BaL 9.12.23 - Bruckner: Symphony no. 8

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.30 am
Building a Library

Tom Service chooses his favourite recording of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No 8 in C minor.

Bruckner was widely regarded as one of the great organ improvisers of his day and he was well respected, too, as a teacher of organ, counterpoint and harmony at the Vienna Conservatory.

As a composer of symphonies and disciple of Wagner it was a different matter and his first unequivocal symphonic success came with his Seventh. But that didn’t smooth the path to its successor. Beset by self-doubt and forever on the receiving end of vitriolic criticism from the anti-Wagner faction (Brahms scornfully mocked Bruckner’s seemingly interminable symphonies as ‘symphonic boa constrictors’), the Eighth took Bruckner three years to complete. Then, rejected as baffling by a hitherto sympathetic conductor in 1887, Bruckner sank into a depression and it wasn’t until 1890 and a year’s revision, that it was finally premiered.

Utterly distinctive and conceived on a massive scale – the slowest performances can take the best part of two hours – the Eighth is Bruckner’s last completed symphony and over a near-century it has lured many great conductors and orchestras into the recording studio. (Who writes this guff?)


Available versions:-

MDR Sinfonieorchester, Hermann Abendroth
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Volkmar Andreae *
Oberösterreichisches Jugendsinfonieorchester, Remy Ballot (SACD)
BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim *
Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim
Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim (DVD/Blu-ray)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Eduard van Beinum
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt
Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Stefan Blunier (SACD)
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Karl Böhm
Berliner Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm
Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm *
Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Ivor Bolton
Aachen Symphony Orchestra, Marcus R. Bosch (SACD)
American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein *
Wiener Philharmoniker, Pierre Boulez
Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiu Celibidache
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly *
Bruckner-Orchester Linz, Dennis Russell Davies *
Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi *
Bruckner Orchestra Linz, Kurt Eichhorn *
West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Asher Fisch *
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Münchner Philharmoniker, Valery Gergiev
SWR-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Michael Gielen
New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert *
Wiener Philharmoniker, Carlo Maria Giulini
Royal Danish Orchestra, Hartmut Haenchen
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Staatskapelle Dresden, Bernard Haitink
Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Bernard Haitink
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Günther Herbig *
Vienna Pro Musica Orchestra, Jascha Horenstein
Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt, Eliahu Inbal *
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Marek Janowski
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi *
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi *
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi
Berliner Philharmoniker, Eugen Jochum
Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugen Jochum *
Staatskapelle Dresden, Eugen Jochum
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan *
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan
Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
MDR Sinfonieorchester, Herbert Kegel *
Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Keilberth
Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra, Rudolf Kempe
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Otto Klemperer *
Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Hans Knappertsbusch
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Knappertsbusch
Münchner Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch
Wiener Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik
Korean Symphony Orchestra, Hun-Joung Lim *
Philharmonia Zürich, Fabio Luisi
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Lorin Maazel
Berliner Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel *
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Masur *
Berliner Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta (Blu-ray)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta (SACD)
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta (DVD)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Zubin Mehta
Innviertler Symphonie Orchestra, Nicholas Milton
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Yevgeny Mravinsky
Bavarian State Orchestra, Kent Nagano (CD/Blu-ray audio)
RSO Ljubliana, Anton Nanut *
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Andris Nelsons
Orchestre Métropolitain de Montreal, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin *
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Païta *
Bruckner Orchestra Linz, Markus Poschner
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle (DVD/Blu-ray)
Südwestfunk Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden, Hans Rosbaud
Tonkünstler-Orchester, Yutaka Sado *
WDR Sinfonieorchester Koln, Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Philharmonie Festiva, Gerd Schaller
Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra, Carl Schuricht
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Carl Schuricht
Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski *
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Georg Solti
Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti
Boston Symphony Orchestra, William Steinberg (DVD)
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, George Szell *
New York Philharmonic, George Szell
Berliner Philharmoniker, Klaus Tennstedt
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt *
Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann (SACD)
Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann (DVD/Blu-Ray)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann
Wiener Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann (DVD/Blu-ray)
Ireland National Symphony Orchestra, Georg Tintner
Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Mario Venzago
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Berliner Philharmoniker, Gunter Wand *
Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Günter Wand
Münchner Philharmoniker, Günter Wand
NDR Sinfonieorchester, Günter Wand
Cleveland Orchestra, Franz Welser-Möst (DVD/Blu-ray)
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden (SACD)

(* = download only)

[Ein Heldenleben]

I wonder if the blurb refers to this performance

https://bachtrack.com/review-bruckner-segerstam-bbcso-february-2015

which I went to. It also elicited a lot of favourable forum comments. One person booed at the end .
It was exceptionally slow but didn’t feel like it . Thing is it was (according to Bachtrack) 105 minutes long . 2 hours is surely an impossibility.

In anticipation of a lengthy strand can I declare a pre Christmas truce re the versions and the cuts .

[Alison]

I’m bound to point out that the recent BR Klassik account by Bernard Haitink is really good and by some distance his finest recording of the work.

[Barbirollians]

Last time I think was Richard Osborne in one of his very final BALs . As I recall the Barbirolli was deleted at the time but got a rave review from him in Gramophone and with very good reason . I also recall he gave Kubelik very high marks but can’t remember the winner . Perhaps it was Furtwangler which would have had Andrew McGregor looking for the smelling salts.

[Barbirollians]

RO’s BAL is still available as a podcast. Service chose Blomstedt for his Bruckner 3 .

[silvestrione]

Last time I think was Richard Osborne in one of his very final BALs . As I recall the Barbirolli was deleted at the time but got a rave review from him in Gramophone and with very good reason . I also recall he gave Kubelik very high marks but can’t remember the winner . Perhaps it was Furtwangler which would have had Andrew McGregor looking for the smelling salts.

RO chose Giulini, live with BPO on Testament. Had good words for Karajan as well, I think.

[silvestrione]

In anticipation of a lengthy strand can I declare a pre Christmas truce re the versions and the cuts .

Don't worry, JLW is not here...

[Barbirollians]

It was October 2011 I think. It’s a model of a BAL just listened to it again.

Giulini shaded Wand,Karajan and Kubelik. The 1944 Furtwangler was described as essential as a historical choice.

[smittims]

I've always preferred Furtwangler's 1954 (Vienna) performance (on Audite) to his three others. But I imagine it's difficult to do a BaL on this work as there are different versions of teh score. I heard one once with a loud tutti ending to the first movement. And the Novak version, I think omits a most beautiful string counterpoint passage in the finale , about two-thirds way through.

[pastoralguy]

I appreciate that Bruckner 8 is regarded as one of the towering creations of Western Culture but I must be the only person who dozed off during live performances by Abbado and the Vienna Phil and Gunter Wand and the Northwest Radio Symphony Orchestra!

I’ve played it twice and it made absolutely no impression on me whatsoever.

I just don’t get it!

[Pulcinella]

I appreciate that Bruckner 8 is regarded as one of the towering creations of Western Culture but I must be the only person who dozed off during live performances by Abbado and the Vienna Phil and Gunter Wand and the Northwest Radio Symphony Orchestra!

I’ve played it twice and it made absolutely no impression on me whatsoever.

I just don’t get it!

Don't worry: you're not alone.


The BBC MM version is by the BBCSSO under Runnicles, recorded live at City Halls Glasgow on 21 January 2010 (Vol 28, No 8).

[pastoralguy]

Don't worry: you're not alone.


The BBC MM version is by the BBCSSO under Runnicles, recorded live at City Halls Glasgow on 21 January 2010 (Vol 28, No 8).

Glad to hear!

[HighlandDougie]

I appreciate that Bruckner 8 is regarded as one of the towering creations of Western Culture but I must be the only person who dozed off during live performances by Abbado and the Vienna Phil and Gunter Wand and the Northwest Radio Symphony Orchestra!

I’ve played it twice and it made absolutely no impression on me whatsoever.

I just don’t get it!

If the Wand/NWDRSO performance was the same EIF one which I attended in the Usher Hall, your dozing off might also have been helped along by the demand of Wand that the air conditioning in the Hall be switched off during his performance (he could be, it seems, a bit of an 80-something diva). That was duly done. As it had been a warm day, I remember the Hall as being pretty stifling. A great performance, too.

[Barbirollians]

I appreciate that Bruckner 8 is regarded as one of the towering creations of Western Culture but I must be the only person who dozed off during live performances by Abbado and the Vienna Phil and Gunter Wand and the Northwest Radio Symphony Orchestra!

I’ve played it twice and it made absolutely no impression on me whatsoever.

I just don’t get it!

Then can I suggest the Halle /Barbirolli - its pretty quick but fantastically exciting.

[Alison]

Heard the new Haitink, Dougie? Petrushka?