Bruckner's Abbey

[Cato]

I have a little more time than I thought would have, so I will make a few comments about my memories of the Adagio.

I knew nothing of any connection between the movement and Wagner's death, but that it was a lamentation was obvious even to my immature ears.

Those ears did understand a curious connection between the main theme of Movement I and the secondary theme in Letter D (bars 37 ff.).  Exactly what that connection might have been...?  Perhaps a counterbalance to the Gravitas of the opening bars.

However, that some sort of soulful conflict was happening became obvious in the famous heart of the movement, the huge crescendo at Letter S (bar 157 ff.), where there is a kind of trepidation, yet this trepidation, this feeling of something ominous ahead, is outweighed by a desire to continue forward and upward.  The famous chorale at Letter X (bar 184 ff.): yes, it was an amazing experience to hear the deep brass mourning and then the 4 horns crying forth: the simplicity of the section belied its power.

To continue my memories of hearing the symphony for the first time:

The Scherzo was just great, prancing fun, but the Trio had something that puzzled me.  for the main theme, still in 3/4 time, uses a "2 against 3" indication in bars 11 and 13 and elsewhere, rather than just two dotted quarter-notes.  The only thing I could think of was that some sort of rubato was thereby indicated, instead of a strict division of the 3/4 time into halves.

And my main memory of the Finale was that it constantly seemed on the verge of ending!  Even the opening pages sounded like: "Okay, here's the Coda!"  Certainly many other sections intervened to allay that feeling, but never for very long!      0:)   I also found the final bar somewhat curious, but later discovered it was typical of Bruckner just to end the symphony on one simple chord (the Fifth would be an example where a series of emphatic chords bring things to an end).  Later I wondered if that tendency came from an organ technique of using the deepest note of the pedal to put an emphatic end to the work.

After that, I had to listen to ALL of the symphonies, and that followed as quickly as possible, along with the purchase of ALL the Nowak scores!   0:)  They have yellowed slightly in the last 50+ years, but are still in good shape.

[Cato]

To continue my memories of hearing the symphony for the first time:

The Scherzo was just great, prancing fun, but the Trio had something that puzzled me.  for the main theme, still in 3/4 time, uses a "2 against 3" indication in bars 11 and 13 and elsewhere, rather than just two dotted quarter-notes.  The only thing I could think of was that some sort of rubato was thereby indicated, instead of a strict division of the 3/4 time into halves.

And my main memory of the Finale was that it constantly seemed on the verge of ending!  Even the opening pages sounded like: "Okay, here's the Coda!"  Certainly many other sections intervened to allay that feeling, but never for very long!      0:)   I also found the final bar somewhat curious, but later discovered it was typical of Bruckner just to end the symphony on one simple chord (the Fifth would be an example where a series of emphatic chords bring things to an end).  Later I wondered if that tendency came from an organ technique of using the deepest note of the pedal to put an emphatic end to the work.

After that, I had to listen to ALL of the symphonies, and that followed as quickly as possible, along with the purchase of ALL the Nowak scores!   0:)  They have yellowed slightly in the last 50+ years, but are still in good shape.

This morning I recalled a 1960's-era comment made by a high-school classmate who was also a Bruckner enthusiast back then (yes, while others were grooving to The Electric Prunes (q.v.*) we were grooving to Bruckner!  ). after he had heard the Eighth Symphony, in particular the Scherzo.

He had a habit of talking with his hands (even though he was not of Italian heritage).  After he had heard the Eighth Symphony, in particular the Scherzo, he saw me one day and, while shaking his hands, he said:

"The Eighth Symphony's Scherzo!  Man!  He must've composed that after going to another planet!"  0:)


*http://www.electricprunes.com/)

[Karl Henning]

Were they not The Electric Plums at the beginning? . . .

[Cato]

Were they not The Electric Plums at the beginning? . . .

Well, from their music, I think they skipped that phase! 

[Daverz]

Not long after that experience, the library purchased the DGG Bruckner Seventh Symphony  with  0:) Eugen Jochum  0:) conducting: 2 LP's with Psalm 150 filling out Side 4.

My first encounter with 7 was the Rosbaud on a single Vox Turnabout Lp. 



As you can imagine, cramming the symphony on to one Lp results in compromised sound, but it was still captivating.  You can get much better sounding CD transfers now:

[asin] B001E1DHFO[/asin]

Oddly, the 7 in the recent SWR Classics Rosbaud Bruckner box is mono.  Not sure what the story is there.

[Cato]

My first encounter with 7 was the Rosbaud on a single Vox Turnabout Lp. 



As you can imagine, cramming the symphony on to one Lp results in compromised sound, but it was still captivating.  You can get much better sounding CD transfers now:

[asin] B001E1DHFO[/asin]

Oddly, the 7 in the recent SWR Classics Rosbaud Bruckner box is mono.  Not sure what the story is there.

The Anton Bruckner website offers an online download of Rosbaud conducting the SWF Orchestra: see how the recording has been issued either in mistaken - or fraudulent - versions of stereo, including Dolby SurroundSound! 

https://www.abruckner.com/downloads/downloadofthemonth/november14/

On Amazon the performance has 5 star reviews!

Hans Rosbaud!  Yes, he was one of the great conductors from the good ol' days!

[Daverz]

The Anton Bruckner website offers an online download of Rosbaud conducting the SWF Orchestra: see how the recording has been issued either in mistaken - or fraudulent - versions of stereo, including Dolby SurroundSound! 

https://www.abruckner.com/downloads/downloadofthemonth/november14/

On Amazon the performance has 5 star reviews!

Hans Rosbaud!  Yes, he was one of the great conductors from the good ol' days!

I'll check it out.  The Zyx is not just stereo, but fine, spacious stereo.  It does seem odd considering the cheap label.

As for the performance, Rosbaud must have been allowed a lot of rehearsal time.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

My first encounter with 7 was the Rosbaud on a single Vox Turnabout Lp. 




Oddly, the 7 in the recent SWR Classics Rosbaud Bruckner box is mono.  Not sure what the story is there.

The story will be told in my review of it; I expect it up on ClassicsToday any time.
Or, to give it away: SWR licensed the stereo take but archived it in mono. (No more was needed for radio broadcasts at the time.)
Although they could have gotten their hands on the stereo take, the producers decided to issue the box all from the archival tape, and consequently all in mono, to keep a coherent SQ profile among the performances in the box.

[Draško]

Can't recall first time I heard Bruckner 7th, but the first one I owned (on CD) was pretty obscure one: Guschlbauer on Erato. Haven't listened to that one in years, possibly a decade.



My CD is even autographed, when ages ago Guschlbauer conducted Bruckner's Die Nullte here. The only time I heard that symphony live.

[Cato]

Can't recall first time I heard Bruckner 7th, but the first one I owned (on CD) was pretty obscure one: Guschlbauer on Erato. Haven't listened to that one in years, possibly a decade.



My CD is even autographed, when ages ago Guschlbauer conducted Bruckner's Die Nullte here. The only time I heard that symphony live.

I heard Die Nullte live also, when the Toledo Symphony played it in the cathedral there: Stefan Sanderling obviously thought the work is not the "red-headed step-child,"  but a major member of the family, and treated it as such: the Andante was in particular most outstanding.

[André]

My first ever Bruckner 7 was this one:



Carl Schuricht with the Hague Philharmonic. An extroverted, bluff account that favored rythmic sharpness, bold contrasts and made no concessions to orchestral suavity à la Giulini or Karajan. I still find it excellent, a musical shot in the arm.

[Karl Henning]

My first ever Bruckner 7 was this one ....

Mine must have been Giulini, and courtesy of a tip from Chamber Nut Ray:

[André]

I think this Giulini disc is my favourite 7th - in a tie with a couple others, of course 

[Cato]

My first ever Bruckner 7 was this one:



Carl Schuricht with the Hague Philharmonic. An extroverted, bluff account that favored rythmic sharpness, bold contrasts and made no concessions to orchestral suavity à la Giulini or Karajan. I still find it excellent, a musical shot in the arm.

Yes, right on target!  I remember Carl Schuricht's approach to Bruckner being described as "straight-forward," and "no frills."  I also remember listening to that record, along with Schuricht's powerful reading of the Ninth Symphony on Angel/Serpahim.  He was one of the greats!

[Daverz]

Yes, right on target!  I remember Carl Schuricht's approach to Bruckner being described as "straight-forward," and "no frills."  I also remember listening to that record, along with Schuricht's powerful reading of the Ninth Symphony on Angel/Serpahim.  He was one of the greats!

According to the Bruckner discography, Denon released this on CD in Japan:

https://www.abruckner.com/recordings/Hague_Philharmonic_Orchestra

Also, Scribendum, but that's out of print.  Here's one of the Denon releases:

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/NEODAI-12153?s_ssid=e4149d5af6426e23b

I found a couple copies of this on Tidal that are obviously transferred from Lp, but I found them unpleasantly processed sounding after a while.

[André]

The sound on that Schuricht disc is as unvarnished as the interpretation, that's true  , but it's not bad at all: big, deep, blunt. I like it as it is, it's of a piece with the music-making.

[Daverz]

The sound on that Schuricht disc is as unvarnished as the interpretation, that's true  , but it's not bad at all: big, deep, blunt. I like it as it is, it's of a piece with the music-making.

To clarify, all I've only heard the anonymous LP transfers on Tidal, not the Denon CDs, which I expect are legitimately licensed.  The basic quality seems promising, though the noise reduction used was obvious and unpleasant.  I also have the Nonesuch Lp, but it's pretty dusty, and my cleaning machine is stacked with other junk, which gives you an idea of how often I use it.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

There's said review of Rosbaud.



Latest on #ClassicsToday: Terrific Bruckner from the @SWRClassic archives with #HansRosbaud!

https://www.classicstoday.com/review/rosbaud-from-the-archives-a-collectors-near-complete-bruckner-cycle/ ...

[calyptorhynchus]

I can't read the review, but the Rosbaud a particularly good account of the 7th. I actually don't think I've ever heard a performance of the 7th that leaves out the triangle and cymbals in the climax of the slow movement. But now that I have heard it without the percussion I think it has spoiled the other accounts for me, they sound a bit vulgar now!

Cato reminiscing about his first encounter with the 7th leads me to narrate how I first encountered it. I was in town (Cambridge UK) during school holidays in the early 1980s and I had my first job (can't even remember what it was, a bookshop I think) and it was the first week, before I got paid. On the way home I dropped into Heffers (the bookshop) which had a record department in the basement. I had heard about Bruckner, but had never listened to any of his works. After a few minutes browsing I had two LPs in my hand: Bruckner's 7th conducted by Haitink and Brahms' 4th. I knew I didn't have much money and scraping all the change in my pockets together I found that after taking away 12p or whatever I needed for the bus fare home I had £3.49 which was exactly the cost of the Bruckner (whereas the Brahms was £3.50!). So for the want of a penny I went with Bruckner, was suitably blown away, and as soon as I started getting paid got other Bruckner LPs. As for Brahms.... never have been a Brahms fan.

[Sergeant Rock]

There's said review of Rosbaud.



Latest on #ClassicsToday: Terrific Bruckner from the @SWRClassic archives with #HansRosbaud!

https://www.classicstoday.com/review/rosbaud-from-the-archives-a-collectors-near-complete-bruckner-cycle/ ...

  ...you're reviewing for ClassicToday now! Wow...I did not see that coming. I will have to renew my Insider subscription.

Sarge