Bruckner's Abbey

Started by Lilas Pastia, April 06, 2007, 07:15:30 AM

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Herman

Quote from: Jo498 on December 05, 2019, 12:23:10 AM
In my personal impression both Mahler's and Bruckner's music have become far more popular, actually pretty much core repertoire (except for maybe Bruckner's 00-2 and alternative versions and maybe Mahler's 8th because of the forces needed) within the 3 decades I followed classical music.
[...]

I think there are still many listeners who don't care all that much about Bruckner (and/or Mahler). But they are popular with conductors and orchestras because one can demonstrate prowess in several departments without resorting to "shallow sonic spectacular" (like Rimsky ;). And for similar reasons the music is popular with audiophiles. And I also think that the nerdy males who dominate internet discussions have also considerable overlap with Bruckner/Mahler fandom.
So from recordings and the internet one can get the impression that almost everybody just loves Bruckner (or Mahler). But this is not the case. There is no composer/music loved by everyone, not even Bach or Beethoven.

Mahler of course is very popular, because of the emotional appeal and the orchestra spectacle.
Bruckner has neither and I don't think much changed in his popularity. He's still very much at the mercy of conductors who champion his work.

Jo498

This does not at all agree with my impression of the last 30 years I followed classical music (and what I heard/read about the 30 years before that). When I started buying CDs in 1988 in a typical German CD store you had about three options for a Bruckner symphony (maybe a few more for 4, 7-9), Jochum, Karajan, Wand. For the alternative versions there was one (Inbal) or none.  Within these 30 years the Bruckner recordings grew exponentially, especially the choices for the ur- or alternative versions.
And of course, Bruckner has huge emotional appeal for some people and while spectactular only for the brass, it's certainly more spectacular than Haydn or Schumann...
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Cato

The Columbus Symphony is playing Bruckner's Seventh Symphony this weekend, along with a Cello Concerto by an American cellist named Joshua Roman, whom the advertising describes as "mercurial."  0:)

It is unclear yet whether we will be able to attend.

The orchestra's conductor hails from Bulgaria: Rossen Milanov.  He has done well in my previous visits.

https://columbussymphony.com/events/calendar/profile.dT/peaks-of-beauty-and-devotion
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

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

SurprisedByBeauty

Quote from: Jo498 on December 05, 2019, 12:23:10 AM
In my personal impression both Mahler's and Bruckner's music have become far more popular, actually pretty much core repertoire ...

Bruckner Symphonies, any given year, is more often programmed in Vienna than Beethoven Sys! So yes. He's come a long way!

André

For many years, right up until the mid seventies I think, the Vienna Symphony (the Symphoniker) played Bruckner far more often than their colleagues at the Philharmonic (the WP).

SurprisedByBeauty

Quote from: André on March 06, 2020, 12:33:35 PM
For many years, right up until the mid-seventies I think, the Vienna Symphony (the Symphoniker) played Bruckner far more often than their colleagues at the Philharmonic (the WP).

I don't have the statistics on that; it's certainly true for Mahler (where I do have the statistics), where the Vienna renaissance really started with Bruno Walter's performance of the 2nd with the VSO in 1953, not only with Lennie dragging the VPO into it.

I'd like to say that Bruckner had an earlier start with the VPO, but again... that's just a hunch at this point.

André

One of my high school buddies is a huge Bruckner fan, a regular contributor to John Berky's website. He dug up the information from 1900 onward. I can ask him the stats, it would be interesting.

André

Quote from: André on March 07, 2020, 05:03:55 AM
One of my high school buddies is a huge Bruckner fan, a regular contributor to John Berky's website. He dug up the information from 1900 onward. I can ask him the stats, it would be interesting.

Here's the link in Berky's abruckner.com web site:

https://www.abruckner.com/editorsnote/listsanddata/houlegilles/


WS Bruckner performances consistently outnumbered those from the WP until the mid 1990s. The trend started right from the beginning (1900) under WS founder Ferdinand Löwe, a Bruckner pupil and advocate.

Cato

#3428
A review of this recording elsewhere reminded me of this one from August in The Wall Street Journal
:

Excerpts:

Quote

...

Recorded live at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, (Manfred Honeck's) Bruckner Ninth is a wondrous achievement. Telling moments abound: the lyrical episodes in the opening movement that seemingly float in the air, the triumphant nobility the conductor summons at the first movement's conclusion, the tonal colors he coaxes from the strings throughout—early in his career, Mr. Honeck was a violist with the Vienna Philharmonic—to name a few

...Mr. Honeck, also Catholic, brings his familiarity with the liturgy to his interpretation. For example, he envisions the third movement as based on the traditional Latin Mass "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God) and provides his reasons in detailed liner notes. Others could easily hypothesize different underlying scenarios, but this peek under the hood shows how one conductor developed his concept of a score through repeated study and personal reflection. Helpful track timings are provided to help interested listeners follow along.....
..




See:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/demystifying-bruckners-ninth-11566329399

Has anyone heard this recording?  What say ye?   0:)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

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

Daverz

Quote from: Cato on March 13, 2020, 12:52:03 PM
Has anyone heard [Honeck's Bruckner 9] recording?  What say ye?   0:)

It's fantastic. 

Roasted Swan

Quote from: Daverz on March 13, 2020, 12:55:26 PM
It's fantastic.

+1 - a triumphant combination of superb playing, glorious recording and a visionary interpretation.....

André

I was very impressed too, but the impression that lingers is one of 'in your face' directness, as if I was stared at intently for 60 minutes.

aukhawk


André

Cross-posted from the WAYL2 thread:



Since no useful info is to be gleaned from the cover, here it is:

- Nitsch (that's his name): Für Anton Bruckner, a 23 minute work for solo organ.
- Bruckner: symphony no 5.

The European Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Pierre-Jean Marthé. Both works were played and recorded in the Stiftsbasilika Ottobeuren, in Bavaria, on August 7, 2007.

The organ work is a static, uneventful affair.

Marthé leads a somnambulistic performance and retouches the score here and there (cymbals and triangle in the slow movement). There is almost no sense of forward motion. Marthé's Bruckner exists in a far away place where music notes practice social distancing. I suspect he set out to out-zen Celibidache. 3 of the 4 movements are longer than Celi's longest performance. Conductor and orchestra shake the heavens in the coda (cymbal clashes again).

André


A curiosity, the symphony of a childhood friend of Bruckner's, Ignaz Dorn. Dorn called the work : « Labyrinth-Bilder oder Traum und Erwachen. Characteristische Sinfonie. » (Labyrinth Images or Dream and Awakening. Characteristic Symphony.)

It is interpreted by the renowned Bruckner conductor, Takashi Asahina. The sound is so-so, but I think it's worth a hearing. The duration is 27 minutes and the music is packed with colour and drama.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AlYZJvl5Uw&feature=youtu.be

Karl Henning

Is it heresy, if I find that Herreweghe leading l'Orchestre des Champs-Élysées may be my favorite account of the Fourth?
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on April 22, 2020, 12:32:17 PM
Is it heresy, if I find that Herreweghe leading l'Orchestre des Champs-Élysées may be my favorite account of the Fourth?

Yes. Karajan EMI or Celi should be your favorite  >:(

Sarge  ;D
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

André

John Berky's website has this picture on its welcome page:



And, more importantly, the download of the month for May 2020 is the 4th symphony under Gerd Albrecht (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra).

Flac files available here:
https://www.abruckner.com/downloads/downloadofthemonth/May20/

Roasted Swan

Quote from: André on May 01, 2020, 03:39:45 AM
John Berky's website has this picture on its welcome page:



And, more importantly, the download of the month for May 2020 is the 4th symphony under Gerd Albrecht (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra).

Flac files available here:
https://www.abruckner.com/downloads/downloadofthemonth/May20/


Thanks for the heads up re the download.  I heard the Czech PO perform Bruckner 7 live in the Rudolfinum with Inbal a few years backs - their sound really suits this music.

André

Quote from: Roasted Swan on May 02, 2020, 08:18:31 AM
Thanks for the heads up re the download.  I heard the Czech PO perform Bruckner 7 live in the Rudolfinum with Inbal a few years backs - their sound really suits this music.

As for me, I heard Albrecht conduct the original version of the 8th in Brussels (not with the CzPO), and I can attest he is a good brucknerian. So, if you combine the two, it's a tempting proposition !  :)