Customer Reviews

Bruckner: Symphonie No 8

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Having heard Giulini's fantastic DG recording of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, I looked forward to hearing his similarly majestic way with what is arguably Bruckner's greatest finished symphony, the mighty Eighth.

Other than Bruckner's Fifth, his Eighth is perhaps his most completely successful symphonic utterance. If the Adagio is not necessarily his best slow movement, it certainly comes very close (that powerful Adagio of his Ninth is pretty hard to beat). But there can be no doubt that, for his Eighth Symphony, Bruckner never wrote a greater Finale---episodic, maybe, but still one of his most thrilling, with a towering coda that counts as one of Bruckner's mightiest symphonic moments.

In short, I find Bruckner's Eighth to be one of the great works of the symphonic literature, and Carlo Maria Giulini and the Vienna Philharmonic on this two-disc recording come near doing it full justice. It is a performance of truly epic proportions, with the VPO playing with their usual technical brilliance and creating some grand and glorious sounds, particularly the brass. Despite the slow tempos of the first two movements, they never drag (the Scherzo always feels like a true scherzo in its outer sections); the Adagio is second to none, marvelously played and conducted, with Giulini once again choosing a very slow tempo but sustaining it near-miraculously (it truly sounds as spiritual as Bruckner must have intended); and the Finale is a truly grand summation of all that has come before, with a coda that is truly majestic in this performance.

Overall, I think this oft-acclaimed Giulini Eighth is worth the hype as one of the great recorded accounts of this symphony. For those, though, who only want to have one recording of this work for their shelves---well, that is quite a decision to make. For me, it comes down to this Giulini recording and Herbert von Karajan's equally powerful DG recording with the same orchestra released about five years later. I dunno...both have their really good points, making choice difficult. I like Giulini's first and second movements slightly better than Karajan's, who is, I think, a little too heavy-handed in both movements. (Giulini's reading of the Scherzo, for instance, seems much more like an actual scherzo than Karajan's does.) Both have equally moving readings of the Adagio, Karajan's just as moving as Giulini's even with a quicker tempo. It is with the Finale, though, that I rather prefer Karajan's reading over Giulini's---the former conductor effortlessly binds the whole big structure together into a fiery symphonic whole, whereas Giulini sometimes comes off as slightly more disjointed and episodic by comparison.

So, for those who are looking only for one version of this symphony to own, it's a tough call between Giulini and Karajan. Ideally, though, you should own both: both conductors may use different editions of the score (I will not get into discussion about the whole argument about various extant editions regarding this symphony), but both will convince you of this music's greatness. Any recording of this mighty piece that accomplishes that must be counted as a success, and Giulini's performance, like Karajan's, is surely that. Recommended.

This is undoubtedly one of the finest recordings of Bruckner's 8th Symphony. Giulini leads the Vienna Philharmonic in one of the most vibrant, dynamic performances of this symphony that I've heard. He skillfully uses broad tempi to lead the orchestra into thunderous climaxes noted for the brass section's intense, dramatic playing. Giulini seems sure of himself and where he wants to lead the orchestra through the dense textures of Bruckner's score. The sound quality is extremely vivid and warm, as well as well balanced. Those looking for a splendid interpretation of Bruckner's 8th Symphony won't be disappointed with this recording.

This is, quite simply, one of the greatest Bruckner recordings ever made. Never has the architectural grandeur of this seminal work been so marvelously realized; this is a performance that fully shapes and sculptures the long lines, one in which every single turn gives meaning to the overall narrative and the whole is created with immense sweep and magnificence, giving a feeling of sunlight dawning gradually on the whole grand edifice just as much as the feeling of a long journey of tribulation and enlightenment towards its inevitable culmination. Giulini's reliance on the Nowak edition yields, in fact, even more rewards than Karajan's use of the Haas one (even though the two performances, for this reason, are not in direct competition); it is a spacious view, but never ever is it outstaying its welcome, and never does the intensity flag. And the playing of the Vienna Philharmonic responds to the visionary view with a gorgeously rich sound, luminous and smolderingly powerful, even fervent, utterly without blemishes. The recording is bright, but warm and spacious, revealing both the various subtle details (bassoons in the first movement, harp in the second - details not audible on most other recordings) while at the same time capturing the glowing power and momentum of the performance. One of the truly great performances of the last century, this one, and an obligatory acquisition.

I REMEMBER A COLD WINTERY NIGHT BACK IN 1975 WHEN MY WIFE AND I BRAVED THE LATEST CHICAGO SNOWSTORM TO DRIVE TO ORCHESTRA HALL. IT WOULD BE WORTH IT, I THOUGHT. GIULINI WAS CONDUCTING--THE BRUCKNER 8TH. AFTER A HARRIED BUT SAFE ARRIVAL, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE PROGRAM HAD BEEN CHANGED. APPARENTLY, THE MAESTRO'S COPY OF THE SCORE WAS MISPLACED, SO HE WOULD SUBSTITUE ANOTHER WORK. A NOTE OF APOLOGY BY THIS ELEGANT MASTER WAS ENCLOSED IN THE PROGRAM.
I THINK OF THAT NIGHT EVERYTIME I LISTEN TO THIS LANDMARK RECORDING BY ONE THE GREATEST OF ALL MUSICAL COMBINATIONS--CARLO MARIA GIULINI AND THE VIENNA PHILHARMONIC. THE SECRET TO A REALLY GREAT SYMPHONY ISN'T THE OPENING MOVEMENT OR THE GRAND FINALE, BUT THE ADAGIO. BRUCKNER'S ADAGIOS ARE AMONGST THE FINEST EVER WRITTEN. THEY ARE PERFECT IN EVERY WAY, NOTE FOR NOTE. GIULINI AND THE VPO BUILD THE MAJESTY OF THIS LONG MOVEMENT WITH SUCH DEVOTION AND AFFECTION THAT ONE IS ALMOST AFRAID TO BLINK, LET ALONE BREATHE. BUY THIS DISC WITHOUT DELAY! SHUT OFF THE PHONE, CLOSE THE WINDOWS, GIVE THE DOG A BONE AND SPEND ABOUT 80 MINUTES WITH THE OTHERWORLDINESS OF THIS GLORIOUS AND MOVING WORK. THIS IS NO ORDINARY RECORDING--THIS IS SPECIAL. INCIDENTALY, THE WORK THAT WE HEARD ON THAT JANUARY NIGHT WAS MAHLER'S 9TH.

This would be the greatest stereo/digital recording of this symphony if for no other reason than that you can hear the harp in the adagio clearly and beautifully, unlike in too many other recordings. However, this performance is the greatest in digital/stereo as well. It's hard to beat Furtwangler, and his may be the best 8ths ever, but his sound is obviously not this good. That this CD is out of print is scandalous.

I am still shocked due the loss of this superb and giant director. His integrity and artistic conviction, approach, commitment and personal statement was always under the music by itself. His readings were far beyond the score. He owned that touch of distinction so characteristic of the great conductors of the past. And I guess the real concern by the searching of the meaning of the work, the sense of the modulation, character and intention of the score do not seem nowadays a real problem. The point is that if you conduct without this premise, your role at the podium has no sense. We are talking about the singularity inside the homogeneity.
Giulini the maestro; In memoriam!

What a surprise that Giulini, known principally for his Verdi and Mozart operas, should emerge as one of the greatest Bruckner conductors. It takes a visionary genius to bring off this long, difficult work -- but when it is brought off, it may be the ultimate symphony, with almost 90 minutes of sturm, drang und angst erased by the orgasmic climax. Vienna plays superbly, and DG catches that sound miraculously. This is a far better purchase than the old Furtwanglers or Walters so often foisted off as first choices -- how can anybody tell? (The sound is so bad.)

This is surely a great recording of an even greater music. The tempos are magnificent and the sound quite superlative. It is a disk to which you return time and again with the sense it gets better on every occasion you have the prevelige to listen to it. Giulini's reading gives a religious "aura" to this music, which makes it sound very serious and yet marvellously moving. This music, performed like it is on this record, goes right to your heart and your brain. In a word: Amazing!

I have aquired these CDs while it was still in full price and I haven't regreted it. Giulini is a great Brucknerian and the Vienna Philarmonic is at top form. The adagio - the longest adagio ever - is amazing, for me the best music Bruckner has composed. Today, at mid price it's a self recommended set....

Being in the presence of a live concert performance of the Bruckner Symphony No. 8 is an experience like no other. The impact of his journey of life through death to the glories of the spiritual realm can consume all the air in a concert hall, leaving the audience quietly speechless and motionless as the finale ends. It is a great masterpiece, one of the most brilliantly conceived and written symphonic works in the literature, and that is probably why it often serves as the valedictory for conductors.

This performance by Carlo Maria Giulini and the Vienna Philharmonic recorded in 1984 remains one of the most moving, most profoundly spiritual of any of the nearly 150 recorded versions in the catalogue. Giulini was simply one of the last of the truly Romantic conductors and though his repertoire was rather narrow, his mastery of the works he chose to conduct is nearly matchless. This recording is wondrous with Giulini's proclivity for slow tempi working for the symphony instead of competing with it. But great as this recording is (and we are fortunate that he left this legacy) it cannot compare to a live performance: Giulini's final concert in his tenure with the Los Angeles Philharmonic offered his definitive reading of the 8th that remains indelibly in the minds of those fortunate to have been in the audience.

But great Brucknerian conductors are not gone. The other first class recording of this symphony by Pierre Boulez leading the same orchestra in a live performance is a phenomenon and deserves its position next to the great recordings. And the happy news is that finally, nearing seventy, Zubin Mehta has absorbed the majesty of this work and now can join the ranks of the great Brucknerians. As guest conductor in a current series performance also honoring his past tenure of the Los Angeles Philharmonic he sculpted Bruckner's 1890 version into an evening that, aided by the extraordinary acoustics of Disney Hall, will remain an experience as close to heaven as one can reach. Perhaps it takes a lifetime of conducting to cope with this work. We can only be grateful that the legacy of Bruckner conductors lives. Grady Harp, January 06