Bruckner's Abbey

[Cato]

Quote from: Cato on Today at 01:41:31 PM

 

With some trepidation, allow me to quote an excerpt from my unpublished novel, which contains a scene where a young organist (Tom) has adapted the last part of the slow movement of Bruckner's Sixth Symphony for the funeral of a child killed in a bicycle accident:

I love the word 'angelicity'.


I think you describe those final minutes very well. That mighty and passionate descending phrase in the strings - I have always felt that as a bridge between heaven and earth, too.

Many thanks!

[Brahmsian]

Now listening to this terrific performance!

Bruckner

Symphony No. 6 in A major

Jochum
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

DG

[asin]B00006YXOX[/asin]

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Now listening to this terrific performance!

Bruckner

Symphony No. 6 in A major

Jochum
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

DG

A wise choice.

[TheGSMoeller]

Now listening to this terrific performance!

Bruckner

Symphony No. 6 in A major

Jochum
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

DG

[asin]B00006YXOX[/asin]

I opted for the DG over the EMI set, for various reasons which I can get into later. Perhaps this one will be included in the Bruckner 6 blind comparison I may do after the Brahms. 

[Leo K.]

Now listening to this terrific performance!

Bruckner

Symphony No. 6 in A major

Jochum
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

DG

[asin]B00006YXOX[/asin]

An incredible performance indeed!

I've been listening to the B9 in this box and on first hearing it I thought 'revelatory.'

[Brahmsian]

I opted for the DG over the EMI set, for various reasons which I can get into later. Perhaps this one will be included in the Bruckner 6 blind comparison I may do after the Brahms. 

+ 1 on the purchase, Greg.

+++++1 on a potential future B6 blind comparison! 

[TheGSMoeller]

A keeper. What a perfectly driven, stimulating opening movement. Skrowaczewski throws an interesting curve ball with the finale, opens with a firm pace only to really slow things down (way down in fact) for the introduction of the dance-like themes from the strings. Gives the finale an airy quality. It's quite a contrast to the recordings from Solti, Harnoncourt and Vanska who continue this at an Allegro tempo. Both ways have their benefits, just another bonus in the multiple version/recordings/performances from the Bruckner library. As usual Skrowaczewski highlights the beautiful phrasing and details within the score.

[asin]B0021JLNHW[/asin]

[TheGSMoeller]

I am in love with this 4th. It might be considered lightweight in power compared to some of the heavyweights of this often recorded piece, but its true power can be found in Venzago's shaping and careful attention to detail of Bruckner's gorgeous score. It's possibly the most conductor-influenced 4th, by that I mean that Venzago has dissected the phrasing and tempi and orchestral color more than I've heard in a recording. Christopher Howell of MusicWeb International wrote it perfectly...

"Venzago analyzes the best tempo for each Brucknerian period, so that it is duly solemn, lilting, dancing, trudging or whatever. He does not make hysterical accelerandos within these periods. The single periods within a long movement may not always go at exactly the same tempo, however. The art of bringing this off lies in timing the pauses between sections and, again, dosing the right attack for the new section so that it convinces as logically following on from the previous one."

I also love the smooth and fluent sound of the Basel S.O., as they handle each of Venzago's interpretative choices splendidly. Also, the second movement feels more like a true Andante, and fits right in with the overall flow of the symphony. The finale really moves, it's playful, it dances, thus giving the darker and heavier moments a more dramatic presence.

[asin]B004YXL5XU[/asin]

[jlaurson]

For the inclined German-readers among you, and those living in Vienna with nothing to do tonight:

Anton Bruckner: ,,Slow Food" für die Ohren


http://konzerthaus.at/magazin/Home/tabid/41/entryid/338/Default.aspx

[Cato]

The more I hear this, the more I like it:

[asin]B007O3QC8K[/asin]

The reconstruction of the Finale also sounds ever more "convincing" not only as something Bruckner could have had in mind, but also in its sounding like Bruckner, which the Carragan version approached, but not nearly as successfully as this one.

[Brahmsian]

The more I hear this, the more I like it:
[asin]B007O3QC8K[/asin]

The reconstruction of the Finale also sounds ever more "convincing" not only as something Bruckner could have had in mind, but also in its sounding like Bruckner, which the Carragan version approached, but not nearly as successfully as this one.

Same here, Cato!   

[Cato]

For the inclined German-readers among you, and those living in Vienna with nothing to do tonight:

Anton Bruckner: ,,Slow Food" für die Ohren

I finally took a few minutes to read the essay: a nice promotion for the merits of the Fifth Symphony!

The reference to the architect Khaled Saleh Pascha is interesting but obscure: he seems to be (or to have been) a professor of architecture at the Catholic Pontifical University in Chile and at a university in Austria.  I can find no reference to his aesthetic writings right now.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

The end of the article mentions the title of his thesis ("Gefrorene Musik" : Das Verhältnis von Architektur und Musik in der ästhetischen Theorie) After that it is easy to find:


http://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-tuberlin/frontdoor/index/index/docId/943

[Cato]

The end of the article mentions the title of his thesis ("Gefrorene Musik" : Das Verhältnis von Architektur und Musik in der ästhetischen Theorie) After that it is easy to find:


http://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-tuberlin/frontdoor/index/index/docId/943

Many thanks: apparently one needs a license to read the entire the document, but a nice summary is present.

It is interesting that - in my readings at least - Bruckner often generates such comments about musical architecture, perhaps more than most (or any other?) composer(s).

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

You can simply download it, Cato. Where it says 'Download full text files'... (Dokument_43.pdf (4056 KB)) I must find the time to read it one day, though!

[Cato]

You can simply download it, Cato. Where it says 'Download full text files'... (Dokument_43.pdf (4056 KB)) I must find the time to read it one day, though!

Okay, I saw a line at the bottom about a license and made one of those assumptions you hear about!   

"Ph.D. Deutsch" I have only occasionally read, so yes, a good amount of time is needed!   0:)

[early grey]

For those who would like to sample recordings before purchasing or rejecting, I can offer, sourced from LPs
                                         Jochum, Bruckner 7th, Berliner Philharmoniker ( so says the sleeve) and
                                         Karajan, Bruckner 8th, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (likewise!)

The latter is the 1957 recording about which Stewart Crowe has written very interestingly here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B0009NDKXW/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

although he starts off with the enigmatic phrase: "This 1957 recorded symphony is an historic recording in so many ways, though happily not in sound quality".  I have found the sound quality to be quite raw at times, a result of the very dry acoustic which is unusual for a church. It has the effect of removing any possible sentimentality from the performance but allows some very fine detail to be audible. If you want "sheer beauty of sound and opulence of texture" there is this conductor's last version with the VPO but are these qualities really what Bruckner is about?

http://www.cliveheathmusic.co.uk/vinyl.php

is the link. 

[Ken B]

Interesting there's so little Wanderlust here. Despite his current huge reputation I have never really liked the Wand I have. I was also a bit disappointed in Barenboim's BPO cycle. Tintner is very good indeed. I grew up a Jochum DG fan, and Schurict, but Karajan rules here I believe.
Of course with Bruckner there's always room for one more. I have the Celi on order so we'll see.

[Cato]

Interesting there's so little Wanderlust here. Despite his current huge reputation I have never really liked the Wand I have. I was also a bit disappointed in Barenboim's BPO cycle. Tintner is very good indeed. I grew up a Jochum DG fan, and Schurict, but Karajan rules here I believe.
Of course with Bruckner there's always room for one more. I have the Celi on order so we'll see.

You're in the club!   0:)

Von Karajan of course is almost always in the club.  I have the Tintner CD of the Originalfassung (via Wm. Carragan) of the Second Symphony and am very pleased with it.

[Ken B]

You're in the club!   0:)

Von Karajan of course is almost always in the club.  I have the Tintner CD of the Originalfassung (via Wm. Carragan) of the Second Symphony and am very pleased with it.

Occasionally the orchestra is a bit rough on some of the Tintner. He's especially good on 1, 2,  and 3 I recall.