Bruckner's Abbey

[TheGSMoeller]

My first reaction to Wand's 6th with Munich was, well, meh. But time can alter perception, and appreciation, especially when there is a deeper understanding, in this case I now see the beauty in this performance. First, I'll compare some timings...

Wand/Cologne (1976)         Wand/Munich (1999)
15:40                                 17:04
15:10                                 16:02
8:49                                    9:10
13:37                                 14:45

I did shave off a little time for the Munich finale, it's listed at 15:19 but there is applause at the end that begins at 14:45.
The Cologne performance is exciting, but not necessarily deep with any warmth or expressiveness. With Munich, Wand seems to dig deep into the score and reveals all of the emotional notations with great detail. Perhaps that was my initial issue with the Munich recording, I wasn't put on the edge of seat. That was a me problem. I'm amazed that after 3-4 previous recordings (and who knows how many performances) that Wand continued to reveal different aspects of the score. The times do indicate a slower approach, which is the case, but the slower pace offers more time, and space, for the melodies and themes to blossom. A great example, for those of you that have the ability to listen to both, is in the finale (at Cologne-6:20, and for Munich-6:52), Wand brings the Munich strings in with such hushed care, it's a very short section and most performances seem to graze over it with little focus. But not here, it's like a new Sun beginning to slowly rise. Here, this section has a meaning, a purpose.

Thats what I love about hearing all the interpretations of Bruckner's works, how conductors and orchestras perform the substance of the music in their own way. I will continue to listen to this one, and enjoy it on beautiful Hanssler sound.

[asin]B0018RR282[/asin]

[Cato]

From an earlier comparison, let me file an amicus curiae brief to the following comment from Moonfish:

In regards to Symphony No 6 I will remain in Jochum's Bruckner temple no matter what!!      



[asin] B00006YXOX[/asin]

[amw]

Bruckner 7 again—Chailly/DSRB

Ok I kind of get why this is the one everyone loves. It is pretty amazing, like a big, soft, fluffy dog. Who's maybe getting on in years a bit so no longer chases after tennis balls with quite so much energy as he used to, but otherwise the most faithful companion one might want. I'm not so interested in getting the full cycle, but if the 7 is available separately I might add it to my collection as my permanent B7

[amw]

Listened to this  week: the 8th with the Bamberger Symphoniker under Eugen Jochum. It dates from June 1982 and was recorded in THE abbey (St-Florian, that is !).

The price was right, so I'm checking this one out ahead of EMI, DGx2, Tahra or any of the others. >.>

edit: Wow, that is the greatest surprise leap onto an F major chord ever recorded. Literally perfect, exactly how it should always be done. (if only the last 3 notes were in time :<) I think I'll check out some more late Jochum, thanks for pointing me in this direction <.<

[calyptorhynchus]

I'm thinking of getting the Brilliant Classics Jochum box. But could some one who has it tell me which versions of the symphonies he plays in this set?

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm thinking of getting the Brilliant Classics Jochum box. But could some one who has it tell me which versions of the symphonies he plays in this set?

SYMPHONY #1 C MINOR LINZ 1877 NOWAK
SYMPHONY #2 C MINOR 1877 FIRST CRITICAL EDITION NOWAK
SYMPHONY #3 D MINOR REV VERSION 1889 NOWAK
SYMPHONY #4 E FLAT 1886 (aka 1878/80) NOWAK
SYMPHONY #5 B FLAT 1878 NOWAK
SYMPHONY #6 A MAJOR 1881 NOWAK
SYMPHONY #7 E MAJOR 1885 NOWAK
SYMPHONY #8 C MINOR REV VERSION 1890 NOWAK
SYMPHONY #9 D MINOR 1894 ORIGINAL NOWAK


Sarge

[Cato]

I have listened to this CD several times in recent days: for the purists, the first three movements, especially the first, are practically perfect.  For those who do not mind the construction of the Finale - and according to the notes not too much needed to be done, thanks to recent research - they will find a great performance there as well.

[asin]B007O3QC8K[/asin]

[amw]

I have listened to this CD several times in recent days: for the purists, the first three movements, especially the first, are practically perfect.  For those who do not mind the construction of the Finale - and according to the notes not too much needed to be done, thanks to recent research - they will find a great performance there as well.

First 9th I listened to, and the first three movements are definitely better than Karajan and Wand-in-Berlin, even though Rattle is still alive and has curly hair. (conductors can only be bald or have straight hair, its a rule or something) The finale is... a bunch of blocks of masonry stuck together, Bruckner would've edited it to hell if he'd lived, but with some very impressive things for all that; and the ending the team came up with is superbly Brucknerian and should be perfectly satisfactory. (Basically from the point where the manuscript breaks off, leaving only Particellskizzen: all 4 movements' themes simultaneously—the scherzo rhythm in the timpani is a nice touch, though I'm not sure Bruckner would agree—chorale theme—super dissonant, unresolved dominant 11th from the adagio—resolution to D major with the trumpets playing, I think, the end of the adagio?/recollection of the 7th symphony?, the trombones with the 1st movement and the horns with the 'alleluia' motive of the 4th movement/recollection of the 3rd symphony?*, which then ends the piece.)

I don't remember what the 9th to have is supposed to be, Kubelik or Giulini or something maybe, so I probably haven't heard the 'best' recording out there but I'm honestly pretty satisfied with Sir Simon and don't feel especial pressure to seek out another one right now

* tbh it's pretty ambiguous because (a) most of the bruckner themes sound pretty much identical to begin with and (b) he tended to just turn them into rhythmic outlines anyway

[André]

there are many ways to conceive the 9th, from Mehta to Klemperer, Leitner to Karajan, Schuricht to Celibidache. It's a very rich, subtle work.

[Wanderer]

I have listened to this CD several times in recent days: for the purists, the first three movements, especially the first, are practically perfect.  For those who do not mind the construction of the Finale - and according to the notes not too much needed to be done, thanks to recent research - they will find a great performance there as well.

[asin]B007O3QC8K[/asin]

Agreed and highly recommended from me as well.

...and the ending the team came up with is superbly Brucknerian and should be perfectly satisfactory.

It's the most satisfactory I've heard so far (and I've heard almost all). Apart from the superb reconstruction of the finale per se, the way the whole work is bound together interpretatively as a 4-movement edifice and not as a 3-movement torso (e.g. by not blowing the adagio out of proportion) also adds to the allure and illuminates more aspects of the previous 3 movements.

[Moonfish]

From an earlier comparison, let me file an amicus curiae brief to the following comment from Moonfish:

0:)

Jochum's rendition of the 6th is indeed a blessing to the Bruckner realm! I think I listened to it thirty times last year...   

[Cato]

0:)

Jochum's rendition of the 6th is indeed a blessing to the Bruckner realm! I think I listened to it thirty times last year...   

Wow!  Do you have any emotional energy left?!   

[Karl Henning]

Wow!  Do you have any emotional energy left?!   

No kidding! 

Perhaps after my 2 June concert, I must get me back to some Bruckner.

[amw]

Bruckner 5 is a pretty good symphony! I think one reason I enjoy it is because it's a departure from the model of 3/6/7/8/9 which are all basically the same symphony with different tunes. Though the insistence on sticking a Gesangperiode and recapitulation into a perfectly fine triple fugue is a bit baffling at first, like... hello? momentum? are you there? (Also why don't all three subjects ever appear together? Like I was totally expecting that to be the climax but apparently no) The scherzo is also kind of confusing due to stopping every few seconds to change tempo and/or key but I guess B hadn't worked out his scherzo template yet or something? (I know 4 has two scherzos or something)

Anyway DRD and the Bruckner Orchestra Linz sound great, better than their 6th, but I expect the usual recording recommendations about how Svetlanov live in Munich '84 on Pony Canyon is the only B5 worth listening to and etc.

[calyptorhynchus]

Bruckner 5 is a pretty good symphony! I think one reason I enjoy it is because it's a departure from the model of 3/6/7/8/9 which are all basically the same symphony with different tunes. Though the insistence on sticking a Gesangperiode and recapitulation into a perfectly fine triple fugue is a bit baffling at first, like... hello? momentum? are you there? (Also why don't all three subjects ever appear together? Like I was totally expecting that to be the climax but apparently no) The scherzo is also kind of confusing due to stopping every few seconds to change tempo and/or key but I guess B hadn't worked out his scherzo template yet or something? (I know 4 has two scherzos or something)

I see the old habit of patronising Bruckner dies hard.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I see the old habit of patronising Bruckner dies hard.

Indeed.

[amw]

Don't hate, Bruckner used formulas and was good at it. It's not knocking him to recognise he was good at that.

This really is a very enjoyable symphony though. I listened to Barenboim today and my immediate reaction was to want to go right back to the start. So I'm doing that, this time with Janowski. Love the woodwind parts and all the pizzicato everywhere, great orchestration.

[TheGSMoeller]

I've been lately enjoying listening to Janowski's and the Suisse Romande Orchestra's cycle on Spotify. My first impressions of these were poor, and I spent a year away from them, until I returned to them just recently. And my viewpoint has certainly altered since then.
The first thing that is very noticeable is the incredible sound quality of these performances. Every harmony and musical line are tremendously clear and well defined, I was hearing some parts that I've never heard before even with the extensive Bruckner listening I've been doing the past few years. Also, the wood winds are able to hold their own and make a strong presence even when the brass is in high gear. Same can be said for the non-violins of the string section. 
Here you have Bruckner performances that are so transparent and coherent that the score is the focus. All of Bruckner's harmonies and melodies shine with the brightest of details.
Now one thing you won't get here is anything new interpretively. Jamowski allows the score to be the leader while he focuses more on bringing to life the details, and he succeeds. Most of his tempo choices are too fast for my liking, but I find myself having a difficult time arguing with this, as I've become so attracted to the beauty of the balance that is displayed here.
The Suisse Romande Orchestra play powerfully well, and with a lot of care.


[asin]B00TP96RJ0[/asin]

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Don't hate, Bruckner used formulas and was good at it. It's not knocking him to recognise he was good at that.

Pointing out fallacy is never "hate". And reducing Bruckner to mere cliché is fallacy.

This really is a very enjoyable symphony though. I listened to Barenboim today and my immediate reaction was to want to go right back to the start. So I'm doing that, this time with Janowski. Love the woodwind parts and all the pizzicato everywhere, great orchestration.

Shine on!

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I've been lately enjoying listening to Janowski's and the Suisse Romande Orchestra's cycle on Spotify. My first impressions of these were poor, and I spent a year away from them, until I returned to them just recently. And my viewpoint has certainly altered since then.
The first thing that is very noticeable is the incredible sound quality of these performances. Every harmony and musical line are tremendously clear and well defined, I was hearing some parts that I've never heard before even with the extensive Bruckner listening I've been doing the past few years. Also, the wood winds are able to hold their own and make a strong presence even when the brass is in high gear. Same can be said for the non-violins of the string section. 
Here you have Bruckner performances that are so transparent and coherent that the score is the focus. All of Bruckner's harmonies and melodies shine with the brightest of details.
Now one thing you won't get here is anything new interpretively. Jamowski allows the score to be the leader while he focuses more on bringing to life the details, and he succeeds. Most of his tempo choices are too fast for my liking, but I find myself having a difficult time arguing with this, as I've become so attracted to the beauty of the balance that is displayed here.
The Suisse Romande Orchestra play powerfully well, and with a lot of care.

Super nice write-up, GS. Thanks for sharing. I like the part about the transparent sound. I'd definitely like to sample these soon.