Bruckner's Abbey

[Cato]

So, I received a message from someone I know in Los Angeles, who was excited about a Bruckner Symphony #8 this Friday with Zubin Mehta conducting the L.A. Philharmonic.

He had three tickets, one for his wife and one for his daughter, a musician under 30 years of age.

Background: when the daughter was around 12, they attended a concert with the same orchestra playing the Symphony #9 by Bruckner.  (3-movement version, I assume.)

By the time the concert was over, their daughter was a sobbing, shivering, "gelatinous" mess, who was swearing she would never attend a Bruckner concert again...or any other kind of orchestra performance!

Remembering this reaction from c. 15 years ago, her father checked with her about this Bruckner 8th concert, and she said that she "was over it," and would be fine.

Except...

The young woman called him later in tears and said that she had been listening to the Bruckner 8th on YouTube.

Her emotional reactions were the same as with the Ninth, and she had to turn it off, unable to continue listening!

I do not know if these emotional breakdowns happened during the Adagios or earlier (I will try to discover that answer).

I was reminded of two things: some years ago I composed a cantata for 9 voices using a religious text (Exaudi me (Listen to me, O Lord!)) and sent a MIDI performance to a woman of my acquaintance in Germany (a retired teacher).

She wrote to me that she could not finish listening to the MIDI performance: the music frightened and upset her so much that she could not finish it: "Geistesstörend" (spiritually disturbing) was the word she used.

The second was the famous story about Beethoven and Goethe, the latter admiring the obvious genius, but with alarm.  There is a story that Mendelssohn played parts of the Symphony #5 for Goethe, who admitted that the music was great, but one had to fear that the house would come crashing down because of it!

In essence, Goethe found Beethoven's music Geistesstörend.

Anyway, I hope to discover more details about the young woman's visceral reaction to Bruckner's music.  Her father said that there must be some strange "connection at the level of the sublime."

No details yet about the young lady's highly emotional reaction to Bruckner's Ninth and Eighth Symphonies: however, her ticket for the Friday concert went to a relative, a young cellist, who was thrilled by the prospect of hearing a live performance of the Bruckner Symphony #8. 

An update on the story has arrived: the young lady has described her reaction to Bruckner (and no particular section of the Ninth of Eighth Symphonies was mentioned) as "deeply visceral" because of her Synaesthesia, which creates colors and other non-auditory reactions from Bruckner's music, thereby making the experience emotionally and/or sensorially overwhelming.

I had suggested using a score, upon which to concentrate while listening, an idea offered to her by a Music professor, so that the experience becomes more analytical than emotional.

In any case, the concert took place last night: I await a report about the reaction of the young cellist who ended up with his relative's ticket!


On a different note...

David Hurwitz reviews a DGG release of Daniel Barenboim conducting Bruckner's Symphonies 0-9:

[Roasted Swan]

An update on the story has arrived: the young lady has described her reaction to Bruckner (and no particular section of the Ninth of Eighth Symphonies was mentioned) as "deeply visceral" because of her Synaesthesia, which creates colors and other non-auditory reactions from Bruckner's music, thereby making the experience emotionally and/or sensorially overwhelming.

I had suggested using a score, upon which to concentrate while listening, an idea offered to her by a Music professor, so that the experience becomes more analytical than emotional.

In any case, the concert took place last night: I await a report about the reaction of the young cellist who ended up with his relative's ticket!


On a different note...

David Hurwitz reviews a DGG release of Daniel Barenboim conducting Bruckner's Symphonies 0-9:

I have always enjoyed that Barenboim/Bruckner cycle - as Hurwitz suggests stunningly played but also a direct and unaffected approach to the music.  Not a cerebral style but sometimes its great to just hear this kind of music played with dynamic energy and delight.

[Cato]

I have always enjoyed that Barenboim/Bruckner cycle - as Hurwitz suggests stunningly played but also a direct and unaffected approach to the music.  Not a cerebral style but sometimes it's great to just hear this kind of music played with dynamic energy and delight.

Yes, quite true!  Here are some examples from the earlier symphonies:

[André]

I have always enjoyed that Barenboim/Bruckner cycle - as Hurwitz suggests stunningly played but also a direct and unaffected approach to the music.  Not a cerebral style but sometimes its great to just hear this kind of music played with dynamic energy and delight.

The 4th and 9th in that set are everything Hurwitz claims them to be: incredible. Not the only view, but definitely up there with the best. I'd need to listen to his 5th and 8th again, as my memory of these performances is note as positive as DH. Time to re-assess.

[Roasted Swan]

The 4th and 9th in that set are everything Hurwitz claims them to be: incredible. Not the only view, but definitely up there with the best. I'd need to listen to his 5th and 8th again, as my memory of these performances is note as positive as DH. Time to re-assess.

As I recall the gramophone guide(s) were very sniffy of the No.5 which I like but it is a quite 'plain' version albeit wonderfuuly played.  the No.6 is very good indeed and I like the 8.  Probably my least favourite of the set is 7.

[Cato]

In any case, the concert took place last night: I await a report about the reaction of the young cellist who ended up with his relative's ticket!

The review is in:  Zubin Mehta, at age 89 and not in the best of shape, was wheeled out and helped into a chair to the roar of a full house (!) at the Disney Concert Hall!

He "led" the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Symphony VIII of Bruckner, which had the "required bombast," and the necessary "blend of the mystical and the magnificent."

The word "led" was used deliberately, rather than "conducted," because, according to an official at the symphony, Zubin Mehta is at "emeritus status at many worldwide orchestras. He has no home orchestra: Mehta views a conductor as having a home orchestra. It's also considered by Mehta that he is in a leadership position throughout the process. He doesn't tyrannically rehearse; he's collaborative, modest, and persuasive, but does not exhaust or exhibit an imperious attitude..."

An "explosion" of applause at the end, and the usual standing ovation: to the amazement of everyone, Zubin Mehta, seemingly cured of his ailments by the miracle of Bruckner's Music, began walking through the orchestra to shake hands with principal players, and shuffled around the podium and stood to accept the increasing applause.

Finally, some handlers arrived to lead him off the stage.

And the young cellist?  He "thoroughly enjoyed the concert — his first Bruckner ever, so quite the indoctrination!  He is a competitive fencer — and he imagined the orchestral tension was reflective of what he feels with his various moves and technique." 

Fencing with Bruckner!!!

Well, why not?      😇

[lordlance]

The review is in:  Zubin Mehta, at age 89 and not in the best of shape, was wheeled out and helped into a chair to the roar of a full house (!) at the Disney Concert Hall!

He "led" the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Symphony VIII of Bruckner, which had the "required bombast," and the necessary "blend of the mystical and the magnificent."

The word "led" was used deliberately, rather than "conducted," because, according to an official at the symphony, Zubin Mehta is at "emeritus status at many worldwide orchestras. He has no home orchestra: Mehta views a conductor as having a home orchestra. It's also considered by Mehta that he is in a leadership position throughout the process. He doesn't tyrannically rehearse; he's collaborative, modest, and persuasive, but does not exhaust or exhibit an imperious attitude..."

An "explosion" of applause at the end, and the usual standing ovation: to the amazement of everyone, Zubin Mehta, seemingly cured of his ailments by the miracle of Bruckner's Music, began walking through the orchestra to shake hands with principal players, and shuffled around the podium and stood to accept the increasing applause.

Finally, some handlers arrived to lead him off the stage.

And the young cellist?  He "thoroughly enjoyed the concert — his first Bruckner ever, so quite the indoctrination!  He is a competitive fencer — and he imagined the orchestral tension was reflective of what he feels with his various moves and technique." 

Fencing with Bruckner!!!

Well, why not?      😇

The cult grows.

[Cato]

An article about Bruckner's music being therapy for a "mental-health crisis."

"During my third year at university, I'd experienced my first manic episode. After two weeks in hospital I was sent home for a long rest. The mania was frightening enough, but the depression that followed was torture, haunted by hideous waking dreams.

For a while, reading was too difficult, but I could listen to music, so long as it was sufficiently consoling or calming. But then, I listened to Anton Bruckner's Eighth Symphony, and I found myself playing it over and over again.

This may surprise a few readers, as the Eighth contains some of the darkest, most troubled music Bruckner ever composed. The fearfully probing first movement culminates in a vision Bruckner aptly called the 'Annunciation of Death', followed by the desolate, slowly ebbing coda that he compared to a clock ticking in the room of a dying man....

"...I can recall taking a Bruckner-sceptic friend to a performance of the Fourth Symphony while at university. I well remember the look of delighted surprise he gave me about five minutes into the first movement – he was actually enjoying it!

But what stayed with me most of all was his comment about the slow movement, that strange nocturnal procession through a vast forestscape which at times seems to come to a complete standstill. He pointed to a passage, just after the brassy climax, where sombre string harmonies rise slowly above quietly throbbing timpani. 'That passage', he said, eyes burning, 'explains everything!' ..."

For the entire article, which is very interesting, see:

https://www.classical-music.com/features/composers/bruckner-mental-health

The article reminded me of my time (over 50 years ago) in the University of Dayton's Graduate School, which had a Music Therapy Master's program.  This program was quickly becoming famous nationally.

I was not in the program, but did occasionally peruse the journals for it in the university's library.

I recall an article which described how "calm Classical Music" failed to calm patients in some instances. 

A psychiatrist detailed how it seemed to be having either no or a negative effect.

So, while sitting with a patient, he decided to put on "a stormy passage by Bach."  (The article did not say which "stormy passage by Bach" was used.)

The patient responded almost immediately: "That's how I feel!  That's what I need!"

So, for at least some patients, Music which mirrors, rather than contradicts, their feelings is what worked.

[Cato]

An article about Bruckner's music being therapy for a "mental-health crisis."


For the entire article, which is very interesting, see:

https://www.classical-music.com/features/composers/bruckner-mental-health

The article reminded me of my time (over 50 years ago) in the University of Dayton's Graduate School, which had a Music Therapy Master's program.  This program was quickly becoming famous nationally.

I was not in the program, but did occasionally peruse the journals for it in the university's library.

I recall an article which described how "calm Classical Music" failed to calm patients in some instances. 

A psychiatrist detailed how it seemed to be having either no or a negative effect.

So, while sitting with a patient, he decided to put on "a stormy passage by Bach."  (The article did not say which "stormy passage by Bach" was used.)

The patient responded almost immediately: "That's how I feel!  That's what I need!"

So, for at least some patients, Music which mirrors, rather than contradicts, their feelings is what worked.

After reading the above article about Bruckner's music as psychological therapy, I decided to look for other people who had similar experiences, and found another interesting commentary:

"...(Bruckner's music) is some of the most intensely emotional music ever written.

That one almost never comes across a description of Bruckner's music as "emotional" is, I think, a telling commentary on a broad ranging loss of clarity in our collective thinking about what "emotion" really means. Popular culture, which has long since sunk its poisoned talons into the very heart of our thinking about art of all kinds has gradually made "emotion" a dirty word.

In popular culture, we too often equate "emotion" with extroversion, with narcissism, with a kinetically manifested sense of outward excitement, and with a kind of adrenalized hyperactivity. Pop culture tells us that the most "emotional" artists are the ones who sing the loudest or shake their asses the hardest. When someone cries on camera in a moment of personal tragedy captured by our voyeuristic news media, we're told that they are responding with intense emotion....

...the word "emotion" has come to be tied in our collective thinking with a kind of attention-seeking behaviour, whether in performance (all hail the star performer) or among the public. Emotion has become toxically intertwined with narcissism.

Bruckner was anything but a narcissist. In Mahler's music, it is clearly the composer himself who narrates our journey, and a huge part of that journey is coming to understand who he was. Bruckner was unknown and remains unknowable.  What little we know about his personality seems alien and baffling to most of us, but what is really striking is the absence of a sense of the "me" in his music.

The emotions in Bruckner's music are incredibly intense, but also completely universal. The narrative voice in Bruckner's music tells us what the narrator experiences and what the narrator feels with a kind of hyper-realistic directness that is unlike any other voice in music, but at the same time, that narrator never tells you who he is, how he came to be on this journey or why we should be interested him. We're not interested in him- the journey becomes ours...."

Of interest is a comment on this essay from a Catholic priest:

... Bruckner is unique and I agree with you about the lack of narcissism and the universal embrace of his music. You do not have to be a Catholic or a Christian of any kind to find some depth in his music. In a special way I could imagine a Jewish listener feeling a deep affinity with some of those crashing passages. There is a battle between good and evil here as well as a struggle with the reality of death and the belief in resurrection. There is also, as you said, something about both the weakness and the greatness of being human. ...

And this man, critical of our modern age, writes...

"...Physical pain is celebrated grotesquely in our society but the suffering of Job or Oedipus, the high tragedy of Samson Agonistes, Bruckner's 9th? We lack the gravitas and spirit for such works. The faculties engaged by Bruckner's music are indeed the noblest and profoundest we have and this is what some listeners dislike. Such music speaks to something they long ago disavowed...."

Obviously not everyone lacks the "gravitas and spirit" for Bruckner!  😇

But it might be true for some!   

[Cato]

This recording of the Mass in e minor was recently recommended: