What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

[André]

Bruckner: symphony no 9, Schuricht x 3.


Wiener Philharmoniker, 1961


Berlin State Opera orchestra, July 1943.


BRSO, Herkulessaal, March 1963.

Recently I gave an opinion on Schuricht's 1954 live Stuttgart performance (on Hänssler) and my conclusion was that the conductor gave an admirably sincere, objective yet emotional performance, marred only by a few instances of confusion due to unnecessary accelerandos in climactic moments. I mentioned I'd assess next the other Schuricht 9ths I have. It turns out I had 4 more of those, not the 2 I remembered at the time. Here's the first 3.

The only commercial recording of the work is the well-known EMI release (performed in 1961, released the year after) . All others are live: 1943 in Berlin, 1960 in Hamburg, 1963 in Munich. There's also a 1937 performance with a few bars missing (who would want to listen to a 9th without the concluding bars ?). All this to say that Bruckner's 9th was in Schuricht's mind throughout his long life. 

A fine review of the Munich recording on Classicstoday (not by Hurwitz) states that his way with the 9th was very consistent throughout the years. Yes and no. There are typical turns of phrase that are consistent from one recording to the other (at least from 1943 on - I haven't heard the 1937 one). I can't say I care for those as they occur when Schuricht pulls a Jochum and rushes to a climax. I can forgive those as the rest of the performance is so organically conceived, so attentive to the emotions embedded in those sinuous, curvy phrases. No stop and go feeling then, but a continuity both in the structure and the unfolding of the musical argument.

Briefly:

- Berlin 1943 (live performance). Rough sound, but clear enough to discern all the elements that would appear in Schuricht's 9th for the next 20 years. It seems that this orchestra hailed from the Staatskapelle Berlin in the same way that the Wiener Philharmoniker share most of its members with the Vienna State Opera. They play well enough.

- Vienna 1961 (studio performance). Obviously this is the one to have if you're going to have Schuricht's Bruckner in your collection, especially in the current pairing with their terrific 8th. It's hard to describe how much better the brass players are: they blow all others out. The tuba is a startling presence, the horns powerful, the trumpets and trombones cutting yet euphonious. The strings have a rich and dense sound collectively, yet the sections have great individuality (aided no doubt by the stereo separation). A tiny, tiny letdown in the final farewell to life: a perfectly intoned horn call, but failing to achieve a true pp and thus sounding slightly prosaic. 9 out 0f 10.

- Munich 1963: that recording has the BRSO playing in the very different sounding Herkulessaal. It's hard to overestimate how much a recording venue can influence the sound an orchestra makes. Our resident band, the Montreal Symphony, regularly goes on tour and are followed by the local music press who always point to the adjustments they have to make every time they try a new place. The Herkulessal has a deep soundstage yet nothing is blurred, au contraire: timbres are bright and clear-sounding, often individualized instead of blended. Despite the mono sound (and it could be better) one clearly establishes both placement and timbral characteristics of each section. IMO a good recording from the Herkulessaal is the closest you can get to an actual concert hall ambience. So, on to Schuricht's conducting with the BRSO: not as fastidiously beautiful as in Vienna (this is a live recording) but every bit as proficient and powerful. Schuricht's view of the work is almost disturbing in the first 2 movements: the coda of I is awesome, hinting at despair and ferocity, vs power and immensity in Vienna. This was Kubelik's (and previously Jochum's) orchestra after all.

One thing I ought to mention about Schuricht's conducting is his way with timpani. Contrary to most conductors he does not have them thunder away in the big climaxes of I and III. They are there, to be sure, but they underpin (not covering, much less overpowering) the rest of the orchestra. Therefore his climaxes always sound clear-headed. Conversely, the quiet taps that mark the rythm (especially in the scherzo) are startlingly clear (not loud: but sharp and clear). This is the mark of a conductor who has the composer's sound-world down pat. The timpani's ta-da-dam-tam-tam taps in the scherzo section really make one's ears perk up. Too often they sound like they're heard from way, way afar.

Okay, I'm sorry. I intended this to be a medium-sized post, but I got carried away. And I haven't talked about my favourite Schuricht B9: the 1960 Hamburg performance... 😮

[foxandpeng]

The last two symphonies of Schnittke

The 8th is a more fitting conclusion to this exceptional cycle than the unauthentic 9th which I felt to be a little incongruous.

Having heard all of these symphonies, I rank them this way:

2, 1, 5, 8, 3, 4, 7, 6, 0 and 9




And the last two quartets of Taneyev (5 and 6)

Once again very impressed by these 9 works. I didn't find any dud, not even the earlier ones. Ranking them is a bit more difficult, but the absolute winner for me is the 4th. A sovereign masterwork.

How very helpful. Thank you for these reflections.

[Symphonic Addict]

How very helpful. Thank you for these reflections.

Are you familiar with those composers? Knowing your tastes, I have a hunch that you enjoy Schnittke quite a bit.

[Symphonic Addict]

Schumann: Piano Trios 1 and 2

For some odd reason I didn't have these pieces in better esteem. Glad I remedied that. Magnificent music.

[brewski]

For Ives' 150th birthday, exploring versions of this song, "The Children's Hour." One fave below, with soprano Rayanne Dupuis and pianist Antoine Palloc. Gorgeous simplicity.

-Bruce

[NumberSix]

Sibelius: Pohjola's Daughter
Bernstein, New York

   That name looks familiar...

[steve ridgway]

Stravinsky: Abraham And Isaac



Didn't bother to look for any text; the sound of the music was fine .

[Irons]

Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin.

The precision of Le Tombeau de Couperin is like a fine piece of Dresden porcelain, just perfection. The circa 1963 Paris Conservatoire play as to the manner born.

[vandermolen]

Sibelius: Pohjola's Daughter
Bernstein, New York

   That name looks familiar...

I like the sculpted head too!

[Traverso]

Bach

[steve ridgway]

Kagel: Zwei Akte for saxophone and harp.

[steve ridgway]

Continuing with Rrrrrrr...: 5 Jazzstücke

[steve ridgway]

Now playing Berio: Requies

[Iota]

English Suite No.3 in G minor, BWV 808

If Xiao-Mei allows Bach to do his usual trick of any work, however big or small, sounding like a perfect star hanging in a perfect sky, she must be doing something right. A lovely reading that sings/flows beautifully and has the intimate feel of being played in a front room somewhere. Much enjoyed.

[DavidW]

[Leo K.]

Listening to the earlier G minor Quartet from my Alban Berg Quartett box. Splendid time for all.

[steve ridgway]

Stockhausen: Zeitmasze



Finally got round to re-tagging some Stockhausen for my new player, he had dropped some way down the queue.

[Todd]

Disc one, going back more than one hundred years to the earliest acoustic recordings by Mr Cortot.  They have that Cortot goodness.

[Madiel]

Poulenc

3 Poems by Louise Lalanne
4 Poems by Guilaume Apollinaire
5 Poems by Max Jacob



All three collections are from 1931. Apollinaire is actually responsible for one of the poems by the fictitious Louise Lalanne as well. His poems tend to be a bit of a word salad, which encourages Poulenc's fast-paced mischievous side (and he never needs much encouragement when it comes to songs!). I prefer the Max Jacob poems where the proportion of moderately-paced music increases and I get to hear Poulenc's exquisite turns of harmony.