Topic: Bruckner's Abbey

[Daverz]

Another image to contemplate:



A Bruckner Bobblehead!  Well, why not?

$89.95 on ebay... I'll have to save every groschen.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

a toe-curling deeply naff image.  Hopefully one Nelsons will live to regret

  Right on, I'm afraid.

[Cato]

$89.95 on ebay... I'll have to save every groschen.

Bruckner is high-class all the way: "It'll cost ya!"   

[Daverz]

This dropped at Presto last week

I know some of you were unhappy with the previous releases.

Presto has a good price as well:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8621662--bruckner-symphonies-nos-1-9

[Cato]

This dropped at Presto last week

I know some of you were unhappy with the previous releases.

Presto has a good price as well:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8621662--bruckner-symphonies-nos-1-9

How would you review the sound quality?  And I assume some televised concerts are on the Blu-ray disc?

[André]

Just purchased this disc because I’ve always been curious about this conductor’s Bruckner and it was insanely cheap (2 discs, 9$ new, shipped).

Anyone has heard Ballot’s Bruckner ? He has a reputation for eccentric tempi, à la Celibidache (which some claim is his dad). Timings on this disc would seem to bear this out: 103 minutes. But quid of his conducting talent?

[SurprisedByBeauty]

How would you review the sound quality?  And I assume some televised concerts are on the Blu-ray disc?

SQ is bound to be identical with the last re-issue on CD... as the remastering takes place only for the blu-ray audio discs. (At least that's the case with the last such re-issues.)
There's no video on the blu-ray; they're audio-only.

Just purchased this disc because I’ve always been curious about this conductor’s Bruckner and it was insanely cheap (2 discs, 9$ new, shipped).

Anyone has heard Ballot’s Bruckner ? He has a reputation for eccentric tempi, à la Celibidache (which some claim is his dad). Timings on this disc would seem to bear this out: 103 minutes. But quid of his conducting talent?

I've heard him make kid-orchestras -- such as the one below -- sound excellent. I've heard three or four of those performances live. They're always different. The 7th impresses me the most*.  The tempi are due to the acoustic, more than any erraticism on his part. Celi is decidedly not his dad, but he was his last student and does look a bit like a young Celi - hence the cute rumor.

*And I loved Debussy Image before the Ninth - but that was not recorded (or not issued, at any rate). Actually a work that benefits from the acoustic at St. Florian. Whereas Bruckner (dirty secret) does not.

Written a bit about it here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2015/09/08/the-second-coming-of-sergiu-celibidache-bruckner-in-st-florian/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2017/04/23/classical-cd-of-the-week-the-second-coming-of-celibidache/

[André]

Thanks, Jens! Very interesting articles. I’m not as fond as you of a cathedral acoustic in Bruckner performances - a problematic concept IMO. I got rid of the Paternostro cycle on that account and most of the quibbles I had on the Schaller one stem from the echoey sound. Sometimes it works beautifully (as with Jochum’s 8th with the Bambergers, also recorded in St Florian).

I am curious to hear Ballot. I normally prefer the 8th in the 74-80 minutes range, but I have 2 of Celibidache’s 100+ versions and really get high on them, an almost spiritual experience. Suspense, suspense...

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Thanks, Jens! Very interesting articles. I’m not as fond as you of a cathedral acoustic in Bruckner performances - a problematic concept IMO. I got rid of the Paternostro cycle on that account and most of the quibbles I had on the Schaller one stem from the echoey sound. Sometimes it works beautifully (as with Jochum’s 8th with the Bambergers, also recorded in St Florian).

I am curious to hear Ballot. I normally prefer the 8th in the 74-80 minutes range, but I have 2 of Celibidache’s 100+ versions and really get high on them, an almost spiritual experience. Suspense, suspense...

You can RECORD well at St. Florian, if you hang the microphones just above and in front of the orchestra. (Just as there are good spots to listen to it -- above the orchestra, where you are no longer allowed to be.)
But then it would not sound right for the audience of a concert. And vice versa, if you play to the crowd (2/3 of which get mush, no matter *what* you do), then that doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense on record.

But one very well recorded 8th is Boulez' with the WPh -- at St. Florian. A real dark horse favorite of mine.

Here's another Bruckner/Cathedral article: This one following the Bambergers and Blomstedt to 4 cathedrals, including St. Florian: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2017/09/21/the-subtle-miracle-herbert-blomstedt-and-bambergs-cathedral-tour-of-bruckner/

[vandermolen]

Another image to contemplate:



A Bruckner Bobblehead!  Well, why not?

My brother would love that! Some years ago he went on a Bruckner 'Pilgerfahrt' to Austria.

[André]

You can RECORD well at St. Florian, if you hang the microphones just above and in front of the orchestra. (Just as there are good spots to listen to it -- above the orchestra, where you are no longer allowed to be.)
But then it would not sound right for the audience of a concert. And vice versa, if you play to the crowd (2/3 of which get mush, no matter *what* you do), then that doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense on record.

But one very well recorded 8th is Boulez' with the WPh -- at St. Florian. A real dark horse favorite of mine.

Here's another Bruckner/Cathedral article: This one following the Bambergers and Blomstedt to 4 cathedrals, including St. Florian: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2017/09/21/the-subtle-miracle-herbert-blomstedt-and-bambergs-cathedral-tour-of-bruckner/

Another thought-provoking article, thanks again Jens!

I had the chance to hear Blomstedt conduct the 2nd symphony in 2008, it was a fantastic performance despite the probable lack of familiarity of the orchestra with the version used (1872). Your tour of those Bruckner 5 concerts must have been quite an experience !

[Daverz]

SQ is bound to be identical with the last re-issue on CD... as the remastering takes place only for the blu-ray audio discs. (At least that's the case with the last such re-issues.)
There's no video on the blu-ray; they're audio-only.

That's weird.  Why don't they just downsample the Blu-ray transfers?  Is this true of the Steinberg Planets?  I bought the blu-ray set, but I can only play the CD.  I guess I'll hope for hi-res downloads at some point.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

That's weird.  Why don't they just downsample the Blu-ray transfers?  Is this true of the Steinberg Planets?  I bought the blu-ray set, but I can only play the CD.  I guess I'll hope for hi-res downloads at some point.

I know it's true of the Kubelik Mahler and of the Kempff Schubert -- and corresponding with the studio that did the remastering, it sounded as though that was the standard practice. Perhaps it's not as simple as simply downsampling the new transfers? Yes, it's a little bit odd, indeed.

[Daverz]

The West Coast Brucknerthon has been announced:

Join us on SUNDAY, September 1, 2019 for the 21st annual San Diego County Bruckner Marathon.  Please note: To work around scheduling conflicts, this year’s marathon is scheduled for the Sunday (not Saturday) before Labor Day.

This year we'll play all 11 of Bruckner's Symphonies, and, as always, the setting will be informal with plenty of food and drinks to keep us going.  We’ll also have our usual CD exchange; those unwanted CDs of yours could be someone else’s treasure.

As in previous years, we offer a combination of live and studio recordings.  Our line-up includes classic performances conducted by Eugen Jochum and William Steinberg.  We also celebrate the retirement of Bernard Haitink and the life of Michael Gielen.

Here are the selected recordings in the order in which they'll be played:
- Symphony in F minor: Schaller/Philharmonie Festiva (Profil CD, 2015)
- Symphony No. 1: Sieghart/Bruckner Orchester Linz (Camerata CD, 1995)
- Symphony in D minor: Van Beinum/Concertgebouw Orchestra (Private CD, 1955)
- Symphony No. 2: Muti/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon CD, 2016)
- Symphony No. 3: Nézet-Séguin/Staatskapelle Dresden (Profil CD, 2008)
- Symphony No. 4: Wand/NHK Symphony Orchestra (Altus SACD, 1982)
- Symphony No. 5: Jochum/Concertgebouw Orchestra (Tower Records/Decca SACD, 1964)
- Symphony No. 6: Steinberg/Boston Symphony Orchestra (Tower Records/RCA CD, 1970)
- Symphony No. 7: Blomstedt/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Vienna Philharmonic CD, 2017)
- Symphony No. 8: Haitink/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Philips CD, 1995)
- Symphony No. 9: Gielen/SWF Symphony Orchestra (Intercord CD, 1993)

When: Sunday, September 1, 2019, beginning at 9:00 AM
Where: 9863 Fox Valley Way, San Diego, CA 92127

Please feel free to bring your favorite food and drinks (especially Bruckner's favorite beverage) to share.  Contributions will be taken towards lunch and/or dinner.  For more information, contact Ramón Khalona at rkhalona at hotmail dot com or Dave Griegel at dkgriegel at cox dot net.  Please forward this invitation to others who may be interested.  RSVPs are appreciated!

Be sure to brush up on your Bruckner trivia before the event, as the winner of the annual Bruckner quiz will walk away with a special prize.  We look forward to seeing you.

Ramón Khalona and Dave Griegel

[Maestro267]

I love it! Haven't seen anything like it in classical music, an event where people come, make themselves comfy and listen to recordings.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

The West Coast Brucknerthon has been announced:

Who smuggled Riccardo Muti's Bruckner into the lineup? Yikes. Masochists have to spoil everything. 

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

The West Coast Brucknerthon has been announced:

What fun!

[Daverz]

Who smuggled Riccardo Muti's Bruckner into the lineup? Yikes. Masochists have to spoil everything. 

I didn't care for the Chicago 9, but he recorded a beautiful 6 in Berlin. 

[SurprisedByBeauty]

I didn't care for the Chicago 9, but he recorded a beautiful 6 in Berlin.

That Sixth is not quite my cup of tea, but it's certainly not awful -- just as his Berlin 4th is OK to goodish. But what I've heard of him lately, live, especially with the Vienna Phil, was absolutely hair-pullingly insensitive and boring.

[Daverz]

This dropped at Presto last week

I know some of you were unhappy with the previous releases.

Presto has a good price as well:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8621662--bruckner-symphonies-nos-1-9

And now Qobuz is streaming Symphonies 4-9 at 192kHz/24-bit.  Yes, I know, huge overkill for these analog recordings.  Listening to 5 now.  Certainly sounds good.

https://open.qobuz.com/album/why2yxx4rkcmb