Bruckner's Abbey

[Cato]

 Does anyone know how the Fifth Symphony's theme from bar 55 ff. in the first movement by the cellos and violas (Nowak score, and a theme used later in the finale) came to be used by American college marching bands at football and basketball games? I was at a local high-school game on Friday, and the "pep band" started playing the theme from the Fifth Symphony!      I have heard college bands use it during games broadcast on television in the past 3 years or so.

[Jo498]

It seems a "natural ostinato" phrase. It occurs very similarly in some popsong ("something nations army" is either the band or song name) and became a popular football(soccer) fan chant. At least, I think that is the phrase, I can't look it up right now.

[calyptorhynchus]

Here's an Australian 25 Schilling coin depicting Bruckner from 1962.



Don't know why they issued this coin in 1962 specifically, what did Bruckner do in 1862... he was still in Linz wasn't he?

[Biffo]

Here's an Australian 25 Schilling coin depicting Bruckner from 1962.



Don't know why they issued this coin in 1962 specifically, what did Bruckner do in 1862... he was still in Linz wasn't he?

You would probably need to see the other denomination coins. Possibly in 1962 there was an issue showing famous Austrians.

[Ainsi la nuit]

I'm very much looking forward to hearing the 2nd symphony in a concert later this season, in the spring. It's been a hugely Mahlerian season in Helsinki - and while I love both composers almost equally, I feel like a certain balance should exist. Hearing Bruckner's works in a concert is a wonderful experience indeed.

[Maestro267]

It seems a "natural ostinato" phrase. It occurs very similarly in some popsong ("something nations army" is either the band or song name) and became a popular football(soccer) fan chant. At least, I think that is the phrase, I can't look it up right now.

I've never thought to compare Bruckner's duplet-triplet rhythmic signature with Seven Nation Army before...

[Cato]

I've never thought to compare Bruckner's duplet-triplet rhythmic signature with Seven Nation Army before...

Apparently Bruckner's music was consciously appropriated by the rock group, and then migrated to the marching bands:

This rock single from The White Stripe's album, "Elephant" contains an iconic Guitar riff by lead singer, Jack White. White studied classical music as a student and the opening of Bruckner's Fifth Symphony inspired this riff that has become a rock legend.

https://www.abruckner.com/editorsnote/recordingswbruckner/thewhitestripessev/


https://www.youtube.com/v/0J2QdDbelmY

[JBS]

You would probably need to see the other denomination coins. Possibly in 1962 there was an issue showing famous Austrians.

Google search suggest Austria issued a famous Austrian coin every year (Mozart, Prince Eugene of Savoy, Grillparzer, etc) but all the others in the series seem to mark a centennial of the person's birth or death.  So the mystery remains.

[André]

List of coins issued by Austria. Bruckner's is a 25 schillings coin.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commemorative_coins_of_Austria

Some of these seem to be commemorative issues tied to a milestone, as you mention. There's another Bruckner coin (20 schillings) issued in the centenary year, 1996. Some others seem to be randomly issued (Hoffmanstahl, Nicolai) - at least for the uninitiated.

[Cato]

Apparently Bruckner's music was consciously appropriated by the rock group, and then migrated to the marching bands:


https://www.abruckner.com/editorsnote/recordingswbruckner/thewhitestripessev/


https://www.youtube.com/v/0J2QdDbelmY

Courtesy of my  brother:

https://www.youtube.com/v/nG7c2HoJwDg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0H6Q65Su2aGxu3UIdJwx_8GzxOAVdGx-frPSEmLNU0tJB-rqmg6zgpi98

[Brahmsian]

Courtesy of my  brother:

https://www.youtube.com/v/nG7c2HoJwDg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0H6Q65Su2aGxu3UIdJwx_8GzxOAVdGx-frPSEmLNU0tJB-rqmg6zgpi98

That was fun to listen to.  Thank you, and your brother. 

Bruckner is all around us, it seems!

[Cato]

From the Musical Resolutions topic: for those of you who missed it, stellar member GS Moeller is on a quest for the perfect Bruckner Sixth Symphony performance!

So what would you consider necessary for a "perfect" Bruckner Sixth Symphony ?

My candidates for the perfect one are Eugen Jochum and Guenter Wand.

However, let me remind everyone of the top candidates from the famous Blind Comparison of 4 years ago:

F2 & F3
Tie for Second Place

F2 - The surprise contender of the comparison.



Van Zweden
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic 

What must absolutely be present in such a recording for it to reach perfection?  What must happen - or not happen?    -  in each movement?

And the winner is...

F1
First Place



Sergiu Celibidache
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra

[André]

Die sechste ist die keckste, said Anton. Bold, brash, confident, impertinent. I think Bruckner's intent was to advertise the new symphony as one where impetus, strong rythmic accents and bold textures are salient characteristics. Without a good dollop of 'keck' the sixth may sound slightly listless.

My suggestions for the strongest dose of confidence and boldness would be Keilberth (Berlin Phil), Bongartz (Berlin Radio), Stein (Wiener Phil), Rögner (Berlin Radio), Kegel (Leipzig Radio). These interpretations may all sound slightly over the top in the keck department, but that's part and parcel of the symphony's personality.

Haitink (Amsterdam or Dresden), Wand (Cologne) and Jochum (BRSO) stress the work's joy and tonal allure. Klemperer, Skrowaczewski (Saarbrücken), Lopez-Cobos (Cincinnati), Jochum in Dresden, Karajan and Celibidache offer a more apollonian experience without sounding timid or lacking in temperament. More balanced maybe ? Klemperer's mono Amsterdam performance is a real kick in the butt affair, gaunt and brutal - totally different from the familiar Philharmonia EMI - proof that there is no single "right" approach.

[TheGSMoeller]

Are these from the same recordings?
I own the ones with the zen garden cover, but never seen the conductor-in-action covers before.

[Jo498]

I cannot really justify getting another 6th. (Have Klemperer/EMI, Celi/EMI, Stein and Gielen, maybe another one I forgot but I am not a Brucknerian and this is plenty for me.)
But wasn't someone praising an elusive Kubelik recording somewhere? I also have heard good things about the Keilberth and Sawallisch/Orfeo.

[André]

There are various releases of the 6th under Celibidache, all of them dated end of november 1991 - the only extant instance of a Celi B6 around.

In the case of the 8th, they seem to be different performances: 20-10-1990 for the Sony disc and 13-09-1993 for the EMI one. Celibidache recorded the 8th multiple times.

Check this link for details of Celibidache's Bruckner discography:


https://www.abruckner.com/recordings/Celibidache/Sergiu

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Are these from the same recordings?
I own the ones with the zen garden cover, but never seen the conductor-in-action covers before.

I want to say that the Sony ones were originally video recordings that were made (sometimes during the same concerts as the recordings that ended up on EMI)... but I'm not 100% on this.

[Brahmsian]

As I'm getting through the Celibidache/Munich recordings, I am definitely having difficulty with the deliberately slow tempo choices (not all instances, but in some).

However, as pure performance quality goes, it is absolutely top notch.  I've never heard such vivid woodwinds played in Bruckner as I have with the Celibidache/Munich performances.

[Brahmsian]

Lots of talk about the 6th, and I remember that blind listen comparison, although I pulled out half way through.  Definitely increased my appreciation and love of the 6th.

Perhaps it has changed in recent years, but I read somewhere that the 6th is the least performed of all Bruckner's symphonies?  I'm assuming they mean 1-9.  I was shocked by this!  Even less than 1 and 2, and possibly 3?  Surely this is a trend that will eventually change in the upcoming decades, I would think?

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

I want to say that the Sony ones were originally video recordings that were made (sometimes during the same concerts as the recordings that ended up on EMI)... but I'm not 100% on this.

I don't think they would have separate recording rigs for and audio recording and the audio program of a video production at the same concert. Possibly Sony licensed the video and its lawyers decided that this would cover a CD release of the sound track, which might include independently done editing and mixing of the audio.

Here's another curious example





The same or different? In this case, the same.