Customer Reviews

Bruckner: Symphony 8

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4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been waiting for the release of this performance since I first heard of its recording in September of 1996. For anyone tracking the recordings of Pierre Boulez, the typical reaction upon hearing that he had recorded a Bruckner symphony is: "Boulez conducting Bruckner?" I've been a fan of many of Boulez's recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and so I was very curious to hear his version of this, my favourite of Bruckner's symphonies. I had read his reason for making the recording was that he thought rather highly of the Adagio. I was half expecting to find a recording that rushed through the first two movements only to perform the Adagio, and then breeze through the finale as well. Knowing how dull a performance can sound when Boulez is disinterested in the piece, and how he can at times sound too clinical, I was a bit worried about what this account may bring. Well, now that I've heard this recording, I can rest easy. It is one of the most impressive accounts of the Eighth symphony I've ever heard. My introduction to this piece was through Herbert von Karajan's last recording (of four) of this piece, with the Vienna Philharmonic. Boulez also records with the same orchestra, and they perform with the same transcendent beauty here as they did with Karajan soon before his death. There are many differences between the two recordings. Karajan's is slower and is thus represented on two discs, significantly increasing the cost. It is still a favourite of mine, even after having heard easily a dozen other recordings. However, when people would ask me for a recommendation for this piece, they would balk at the price of Karajan's recording. Well, now I can wholeheartedly recommend Boulez's account on a single disc, and thus half the price. Boulez's performance is deeply felt and on numerous occasions sent chills over my body, in the same way Karajan's did, but for different reasons. Karajan's recording has more mystery and sounds more spiritual. Boulez's is more rhythmic and pressing and intense while still flowing and allowing the passages to breath. It's a superb performance and if I were pressed to choose between the two, I would choose the Boulez. For me, this performance is somewhere between Karajan's account and Furtwangler's 1944 account, also with the Vienna Philharmonic. It combines better sound than Karajan's with a less eccentric but still close interpretation to Furtwangler's. (This is probably the only time a comparison between Furtwangler and Boulez could be made!) I'm sure someone will come along, as often is the case, to proclaim that Boulez has a heart of stone and doesn't plumb the depths of emotion in this work, but to my ears this is a desert island performance of Bruckner's greatest symphony.

The days are gone when recordings of Bruckner's Eighth Symphony were a rarity, but despite that great recordings have remained elusive. Haitink was too dour and the normally relaiable Gunter Wand got into quite a mess on his RCA recording. Karajan's mid 70's version was probably the only reliable choice and his tended towards the rhetorical. Not so with this new Boulez recording. Every detail is carefully thought out but never do you feel Boulez gets in the way of the music. Unlike almost all other recordings, the double-dotted rhythm of the first movement is correct and played naturally. Boulez resists the temptation to overstate the conclusion of the short first movement, realising there is still much further to go, placing the emphasis instead on the third movement and the finale which is surely what Bruckner intended. The third movement with that yearning melody in D flat is here played with such poingency and feeling that you immediately sense this is where Bruckner intended the heart of his greatest symphony.
Boulez's judging of tempos of each movement is exceptional throughout, broadening out at the big climaxes and pushing the tempo in the build ups. Never is there a feeling the music has lost direction, the big problem with Guilini, also on DG. The Vienna Philharmonic know this work possibly better than any other orchestra and here they play it with an intensity that they lack for Guilini. Boulez is prepared to honour Bruckner's dynamics to the letter, avoiding the temptation of others, including Haitink, to 'edit' the big brass tuttis. In this performance they shine out in their full glory. The strings have that famous polish of the VPO and the quality of their tone will rank alongside the finest work they have committed to disk.

The venue for the recording was the Bruckner Church in Linz. Boulez voiced some reasonable concerns about the possible acoustic problems. He need not have worried. The DG engineers have worked wonders and every detail of this recording is clear and vivid. At high volume, the power of this recording is quite breath-taking, but it works at lower volumes as well. The quality of the recording is splendid. It must go down as one of the finest recordings to come from DG and that is no mean achievement in itself, considering the high standards of so much of DG's output. Here though they have truly excelled themselves. Boulez uses the original Hass edition of the score, complete in every detail. This is infinately preferable to Novak; those cuts still feel wrong no matter how many times you hear them. Far better to hear Bruckner as he intended his works to sound rather than through one of his numerous editors who cut large chunks out often without reference to Bruckner himself.

For those who may be wary of Boulez in German and Austrian music, here you need have no fear. This is certainly one of the finest recordings Boulez has ever done.

I very much enjoyed this CD, although some of Boulez's tempi are faster than I would have liked: the second subject of the finale for example goes at a tremendous clip, and I'm not sure it respects the composer's 'nicht schnell' marking. Similarly the slow movement presses ahead a little too much at times.

Still this is a fine interpretation and one which I would recommend to all Brucknerians.

Don't worry if you've been put off by Boulez's Mahler (as I have), as this performance is not lacking in emotion, and is superbly played (especially by the brass and lower strings) and wonderfully recorded.

Sinopoli on DG would be my first choice, but this CD has given me a lot of pleasure: the finale is perhaps the most exciting on record!

If you believe you understand the power of music to speak in spiritual language then prepare yourself. Boulez and the Vienna Philharmonic have approached the altar of the Bruckner Symphony No. 8 in a way that brings to mind all of the master conductors of the past century and for me he supercedes all other standards in this energizing, uplifting, transcendental recording. Repeated hearings only open new windows of understanding about how Bruckner approached the Sacred Ideal in this organ-like symphonic architectural wonder. The clarity we have come to expect from Boulez is keenly present to uncover lines hidden by other conductors' lack of vision. This is a mighty and magnificent performance that deserves every honor it is gathering. Celebrate yourself and buy it to play whenever the world is too much with you!

This recording of Anton Bruckner's biggest, most complex and prodigious symphony, by a conductor known for his dispassionate approach and disdain for the grand Romantic gesture, came as a complete surprise. It's a stunning performance, one of the very best I've heard. He clocks in -- at 76 minutes -- on one disk, but like most conductors who manage this feat (Klaus Tennstedt excepted), he doesn't give the least impression of being in a rush or short-changing Brucknerian majesty. Perhaps he's at his most distinctive in the transitional passages; too often, they become mere note-spinning, when Bruckner obviously lavished them with as much love as on his massive climaxes. Boulez gives them shape and makes them sing. Always the most erratic of conductors, does Boulez lose interest during the rehearsal period, or what? But this issue justifies his reputation. I'm looking forward to more of his Bruckner, and am especially eager to hear what this French intellectual hears in the prescient Ninth.

Pierre Boulez isn't particuarly known for interpretations of Romantic composers. His Mahler cycle has received mixed reviews (I'm actually a fan of his Mahler) and he's recorded some Berlioz. What's interesting is this is the only Bruckner recording he has made...ever. Boulez's detailed-oriented approach works well with Bruckner who in lesser hands (Tintner, Lopez-Cobos) the whole structure of the piece can fall apart. Boulez, without question, exceeds my expectations on this great disc.

The Vienna Philharmonic, who have a rich history with Bruckner, play without restraint or confinement. They let the hatchet down and play with fire and intensity. I can compare Boulez's approach with that of Gunter Wand and Riccardo Chailly (who are my two favorite Brucknerians). He keeps a taut line on the orchestra and though he has been criticized in the past for being "emotionally cool" I can say that this is not the case here. If you don't walk away from this recording thinking "Why hasn't Boulez recorded Bruckner more often," then you clearly missed the sonic marvel that is this recording.

Without a doubt in my mind, a fine performance of the 8th. Highly recommended.

If you're acquainted with Bruckner's Eighth, and very much like hearing it the way you're used to, this is not the album for you. In trying to take a different approach to this much-recorded work, Pierre Boulez has given us what one reviewer calls a Strauss-like Bruckner. He has leveled off a lot of the stark Bruckner contrasts, but in doing so, has lost much of Bruckner's power.

I remember decades ago, when the favorite analogy to describe Bruckner's symphonies was "towering cathedrals in the clouds." Boulez appears to have planted the cathedrals in the middle of a Johann Strauss orchestra. Now, that's not all bad. It gives us a fresh interpretation of this work and still retains memories of the original.

If you haven't enjoyed Bruckner, this might be just the thing to pique your interest. It's not your father's Bruckner.

With so many reviews already, I don't know that another one is needed, but here are my own impressions about the Boulez recording of what is probably Bruckner's greatest symphony:

I've heard recordings of this symphony by other conductors/orchestras in the past and always thought they, and the symphony, were long-winded and rather boring. (There seems to be a custom of performing Bruckner ever so slo-o-owly, regardless of Bruckner's indicated tempi.) Then I acquired the Furtwaengler/Berlin Philharmonic recording of 1949 at the Titania Palast and was immediately swept away by this exciting performance, in spite of the poor sound quality and a tuberculotic audience, and despite (or maybe because of) the tempo accelerandos and decelerandos that Furtwaengler indulged in. I still listen to this recording and find it never fails to thrill me.

So, my goal became to find a performance on CD that had some of this excitement but with good sound and without so much recorded coughing. I tried von Karajan, whose 7th with the Berlin Philharmonic is splendid, but found his 8th to be one of those afflicted with the draggy tempi syndrome. Then I found out about the Boulez recording and noticed that the length of each Boulez movement was almost exactly (to within a few seconds) the same length of the corresponding Furtwaengler movements. Aha! I thought, here's the recording for me! The fact that the recording was made live at St Florian on the 100th anniversary of Bruckner's death was a plus.

What I found was that even though the movement lengths are the same, the Boulez lacks the thrill of the Furtwaengler, so it is not really a modern substitute. Unlike Furtwaengler, Boulez keeps strict tempo nearly all the time (with a few exceptions in the slow movement); that may have something to do with the loss of dramatic punch. Furtwaengler was a member of the old school of conducting with a tradition of rubato and tempo variation, whereas Boulez is of the more modern school of strict time. Which would Bruckner prefer? Rubatic performance was probably what he was used to in his time; on the other hand, he marked tempi very carefully and may have preferred strict adherence. As at least one other reviewer pointed out, the fine architecture of the symphony is more readily apparent in the Boulez than in other, more dramatic recordings.

I think Boulez is at his best in the slow movement, which is possibly Bruckner's greatest symphonic movement. There is a near-perfect blend of carefully controlled drama with architectural clarity in Boulez's interpretation. (Note that Boulez follows the Haas edition of the score, which has some extra passages that are left out of the Nowak edition.) In the other three movements, architecture wins out over drama. A positive is that the relatively quick tempi (compared to most other recordings) are not draggy; on the other hand they never sound rushed either. The scherzo is taken fairly lightly and rapidly - much better I think than some of the ponderous versions I've heard. It's the two outer movements where I wish Boulez had injected a bit more Furtwaenglerian drama.

Among the real positives is the quality of sound in this recording, especially considering that it was mastered from a live performance. There is no audible audience coughing or other noise. The Vienna Philharmonic plays beautifully, and every instrumental line is heard clearly. This is partly because Boulez, thinking architecturally, holds back on climaxes so they don't drown out the inner voices. The sound is reasonably crisp without being dry and harsh; that's also quite an accomplishment given that the performance was in a cathedral-like space. There isn't a problem with echoes or reverberation. Maybe the recording engineers had to do a lot of work on this, but the result is excellent sound.

A DVD of this special anniversary concert is scheduled for release in Sept 2010. St Florian has a gorgeous baroque interior, so a visual recording of this performance will be a real treat.

This has long been my favorite recording of the 8th. There is just something very special about Boulez's approach. The details are as clear as one could want, while still allowing one to bask in the sheer beauty and glow of the resonant cathedral acoustics. Boulez has a tremendous gift for highlighting the structure of the symphony, obviously drawing parallels to the organ-like terracing that Bruckner often achieved in his compositions. Another reason this recording stands out is because it is so direct, while yet conveying a tremendous amount of warmth and humanity. The first movement has wonderful flow and intensity, even if the climax isn't quite as overpowering as with Karajan or Wand. The Scherzo has a real galloping quality thanks to the brisk pace, and even the slightly faster than normal pace for the Adagio does not detract from the depth and intensity. The climax of the Adagio is overwhelming and the final bars are incredibly serene, with the string basses resonating grandly and the horns floating above the din as if they were coming down from Heaven itself. The final movement is handled superbly as well, while the finale is the best I've ever heard with a tremendous build up and final release, with every detail coming through well.

The fact that this amazing performance captures the entire version without any cuts, all on a single CD, makes for a very convenient way to hear all of Bruckner's wonderful music without having to pay $30 or switch CD's half-way through the symphony. I have come to appreciate Wand's recording with the BPO nearly as much as this one, indeed I would have to say they are tied for first place as I could not live without either, but if forced to choose one over the other this recording would definitely be, as another reviewer stated, a "desert island pick." A lot has been said of the Karajan recordings, the VPO account especially being justly famous, and his recordings do have much to offer (his 70's account with the BPO is also excellent, the first recording I ever heard of this symphony), however I prefer these newer accounts as Karajan can just be a bit too expansive sometimes, which to me simply seems indulgent rather than "deeper" or "more spiritual." Still, for Karajan fans (me included) they would be satisfied with those accounts as well, but for this particular symphony my ears prefer Boulez and Wand. Like with any work or composer, however, it is all about opinions and preferences, and one's best can be another's worst. With a work such as this, there is room for many interpretations as there are so many wonderful conductors with something to contribute.

Bruckner is maybe the most difficult artistic personality to understand, especially today in this society bereft of any kind of true morals, useful dogma and truthful respect for an individual working his way trough life in general. When listening to Bruckner, or analyzing his scores we can often be stunned by his unbendable will to develop any part of musical texture in his own stubborn way. We pose the question, why didn't he wrote this in stead of that, it would sound so much more better (appealing is the better expression).
Here we have one of the most intransigent orchestras in the world and one of the most innovative, progressive conductors ever, with a common goal to be as truthful as possible to revive this Music in every sense with one important aspect, that of saying what must be said and leaving the rest unsaid, exactly as it should be. This is the question of Faith, obviously.
Orchestra is perfect, Boulez is tick tacking as usual, and that is in my opinion the best way to deliver any kind of music, because a musician, especially the performer, must make him self a medium through whom the Music must flow, and that kind of flow needs an apparatus, or a machine that works perfectly. Adding your own emotions during the performance only pollutes the music. The feelings must come by themselves and in that moment you also start to feel them, the music is all around you.
The tempi are Boulez's touch, which enables the musical phrase to breathe in the logical and natural balance in Bruckner's often to great musical ideas, which sometimes seem even too big for his own music to bear. Here Boulez and the Wiener Philharmoniker made an honest revision of Bruckner's great symphony without changing any note, as we know in the past was often the case.
In the end, do we understand Bruckner's personality clearly now? The answer is no, we do not. With this exceptional performance, we are witnesses of realization of composer's innermost ideas, and that should suffice. Little that I know of Bruckner the man, I am sure that this would satisfy him.