfish    Cato
C3      C1       C3             C3
C2      C2       C5             C1
C6      C3       C6             C5
C5      C5       C2             C2
C1      C4       C1             C4
C4      C6       C4             C6


Group D

Brian     Neal
D5           D3
D3           D5
D2           D2
D1           D6
D6           D4
D4           D1


Current rankings for Group C
C3 - 18 PTS
C2 - 12 PTS
C5 & C1 - 11 PTS
C6 - 6 PTS - eliminated
C4 - 2 PTS - eliminated


I'll allow for the remainder of the day in case the others with Groups C decide to vote, otherwise I will close it and reveal the eliminated.

Also, since it seems some participants have recognized a few of the recordings, I may rename each group for the future rounds, I will keep the groups in tact and obviously keep track of the overall scores, but I believe that this will add more blind to the blind comparison!   8)

Cato

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 15, 2014, 06:51:13 AM
Group C

Neal.   Jens    Moonfish    Cato
C3      C1       C3             C3
C2      C2       C5             C1
C6      C3       C6             C5
C5      C5       C2             C2
C1      C4       C1             C4
C4      C6       C4             C6

Current rankings for Group C
C3 - 18 PTS
C2 - 12 PTS
C5 & C1 - 11 PTS
C6 - 6 PTS - eliminated
C4 - 2 PTS - eliminated


I'll allow for the remainder of the day in case the others with Groups C decide to vote, otherwise I will close it and reveal the eliminated.

The excitement builds!  I hope Lorin Maazelis not responsible for C 6  or C 4!   :D
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

North Star

Quote from: Cato on July 15, 2014, 07:11:15 AM
The excitement builds!  I hope Lorin Maazelis not responsible for C 6  or C 4!   :D
On the other hand, we wouldn't have more of that, if it was the case.  0:)
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Cato on July 15, 2014, 07:11:15 AM
The excitement builds!  I hope Lorin Maazelis not responsible for C 6  or C 4!   :D

:-X

Quote from: North Star on July 15, 2014, 09:01:24 AM
On the other hand, we wouldn't have more of that, if it was the case.  0:)

:o

North Star

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

snyprrr

wow- so this is what a Deathmatch looks like? mm- like it!! Just tell me who to BuyItNow! later!! :laugh:

"the clarinets were smooth but I just could take the strings"

Ken B

Quote from: Cato on July 15, 2014, 07:11:15 AM
The excitement builds!  I hope Lorin Maazelis not responsible for C 6  or C 4!   :D
Me too. I hope Wand is!  >:D

TheGSMoeller

Group C - Raound 1 Eliminations

C4

So yes, Cato did foreshadow what is an unfortunate elimination, not sure if he knew for sure or was just cracking a joke, if it's the latter than damn that is weird  :o  ;D.
But it is Maazel with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Our apologies, Maestro. R.I.P.




C6

Another somewhat surprise elimination, but after reading the comments it sounds as if Chailly/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra deserved it.


Cato

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on July 15, 2014, 05:11:52 PM
Group C - Round 1 Eliminations

C4

So yes, Cato did foreshadow what is an unfortunate elimination, not sure if he knew for sure or was just cracking a joke, if it's the latter than damn that is weird  :o  ;D.
But it is Maazel with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Our apologies, Maestro. R.I.P.


Heh-heh, a little bit of both, with the joke predominating, but when Maazel went awry, he went willfully awry.

That Chailly is behind C 4 is fascinating: his CD of Schoenberg's Gurrelieder is my favorite next to the 1970's Boulez recording.
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Cato

#236
Greg has kindly allowed me to be in Group D.

This morning: D 1!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am practically 110% positive that this is the classic Jochum DGG recording from the 1960's, where practically everything is perfect.

Clarity, drama, mystery, and the crescendos are crescendos with great power at the peaks!

D 1 RAWKS!   ;)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

mc ukrneal

Quote from: Cato on July 16, 2014, 03:10:19 AM
Greg has kindly allowed me to be in Group D.

This morning: D 1!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am practically 110% positive that this is the classic Jochum DGG recording from the 1960's, where practically everything is perfect.

Clarity, drama, mystery, and the crescendos are crescendos with great power at the peaks!

D 1 RAWKS!   ;)
I don't know who it is. I wrote, "But as it goes on, it is just dull and lifeless. This just lacks that tension that is so critical in Bruckner. "
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

Cato

Quote from: mc ukrneal on July 16, 2014, 03:38:23 AM
I don't know who it is. I wrote, "But as it goes on, it is just dull and lifeless. This just lacks that tension that is so critical in Bruckner. "

Wow!  My ears find it exciting all the way through!

On to D 2: a little slower at the beginning than I would like, but not an impossible tempo.

At times there is a wonderful chamber-like clarity throughout to the contrapuntal lines in the score: the orchestra sounds like a smaller group than usual, which might account for that impression.  Or the conductor and the recording engineers are simply able to bring them out well!

The more meditative aspects in the score are well done.  The brass playing, however, sounds occasionally odd, at times like large kazoos. 

On the other hand, the crescendos are nicely executed!

D 1
D 2
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

jlaurson

Quote from: Cato on July 15, 2014, 06:33:24 PM
Heh-heh, a little bit of both, with the joke predominating, but when Maazel went awry, he went willfully awry.

That Chailly is behind C 4 6 is fascinating: his CD of Schoenberg's Gurrelieder is my favorite next to the 1970's Boulez recording.

QuoteRegal, royal, certainly short on mystery (but then I'm not looking for that in Sy.6 – any movement thereof). Straight-laced... tempi seem moderate. Playing is excellent. If this turned out to be an earlier Haitink recording, I wouldn't kick myself... (Not saying it is...) Organ-like and a little bombastic in the finale, a little dense – with the inner voices sounding like distractions, rather than adding to the overall structure.

Hehe... I shan't kick myself. The inner voices I complained about were probably the typical haze that Het Concertgebouw puts over orchestras (which can't hear themselves very exactingly on stage). Often, but not always, to great coloring effect.