Bruckner's Abbey

[Cato]

That's something to look forward to!

Incidentally I just listened to  Abbado and Lucerne FO in the 9th, the DG/Accentus release.
Shall not say too much about it, I consider myself a Bruckner novice.

Abbado is usually a safe choice for any work: I recall a concert with him conducting the Berlin Philharmonic in Beethoven's Symphony #4 followed by Schoenberg's Pelleas und Melisande.

The latter work was given chamber-like clarity and the climaxes were tremendously powerful!

The Bruckner Symphony IX performance here is considered a classic:

[Mirror Image]

I started the year off very in a Bruckner kind of mood and coincidently it's his anniversary year. A set that really blew my mind was this one with Rémy Ballot on the Gramola label:



Ballot's tempi are slow --- Celibidache slow. Ballot was Celibidache's last student and I think he rubbed off on him for the better, IMO. Anyway, this set was a revelation to me and the performances of the 2nd and 6th symphonies in particular almost left me breathless. The only symphony that isn't up to snuff is the 9th, which Ballot basically massacres the Scherzo with his expansive approach. It just doesn't work well to my ears. The first and third movements are handled beautifully, though. Anyway, I just thought I'd mention this set and express my enthusiasm for it.

[Valentino]

I've had time to listen to the three first movements of the new LP remaster of the Barenboim Chicago 4 «Romantic». It's well recorded and mastered. Bruckner in a fun blows your hair back way.

[Roasted Swan]

I've had time to listen to the three first movements of the new LP remaster of the Barenboim Chicago 4 «Romantic». It's well recorded and mastered. Bruckner in a fun blows your hair back way.

And why not!  For me too much of the time this music is presented as some kind of religious experience that has to be encountered with cerebral piety.  Give me those Chicago brass anytime!!

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I just had my first listen to this Bruckner 8th, which I think is Boulez's only commercial Bruckner recording:



So far, I think this is the best fast and dramatic version of the 8th I've ever heard. It has the same virtues as the Barenboim/BPO that I like, but Boulez doesn't rush the coda the way Barenboim does, and the sound is generally better than the rather airless sonics DB gets.

In particular, the tempo relationships, particularly in the sprawling last two mvts., are perfectly judged here. Thus, there's really no sense of "sprawl" at all - everything fits together just like it should. Makes me wish Boulez had done more Bruckner!

[brewski]

I just had my first listen to this Bruckner 8th, which I think is Boulez's only commercial Bruckner recording:



So far, I think this is the best fast and dramatic version of the 8th I've ever heard. It has the same virtues as the Barenboim/BPO that I like, but Boulez doesn't rush the coda the way Barenboim does, and the sound is generally better than the rather airless sonics DB gets.

In particular, the tempo relationships, particularly in the sprawling last two mvts., are perfectly judged here. Thus, there's really no sense of "sprawl" at all - everything fits together just like it should. Makes me wish Boulez had done more Bruckner!

That is one of my favorites, too. I first heard it at the old Tower Records store near Lincoln Center, without knowing who was conducting, and was so impressed that I stuck around browsing until the end. It really is a great performance. There's probably been something written about how and why Boulez chose to do this particular piece, because it does seem off his usual beat. Never mind: I'm just grateful to have it.

Haven't heard it in a few years; perhaps I'll give it a listen soon.

-Bruce

[Mirror Image]

I just had my first listen to this Bruckner 8th, which I think is Boulez's only commercial Bruckner recording:



So far, I think this is the best fast and dramatic version of the 8th I've ever heard. It has the same virtues as the Barenboim/BPO that I like, but Boulez doesn't rush the coda the way Barenboim does, and the sound is generally better than the rather airless sonics DB gets.

In particular, the tempo relationships, particularly in the sprawling last two mvts., are perfectly judged here. Thus, there's really no sense of "sprawl" at all - everything fits together just like it should. Makes me wish Boulez had done more Bruckner!

One of the standout performances of Bruckner's 8th, IMHO. It's certainly on the quicker side, but the Wiener Philharmoniker really does shine under Boulez's direction. I, too, wish Boulez had done more Bruckner. I would've loved to have heard him in the 5th and 6th especially.

[Valentino]

Thanks for the headsup on the Boulez 8. A must that I didn't know of. I very much like the clarity he brings to Wagner and Mahler.

[Roasted Swan]

One of the standout performances of Bruckner's 8th, IMHO. It's certainly on the quicker side, but the Wiener Philharmoniker really does shine under Boulez's direction. I, too, wish Boulez had done more Bruckner. I would've loved to have heard him in the 5th and 6th especially.

Isn't this the same performance/recording that is on video too?

[ultralinear]

Somewhere  I have airchecks on CD-R of Boulez conducting the VPO in #7 and #9 from around 2005, courtesy of the late and much- missed Drasko.   Will have to try dig them out, see if they're still playable.

[LKB]

Somewhere  I have airchecks on CD-R of Boulez conducting the VPO in #7 and #9 from around 2005, courtesy of the late and much- missed Drasko.   Will have to try dig them out, see if they're still playable.

I'm mostly ignorant of Boulez' conducting, so if he brought something new to Bruckner's table that's all the more reason to investigate, starting with no. 8. Thanks for these posts, all. 

[Mirror Image]

Isn't this the same performance/recording that is on video too?

It very well could be the same performance. I'm not sure, though.

[lordlance]

One of the standout performances of Bruckner's 8th, IMHO. It's certainly on the quicker side, but the Wiener Philharmoniker really does shine under Boulez's direction. I, too, wish Boulez had done more Bruckner. I would've loved to have heard him in the 5th and 6th especially.

There are performances of the Fifth, Seventh and Ninth by Boulez:

Ninth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDyw8FbebCk [Cannot be embedded]

[Cato]

For me too much of the time this music is presented as some kind of religious experience that has to be encountered with cerebral piety.  Give me those Chicago brass anytime!!

Yes!!!

I've had time to listen to the three first movements of the new LP remaster of the Barenboim Chicago 4 «Romantic». It's well recorded and mastered. Bruckner in a fun blows your hair back way.

Heh-Heh!  You remind me of an old magazine ad (for Memorex or, more likely, speakers of some kind), where a listener is sitting in a large, deep armchair in front of two speakers and his clothes and hair seem to be blown back by a 100 mph wind!   

One of the standout performances of Bruckner's 8th, IMHO. It's certainly on the quicker side, but the Wiener Philharmoniker really does shine under Boulez's direction. I, too, wish Boulez had done more Bruckner.

I wonder whether a full set of the symphonies was contemplated, but for some reason, financing or time or perhaps lack of interest on the part of Boulez prevented it.


Recently, I revisited Eugen Jochum's Symphony #1:

Full of energy, even though it is almost 60 years old!   

[Valentino]

I have that one in a cardboard CD box set. Thank you for the tip!

[brewski]

This afternoon I listened to Bruckner's Sixth Symphony, live with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony and conductor John Storgårds, whom I don't know that well. He did a beautiful job, and the Frankfurt brass section, especially, were magnificent.

At the end, someone gave Storgårds a bouquet, and he strode through the orchestra and gave the flowers to the ensemble's bassoonist, who was terrific.

No idea how long the concert will be posted, but they often leave them on their YouTube channel for years.

-Bruce

[Cato]

This afternoon I listened to Bruckner's Sixth Symphony, live with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony and conductor John Storgårds, whom I don't know that well. He did a beautiful job, and the Frankfurt brass section, especially, were magnificent.

At the end, someone gave Storgårds a bouquet, and he strode through the orchestra and gave the flowers to the ensemble's bassoonist, who was terrific.

No idea how long the concert will be posted, but they often leave them on their YouTube channel for years.

-Bruce

Many thanks for the link!

It is nice to know that orchestras are playing Bruckner's works during the 200th anniversary of his birth!

(I know that some are not!    )

[ultralinear]

This afternoon I listened to Bruckner's Sixth Symphony, live with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony and conductor John Storgårds, whom I don't know that well. He did a beautiful job, and the Frankfurt brass section, especially, were magnificent.

-Bruce

That's very interesting.  Storgårds is here quite frequently with the BBC SO - predominantly in Nordic repertoire - where I kinda have him pegged as accurate-but-not-terribly-exciting - his Nielsen cycle had nothing actually wrong with it, just never seemed to catch light at any point.  Compared e.g. with Oramo.  But then he was a late substitution in a program that included Shostakovich 5th, which was really very good indeed, one of the best I've heard.  So you think maybe he just needs the right material.  I never thought of him for Bruckner, but you never know - maybe.  Let's see if he does any more.

[Roasted Swan]

That's very interesting.  Storgårds is here quite frequently with the BBC SO - predominantly in Nordic repertoire - where I kinda have him pegged as accurate-but-not-terribly-exciting - his Nielsen cycle had nothing actually wrong with it, just never seemed to catch light at any point.  Compared e.g. with Oramo.  But then he was a late substitution in a program that included Shostakovich 5th, which was really very good indeed, one of the best I've heard.  So you think maybe he just needs the right material.  I never thought of him for Bruckner, but you never know - maybe.  Let's see if he does any more.

to the bolded above - much my impression too.  He's done a couple of Korngold recordings on Ondine(?) - A Sinfonietta and a Zemlinsky Seejungfrau - both very well played and utterly sane interpretations.  But for me nothing to turn the head or get my pulse racing.  But I felt the same about his DSCH 12&15 on Chandos.  To be fair all of those mentioned discs have been praised by others.......

[LKB]

There are performances of the Fifth, Seventh and Ninth by Boulez:

Ninth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDyw8FbebCk [Cannot be embedded]

I sampled the first movement of that Fifth with the CSO, and was mainly... irritated. I'd rather not remark further concerning that performance just now, though l might circle back to it at some point.

The Seventh with the VPO is, l think, quite good, though a few imperfections are present as in any live performance. I'd recommend it without hesitation. One oddity l noticed is that the VPO seem to be playing at A=440, instead of their traditional pitch standard of A=443. This didn't bother me at all, but l am slightly curious as to the reason.