Bruckner's Abbey

[André]

I'll look forward to hearing the Foster interpretation.

I don't have any difficulty in thinking the whole thing is by Bruckner. I imagine that throughout his composing life he would have been jotting down sketches, drafting short-score passages &c and one day in 1876 he thought "Now let's see how that Krzyzanowski's getting on. Here's few pages a wrote a little while ago, he can orchestrate them!"

The piece itself is interesting because it so concise, but if Bruckner had taken it further he would have expanded it in all sorts of ways. Usually when we listen to Bruckner 'versions' it's perfectly finished compositions ruined by officious interventions by Bruckner's friends' forcing him to revise what was already wonderful. But this piece is a genuine sketch, the best analogy I can offer is the odd and perfunctory first version of the Fourth Symphony... which did need revisions.

When I have time to listen to the piece again I'll point out the passage which I thinks proves Bruckner wrote it (in that no-one else could have), I'll give the timing (ie X minutes Y seconds in the Jurowski version).

Ironically, Jurowski (or his disc producer) seems to think otherwise: on this disc the Symphonisches Praeludium is attributed to Mahler ! I haven't read the booklet notes, but the back cover is unequivocal:



I personally doubt the Mahler attribution as well.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Ironically, Jurowski (or his disc producer) seems to think otherwise: on this disc the Symphonisches Praeludium is attributed to Mahler ! I haven't read the booklet notes, but the back cover is unequivocal:



I personally doubt the Mahler attribution as well.

This makes sense, in a way, because he is using the Guersching version/orchestration -- and Guersching operated under the assumption that it was a work by Mahler's, not Bruckner's.

[calyptorhynchus]

I had another several listens I think it's all vintage Bruckner. The passage that most convinced me was the second subject (roughly 2.00 - 4.00 in the Jurowski recording).

[SurprisedByBeauty]

I had another several listens I think it's all vintage Bruckner. The passage that most convinced me was the second subject (roughly 2.00 - 4.00 in the Jurowski recording).

It certainly sounds very Brucknerish. I had the same impression on first and subsequent listening. Almost too lush, but that might be due to the faux-Mahlerian orchestration of Guersching's.

[motoboy]

Please share your recommendations of recordings of Te Deum and the Requiem. These are next on my list of music to digest.

I typically like Karajan, Mehta, Boulez, MTT, Walter, Ormandy, Klemperer, Rattle.

I typically don't like Solti (except I love his opera work), Ozawa, Levine, Abbado, Muti.

[Cato]

Please share your recommendations of recordings of Te Deum and the Requiem. These are next on my list of music to digest.

I typically like Karajan, Mehta, Boulez, MTT, Walter, Ormandy, Klemperer, Rattle.

I typically don't like Solti (except I love his opera work), Ozawa, Levine, Abbado, Muti.

Greetings!

The DGG recordings of Eugen Jochum are necessary for Bruckner fans: this is a nice collection....and the Te Deum RAWKS! 

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For the Requiem (not included in the above for some reason), I have this CD and can recommend it:

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[motoboy]

Thanks! I put those in my shopping list.

[HIPster]

On Friday, December 15th, I caught an excellent performance of Bruckner's 7th Symphony, performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Michael Tilson Thomas.

This was my first ever Bruckner concert. 

Here's a review of the prior evening's performance:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-mtt-la-phil-review-20171216-story.html

[Mirror Image]

On Friday, December 15th, I caught an excellent performance of Bruckner's 7th Symphony, performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Michael Tilson Thomas.

This was my first ever Bruckner concert. 

Here's a review of the prior evening's performance:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-mtt-la-phil-review-20171216-story.html

Is MTT becoming a Brucknerian? Stay tuned...

[vandermolen]

On Friday, December 15th, I caught an excellent performance of Bruckner's 7th Symphony, performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Michael Tilson Thomas.

This was my first ever Bruckner concert. 

Here's a review of the prior evening's performance:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-mtt-la-phil-review-20171216-story.html

So, Dave - did you enjoy it?

[André]

Link to the January 19, 2018 concert of the SWF orchestra and its new MD, maverick conductor Teodor Currentzis, who chose to inaugurate his tenure with Bruckner's 9th symphony.  It's a daring choice for such an ccasion, but Maestro Currentzis does not stop there: he has devised his own original solution to the vexing problem of the finale. Hear for yourself:


https://www.swr.de/swr-classic/symphonieorchester/19-01-2018-swr-symphonieorchester-stuttgart/-/id=17055322/did=19361728/nid=17055322/agmzkm/index.html

[Cato]

Allow me to continue my little series about my first experiences with the Bruckner symphonies c. 55 years ago!

Today: the Sixth Symphony.  And as always, I am talking about the Eugen Jochum performance on DGG.

The first time I ever heard the symphony, the proclamation of the main theme in the first movement brought up a completely cinematic image: a Cecil B. De Mille scene of an ancient throne room, dozens of attendants sprayed all over the area with peacock fans etc., where a vampish female potentate is marching down the stairs from her throne, the camera pulling back to display an ever more astounding throne room, showing that it is more expansive and ornately bizarre than one thought at first.

What can I say?!  That is precisely what the music conjured up!  The image has been hard to shake!

Needless to say, I found the rest of the movement fascinating, especially by the occasionally minor seconds floating around in the violins.

The slow movement was quite a change, and I found it to be absolutely enchanting, and still consider it to be one of the most soulful pieces ever composed.  I once described the final minutes of it (starting at the return of the little funeral march) in a novel, where a young organist (named Tom) has adapted it for a funeral for a child killed in a bicycle accident:

So then Tom began to play the Bruckner excerpt.  The first two bars seemed more tragic than in practice, and he had to ignore an impulse to cut the repetition of the opening four-bar theme that he had interpolated into the piece.  The next two bars rose and evoked more of a cry of anguish than any hope!  What was happening?  Those two bars were supposed to argue with the first ones, not commiserate!  When the repetition came, Tom quickly changed the stops and made the music softer.  That was better.  Now a short dialogue in the upper register ensued, followed by a chorale that gave a distant angelicity to the opening.  Then an upward struggle with sixteenth notes, ending in a huge, slow, climactic descent in eighth notes.  But this was no descent into hopelessness, rather it was an affirmation of a foundation and of a connection between heaven and earth, a Jacob's Ladder being extended downward to all those who had the faith to take the first step.  And then the farewell most serene, the flute-and-clarinet melody slowly hovering on high, waving good-bye, as it faded away into the blissful otherworld. 

The Scherzo I found rather off-kilter and fun: perhaps this movement is why Bruckner said:  "Die Sechste ist die keckste!" ("The Sixth is the sassiest!")  And the last movement!  What a roller-coaster ride with its - again - rather unexpected lurches and irregular nature.

As a whole, the entire symphony really struck me as unusual, with the first two movements, and obviously especially the slow movement, being the most striking.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Terrific -- stunning -- performance of the ORF RSO under Markus Poschner... neither of which are ingredients I would have had high on my list for even serviceable Bruckner.

Truly revealed the 0th for me.


Review: Anton Bruckner's Zeroth Symphony, A Viennese Miracle
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2018/02/24/review-anton-bruckners-zeroth-symphony-a-viennese-miracle/#78e34beb14a1

[Cato]

Terrific -- stunning -- performance of the ORF RSO under Markus Poschner... neither of which are ingredients I would have had high on my list for even serviceable Bruckner.

Truly revealed the 0th for me.


Review: Anton Bruckner's Zeroth Symphony, A Viennese Miracle
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2018/02/24/review-anton-bruckners-zeroth-symphony-a-viennese-miracle/#78e34beb14a1

I heard Die Nullte three or four years ago at a performance in the Toledo Cathedral (Roman Catholic) by the Toledo Symphony conducted by Stefan Sanderling.

They treated it like a major symphony, and so it sounded great, like a major symphony! 

[André]

A new edition of the 8th symphony has been given its baptism by fire recently:


https://www.abruckner.com/editorsnote/news/new_edition_of_the/

The Toronto Symphony is performing it this spring. I will attend their Montreal concert on May 8. As far as I can tell from the meagre detailds that have emerged it is not a big change from the Nowak score. Anyhow, it should be a nice concert. Peter Oundjian is a sound if unadventurous brucknerian.

[Karl Henning]

Allow me to continue my little series about my first experiences with the Bruckner symphonies c. 55 years ago!

Today: the Sixth Symphony.  And as always, I am talking about the Eugen Jochum performance on DGG.

The first time I ever heard the symphony, the proclamation of the main theme in the first movement brought up a completely cinematic image: a Cecil B. De Mille scene of an ancient throne room, dozens of attendants sprayed all over the area with peacock fans etc., where a vampish female potentate is marching down the stairs from her throne, the camera pulling back to display an ever more astounding throne room, showing that it is more expansive and ornately bizarre than one thought at first.

What can I say?!  That is precisely what the music conjured up!  The image has been hard to shake!

Needless to say, I found the rest of the movement fascinating, especially by the occasionally minor seconds floating around in the violins.

The slow movement was quite a change, and I found it to be absolutely enchanting, and still consider it to be one of the most soulful pieces ever composed.  I once described the final minutes of it (starting at the return of the little funeral march) in a novel, where a young organist (named Tom) has adapted it for a funeral for a child killed in a bicycle accident:

The Scherzo I found rather off-kilter and fun: perhaps this movement is why Bruckner said:  "Die Sechste ist die keckste!" ("The Sixth is the sassiest!")  And the last movement!  What a roller-coaster ride with its - again - rather unexpected lurches and irregular nature.

As a whole, the entire symphony really struck me as unusual, with the first two movements, and obviously especially the slow movement, being the most striking.

Thanks for the reminder; your post prompted me to revisit the symphony, and that passage in particular.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

A new edition of the 8th symphony has been given its baptism by fire recently:
... Peter Oundjian is a sound if unadventurous brucknerian.

In that case, it's quite surprising (nice) that he bothered with a new edition at all. So often conductors don't bother learning a new edition if they already have one under their belt.

[André]

According to John Berky's story and the chronology of performances, Oundjian has started championing this new edition in Yale (the University orchestra, of which he is the MD), and is bringing it to Edinburgh, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal with his other orchestra, the TSO.

His recording of the 4th (with the TSO) falls into the 'comfy' category, Ormandy-style. It's well upholstered but offers little in terms of edge and boldness. So, yes, it's a nice development for his brucknerian journey.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Classical CD Of The Week: A Gaggle Of Bruckner Fourths, Led By Manfred Honeck

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2018/03/07/classical-cd-of-the-week-a-gaggle-of-bruckner-fourths-led-by-manfred-honeck/#13189eee37da

(Literally every click helps to convince Forbes not to dismiss classical music coverage)

[SurprisedByBeauty]

A Survey of Bruckner Cycles


Updated the Survey of Bruckner Cycles with: Bolton, Nezet-Seguin, and Kurt Eichhorn:

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-survey-of-bruckner-cycles.html