Bruckner's Abbey

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

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Lilas Pastia

#720
A live recording of the 6th symphony, with the excellent NDR, Hamburg Symphony conducted by Günter Wand. From 15.05.1995, issued on RCA and Japan BMG. This is a beautifuly alert version. Completely natural pacing, with no accelerandos or slowdowns, just a single tempo for each movement. It sounds slightly brisk, but there's a tension and excitement that produces jubilation and a sense of inevitability. The orchestra is absolutely magnificent and is excellently recorded.

There are many other ways to conduct this work, and this joins my previous favourites at the top, including the redoubtably massive Kegel, the exhilaratingly punchy Bongartz, the utterly natural and gorgeously crafted Leitner (Stuttgart or Basel), the massively dramatic Keilberth, the hedonistic, de luxe WP Stein, and among the merely excellent, Haitink, Swoboda, Jochums and Lopez-Cobos. It's amazing to find so many great recordings of this symphony, probably the least recorded among numbers 3-9.

rubio

Quote from: Lilas Pastia on May 07, 2008, 04:09:44 PM
It's amazing to find so many great recordings of this symphony, probably the least recorded among numbers 3-9.

I guess some of your favourites are not so easy to find any more (like Keilberth, Kegel and Bongartz)... :)
"One good thing about music, when it hits- you feel no pain" Bob Marley

M forever

I think the reason for why you find so relatively many "favorites" among the recordings of this less recorded work is that, perhaps, only the conductors who really care for the music and make an effort to understand it actually conduct and record it, while among those who do the more "popular" symphonies (e.g. #4), there may be many more who just conduct them exactly for that reason - because they are "popular".

Have you heard Masur's recording, BTW? It just occurred to me that even though I have his cycle, I have never heard the 6th from it and I would like to listen to that now. I don't think I will be able to find it though as it is still packed up in a box from my recent move... another "surprisingly" good 6th is barenboim's. I may have mentioned that here a couple of pages back. I find most of the Bruckner I have heard from Barenboim, on disc and live (I heard several of the symphonies with him in Berlin when he made the recordings for Teldec, plus a live Bruckner 8 with the CSO) uninteresting (that applies to both his CSO and BP cycles, although of the former, I only have heard 4,7,8,9), but the 6th with the BP is actually pretty good and convincing, it "makes sense".

Lilas Pastia

This is a very interesting and logical observation. I have no idea why this particular symphony should be comparatively neglected. It's the most 'classical' of the lot in its language and proportions. I would have thought it would be more palatable to first-timers, be they audiences or conductors. And yet, most of those who have recorded it are seasoned batons, and when it's played in concert it doesn't draw the same attention as the 'big' ones. A few years ago it was performed in  Montreal (Yoel Levi IIRC) and it was a big disappointment. In exactly one month I'll hear it under Myung-Whun-Chung in Amsterdam. I can't wait  ;D

I've heard a few other 6ths, but I didn't mention them because they're too far in the memory (from lp days) to make an assessment of any kind. These include the Barenboim CSO (but not the BPO), the Karajan and Klemperer NP. In my memory they're all quite good, but very different from each other. I should try to locate copies. The iconoclastic Klemperer Concertgebouw is too wild a ride to be recommended to any but the most curious, and I have issues with the Bernstein NYP (playing and interpretation).

Of the Barenboim BPO cycle I only heard the 9th. I didnt' like the sound, which I found grey and diffuse, or the interpretation, too dour for my taste. But I'm talking some 10 years back, so I might be wrong. OTOH I have his CSO 4th and 9th and consider them quite superb performances, loud brass and all. The only other I've had from the CSO cycle was the 5th (lp) and I didn't think it had much personality.

eyeresist

Of the few 6ths I have, my favourite is Stein's (Australian Eloquence) - I'd like to hear it in restored sound. I bought the Rogner version a few months ago out of curiousity - he recorded a set in the 1970s which has largely vanished from living memory, with some justification, as it turns out. Not terrible, just ordinary, uninspired. Blah.

Oh - Eloquence have just issued Solti/VPO in the 7th and 8th, from the late 1950s. I wonder if that's worth checking out?


Quote from: M forever on May 08, 2008, 12:56:11 PM
I think the reason for why you find so relatively many "favorites" among the recordings of this less recorded work is that, perhaps, only the conductors who really care for the music and make an effort to understand it actually conduct and record it, while among those who do the more "popular" symphonies (e.g. #4), there may be many more who just conduct them exactly for that reason - because they are "popular".
For some reason, when I read this, I instantly thought of a certain curly-haired chap called Simon.

Lilas Pastia

I forgot to mention the Rögner. I think I like it better than you, but it's not of the first rank, more like second. But still eminently listenable, at least for the orchestra's sake (they really have the idiom down pat). Skrowaczewski and Tintner are ok, but not special.

Speaking of conductors who do a first class 6th, two of them also recorded other great 6ths: Leitner with the Hartmann, and Bongartz with the Mahler. The latter in particular rocks, with a mean, grim, flamboyant interpretation played to the hilt by the RSO Leipzig.

Haffner

I'm really grateful for the Bruckner 6th reccomendations, as I have only the Tintner. Thanks!

Lilas Pastia

Many of the versions I've mentioned are not easily available. It takes either time, money, connections or luck to get them (as has been pointed out  :D). But you can get to the heart of the matter by getting Jochum's Dresden cycle at super budget price. As a matter of principle I do not recommend cycles, but in this case the 6th is excellent, and you will get superb performances of 2, 3 and 7, as well as a very good 5 and 8. Six out of nine is the best score I can recall, with alternatives being not quite as good (Jochum DG with 1, 3, 5, 6) or pricier (Haitink with 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8). I can't recommend the Tintner as a whole, although there's no denying it has many points of interest (original versions, which means very different music in 2, 3 and 8). The Skrowaczewski seems to have been transferred to the higher end Oehms label, which prices it out of range when one considers a price/quality ratio.

Lethevich

Quote from: AndyD. on May 09, 2008, 04:41:08 PM
I'm really grateful for the Bruckner 6th reccomendations, as I have only the Tintner. Thanks!

There is a grest 6th for free download here:

http://www.abruckner.com/downloads/downloadofthemonth/March/

Old sound, but a good quality rip.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Lethe on May 10, 2008, 02:44:24 AM
There is a grest 6th for free download here:

http://www.abruckner.com/downloads/downloadofthemonth/March/

Old sound, but a good quality rip.

Seconded. Excellent performance!
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Haffner


Lilas Pastia

The Swoboda is indeed a great performance. I don't put it on my 'top tier' roster because of technical issues (playing but esp. sound). But I can't imagine anyone listening to this not being struck by the forceful personality they give to the music. Swoboda, like Kegel, Keilberth and Bongartz tend to give it an almost godzilla-size treatment.

MN Dave

Thanks from me as well.

Bonehelm

Just listened to Celibidache/MPO's 4th,  :o what detailed and full sound! The coda of the finale is superbly handled, the tension inevitably built-up. Excellent weighty brass and strings. 9.5/10

Haffner

Quote from: Wotan on May 10, 2008, 05:45:14 PM
Just listened to Celibidache/MPO's 4th,  :o what detailed and full sound! The coda of the finale is superbly handled, the tension inevitably built-up. Excellent weighty brass and strings. 9.5/10



I have a friend here whom is helping me check that one out, am greatly looking forward to it now thanks to you, W.!

Bonehelm

Quote from: AndyD. on May 11, 2008, 05:04:13 AM


I have a friend here whom is helping me check that one out, am greatly looking forward to it now thanks to you, W.!

Hey Andy, hope you'll like it! And if you turn out to be as obsessed with his recordings with the MPO, buy the entire Bruckner set on EMI! The 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th (which is almost every recording in the set, actually) are particularly good. You've never heard how beautifully rich and powerful an orchestral sound could be until you've heard these recordings, I kid you not.  :)

Haffner

Quote from: Wotan on May 11, 2008, 11:07:51 AM
Hey Andy, hope you'll like it! And if you turn out to be as obsessed with his recordings with the MPO, buy the entire Bruckner set on EMI! The 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th (which is almost every recording in the set, actually) are particularly good. You've never heard how beautifully rich and powerful an orchestral sound could be until you've heard these recordings, I kid you not.  :)


Actually, W. my friend (only hint: his first name is George) is sending me the whole EMI caboodle, along with the Jochum for comparison. I'm even more grateful and happy now. I've heard Celibidache's 7th already, which is really good. I'm PSYCHED about hearing his Bruckner 8th and 9th in particular.

Varg

Quote from: Wotan on May 11, 2008, 11:07:51 AM
Hey Andy, hope you'll like it! And if you turn out to be as obsessed with his recordings with the MPO, buy the entire Bruckner set on EMI! The 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 9th (which is almost every recording in the set, actually) are particularly good. You've never heard how beautifully rich and powerful an orchestral sound could be until you've heard these recordings, I kid you not.  :)

Seconded!

Haffner


Bonehelm

Quote from: AndyD. on May 11, 2008, 11:25:57 AM

Actually, W. my friend (only hint: his first name is George) is sending me the whole EMI caboodle, along with the Jochum for comparison. I'm even more grateful and happy now. I've heard Celibidache's 7th already, which is really good. I'm PSYCHED about hearing his Bruckner 8th and 9th in particular.

Oh man, you're in for some serious JAH-min'. Just make sure you wear an extra pair of socks when you do.  ;)