Customer Reviews

Bruckner: Symphony No 8

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

First of all this is not intended as a detailed review on Karajan's reading of Bruckner's 8th, but rather a guide for people that consider buying a Bruckner 8th on CD. I have acquired seven Bruckner 8th's thus far and here is my view on them:

1)Karajan,Wiener Philharmoniker,Studio,DDD,1988,83 min,2 CD's,Full Price
This recording is something extraordinary, one of these recordings where everything went right. Karajan, knowing his own death is approaching rapidly, conducts with uttermost dedication and concentration throughout. The outer movements are almost perfect. You have goose bumps all over your body in the great climax in the middle of the sublime Adagio. Sound is of wide dynamic range and showcases every detail of the symphony. Wiener Philharmoniker play as if they are in trance, the entire orchestra performs with near perfection. One example of this is the Wagner Tuba playing at the end of the adagio. They play with absolute tonal precision in this extremely demanding part where they are supposed to play slowly and quietly.

2)Haitink,Wiener Philharmoniker,Studio,DDD,1995,83 min,2 CD's,Full Price
This recording has almost perfect sound, partly thanks to Volker Strauss, renowned engineer for Philips, whose balancing etc. is of highest quality. Orchestra plays equally well here as in the Karajan version. Both of these two recordings use the preferred Haas Edition that for instance ends in pianissimo in the first movement. The performance is characterized by a sweeping, broad, ever expanding sound with extraordinary layering of sounds where each section of the orchestra are heard in layers on top of each other.

3)Barenboim,Berliner Philharmoniker,Live,DDD,1994,77 min,1 CD,Medium Price
This version is recorded in full, warm sound with enormous dynamic range. Crowd noises are nowhere to be heard even though it's recorded live. However, Barenboim is heard vocalizing on a couple of occasions where the string sections are to play fortissimo. Tempi is nicely controlled and the Berlin string section has this homogenous, full-blooded, vibrant tone which releases the enormous tensions in this massive symphony.

4)Boulez,Wiener Philharmoniker,Live St.Florian Church (where Bruckner is buried),DDD,1996,76 min,1 CD,Full Price
Boulez, not normally associated with Bruckner's music, conducts a performance with perfect balance that conveys every detail with razor-sharp precision. This recording is perfect for people new to Bruckner's music. Boulez has an intellectual, architectural approach where he's in full control of the music throughout. However, this recording lacks that extra bit of emotion, spirituality and release of tension which caracterize the Karajan and Haitink versions.

5)Jochum,Staatskapelle Dresden,Church,ADD,1976,76 min, 2 CD's (coupled with Bruckner's 9th),Budget Price
Sound is warm and comforting and Jochum's approach is different from the versions above in that his tempi is flexible. For instance his Adagio is 27 min, while his Finale only is 20 min. This results in an extremely emotional, almost spiritual experience. Only drawback with this recording is the slight lack of weight and volume in the brass section at climaxes. The adagio and first movement are particularly sublime.

6)Horenstein,London Symphony Orchestra,Live Royal Albert Hall,ADD,1970,82 min,2 CD's (coupled with 9th symphony),Medium Price
Horenstein conducts a bold and original version of Bruckner's 8th. The sound is a bit noisy (crowd noises plus hiss noise) and not crystal clear as in recordings 1-4 above. I would recommend this version mainly for Brucknerites, i.e. experienced Bruckner listeners. It's full of power and drive but lacks somewhat in the pianissimo sections and the adagio. Emotions are not as perfectly depicted as in the Karajan, Haitink and Barenboim recordings.

7)Tintner,NSO of Ireland,Studio,DDD,1996,89 min,2 CD's (coupled with Bruckner's "nullte symphony"),Budget Price
Tintner uses the unusual original version of the 8th symphony, which for instance ends in a triumphant manner towards the end of the first movement, contrary to the Haas/Nowak editions. The string section of the Irish orchestra lacks the weight and intensity that for example the Berliners possess. The brass section on the other hand plays extremely well, with volume, precision and total dedication. Tintner is as always in full control and have that special feeling for how Bruckner's music is to be performed. Like Karajan, Wand, Celibidache he has this architectural, monumental approach with few major tempo variations. Jochum and Furtwangler belong to that other school of Bruckner conductors which supports major tempo variations. This recording of the 8th, coupled with an excellent rendition of the nullte, should be purchased for those wanting to hear Bruckner's original, unrevised version of the 8th. There are some apparent differences from the Haas/Nowak editions, for example regarding some Cymbal/Timpani clashes.

To summarize I would suggest the Haitink/Karajan versions for those prepared to pay for 2 fully priced CD's of this symphony. The Barenboim recording is perhaps the recording where you get the most value for money. Boulez version is excellent as a first Bruckner 8th, an introduction to the musical world of this great Austrian composer. Tintner, Jochum and Horenstein all have their own special charm and character, but I would mainly recommend them for Bruckner completists wanting to acquire additional versions of this symphony. Additional versions I have yet to purchase are the Celibidache/Munich and Skrowaczewski/Saarbrucken versions in particular. Which version you finally decide on buying isn't all that important since this symphony sounds impressive whatever conductor/orchestra you choose.

This recording is usually advertised as the best Bruckner 8 on disc, so I was eager to get to know it. I've always been puzzled by the fact that Karajan, that cool, haughty, cosmopolitan aristocrat, should hold the key to Bruckner's later works, as seems to be the case judging from his DG recordings from the 6th upward. His character seems more in line with Richard Strauss and in consequence greatly at odds with Bruckner's personality and his style, which in spite of its superficial grandiloquence is essentially introverted, tormented and unmistakably obsessive-compulsive. My main comparison was Giulini`s recording, made a few years earlier with the same orchestra, and usually considered a worthy runner-up to the Karajan. Unlike you might expect, given the same orchestra, the same recording venue and company, and two conductors both well beyond their pensionable age, the readings are very different indeed. Karajan opts for the analytical, objective approach. He produces an amazingly clear and differentiated sound picture in which just about everything is in the right place at the right time. True, the horns are a bit too recessed, and the euphoric trumpet fanfares in the finale get lost in the general hubbub, but the blame for that probably lies with the technicians. Rhythm is taut (even the opening tremolando seems to keep time exactly), and the articulation veers more toward the staccato than the legato. Tempo's are generally uncontroversial, though there are a few uncalled for gear changes (like a sudden speeding up at the harp-passage in the middle of Scherzo`s Trio). Sometimes the result sounds a bit too nervous and agitated for my liking, but then again Bruckner did suffer from more than his fair share of neuroses. Giulini in contrast feels very broad, although in fact his overall timing is only 4 minutes longer than Karajan's, a difference that is accounted for by the Adagio alone (and possibly by some differences between the respective Nowak and Haas editions that are played). He very much concentrates on the expression and the deeper, presumably religious implications of the music. He finds more mystery in the adagio (where Karajan's harpist suffers from a percussive, glassy recorded sound to the detriment of the most ethereal passages in that movement), and his scherzo feels less like an oversized barn dance, and more like some primeval life force. Karajan's orchestra sounds more close-up, a bit confined even, and also smaller, whereas the Giulini conveys the impression of instrumental forces as huge as the music itself, set in an ample acoustic space. In general Giulini benefits from better sound recording, more naturally balanced, and more glowing and smooth, enhancing the impression that this music really isn`t from this earth. His fortes come through more powerful and transparent even than those on the Karajan disc. Maybe the Karajan, like the Giulini, needs to be polished up a bit for a long overdue mid-price reissue?
To sum up, both these eminent conductors (one of whom by now, Deo volente, has had his chance to catch up with Bruckner on exactly how to do this piece) have compelling things to say about this music, and which one you prefer will to some extent be a matter of taste. My impression is that with Karajan you scale the heights surrounded by rugged, majestic mountain scenery, and while you are rewarded by stunning vistas once the top is reached, you remain solidly earthbound; it is Giulini who lifts you up beyond the snowy peaks, straight into the sky. For me he is the winner in this non-contest.

In 1989, I was lucky to be in the audience for von Karajan's performance of this piece at Carnegie Hall. When the aging conductor emerged from the side door, there was a soft gasp in the audience as an escort helped him make his way to the podium. But once there, the conductor's arms were raised in total confidence, and I will never forget the image: it reminded me of two giant wings unfurling, as if he were saying, "Get ready, we're about to take off."

This recording captures much of that mesmerizing experience, not to mention the conductor's final thoughts on this incredible symphony. His other recordings of the Eighth - the classic one on DG with the Berlin Philharmonic, and an even earlier one on EMI, also with Berlin - are superb, but this one is in a class of its own.

The Vienna Philharmonic play with consummate skill, precision and devotion. All four movements have many pleasures throughout - far too many moments to enumerate here. The great "Adagio," taken at a very slow, majestic tempo, is just about as sublime as anyone could want. Some listeners may prefer a slightly faster, more flowing approach, but I am (generally) in the camp of those who favor a more deliberate pace. When the music is this beautiful, you want it to last as long as possible.

There are many, many fine recordings of this piece by other conductors. I find Boulez's reading (also with Vienna) surprisingly satisfying, and there will always be a special place in my soul for Klaus Tennstedt's version on EMI with the London Philharmonic, not to mention the historic one with Eduard van Beinum and the Concertgebouw. This, however, is a unique experience and is well worth the two-disc investment. Although officially, von Karajan's last recording was the Bruckner Seventh, this Eighth "feels" more like the conductor's final statement, and a most memorable and touching good-bye it is.

In his last years, as relations with the Berlin Phil. soured politically, Karajan turned more and more to his second orchestra, the Vienna Phil. This Bruckner 8th dates from a concert in Oct. 1988; he had less than a year to live. The 8th was a work Karajan felt especially close to, and all three recordings that I have from him are outstanding, yet as he aged I often found myself out of sympathy with Karajan's approach, once it lost its fire and inner life. In his prime he was far from being a cool, aristocratic, cosmopolitan musician, whatever his personality may have been.

In many ways this valedictory Eighth belies all expectations. It is, for me, the greatest recording from Karajan's last decade. The Adagio alone is a mircle of expression, pacing, and innigkeit. I value the contemporary Giulini recording that's so highly praised here, and also the more recent Boulez reading. But if I had to choose, this CD would be my desert island choice.

This is a very challenging recording of Bruckner's 8th symphony, and one which I listened to at least ten times before digesting to a satisfactory degree.

In the first movement Karajan conjures up a spectrum of emotions. For example, the beginning of the piece is practically inaudible and full of mystique. By the time we reach the phrase from 2:50--3:10, we are engulfed in splendor and royalty. The orchestral playing is exquisitely dark, flowing, and balanced throughout. But probably the most impacting feature of this movement is that by the time it ends, Karajan has convinced us that the world really is coming to an end. Listen to the motive from 14:52--15:46. The sheer force of the music is almost debilitating. It is an amazing effect.

Karajan pulls off the Scherzo with flowing, dark, heroic, and all-around gorgeous sounds. The tempo seems just about right. This movement is of course not the most musically intriguing, and Karajan does the best he can with what Bruckner has given him.

The third movement is what makes this recording extraordinary. It begins with great depth of beauty and serenity, but that is only the most basic requirement of any great recording of this piece. What makes this recording exceptional is how Karajan dramatically and completely evokes the musical conflicts between strife, despondency, serenity, and optimism, which occur throughout the movement. Listen to the point at 9:22 into this movement. What Karajan achieves is a sound so full of spiritual transcendence that when I heard it I knew neither what it meant nor how to respond. All at once I was overcome by fear, joy, wonder, and amazement. What I heard was a sound that I was certain humans were not intended to experience-a sound which should have been barred from production on Earth. I felt as though I was seeing the face of God. This maelstrom of emotions is then followed by the wrenching strife of 10:41--11:00, and then the utter glory of 12:32--14:05. The great climax of this movement, heard from 20:05--20:32, is nothing less than an Earth-shattering, cathartic eruption. As the movement ends, it drifts away and is extinguished with such serenity that as I listened I felt as if I was drifting through Elysium. Bravo Karajan. Bravo Bruckner.

The fourth movement bears my only criticism of this recording-in the opening line, the brasses are not quite balanced, and it sounds as though it has to do with the mixing when the recording was produced. I've never heard such jagged imbalance in any of Karajan's other recordings. Other than that, the remaining portions of the movement are great. The ending is so voluminous, heroic and triumphant that the sheer force of the sound almost threw me from my chair.

As a final note, this recording has another interestingly unique feature: it creates an effect of "sparkle". It mostly occurs at moments when the strings play in the high register. A few places where it is particularly affecting are: 1st movement: 2:50--3:10; 3rd movement: 1:17--1:33, 13:44--14:00, and 21:20--21:44. Listen to and enjoy these-they are very special moments in music.

This, the last time Karajan traversed one of the greatest symphonies, is an exceptional performance. Richard Osborn has a point; it is a treat to hear (arguably) the greatest symphony of the greatest Austrian symphonist performed by the greatest Austrian orchestra under the baton of Bruckner's greatest Austrian-born conductor. This recording has many strengths - stunning light is shed upon the architecture and there is quite a unique blending of Bruckner's layered textures. It is easy, therefore, to see why so many critics wax lyrical about this record. Unfortunately, it is not without drawbacks; particularly regarding the early digital sound quality. This is one fantastic performance, but set against the competition and it comes up slightly short of all-round excellence. Don't be put off too much, though.

It has been argued that Karajan's reading of this symphony is merely 4 slow movements. This is not far wide of the mark but it isn't as radically slow as some performances; e.g. Celibidache with the MPO on EMI. The broad tempo is advantageous, however, in allowing the performance to disseminate the symphonic architecture. In this particular fashion, a cogent argument is propounded for Bruckner as a substantial symphonist. On a personal level, this allows one to feel the natural flow of the music and each movement actually feels shorter than it is in reality. Everything is made clear.

Karajan's command of orchestral sound has not changed here. That sumptuous trademark sound is brought to this music and orchestra in ways not all will find inviting (or even ultimately convincing - other reviewers have noted balance issues in the sound). Bruckner's textures are thus blended slightly but the VPO still burn intensely throughout the performance.

This is a live (audience noise is minimal and rarely intrusive) recording captured in 1988, a year before the death of the conductor. These two factors combine to create a considerable atmosphere around this performance and the record is imbued with a real sense of occasion. Unfortunately, this is where everything comes unstuck. The very date of the recording is a negative - it is DG's early digital sound and the problems shine through quite glaringly. The balance problems, which have already been mentioned, may stem from this fact. The upper ranges are quite congested, coarse and opaque. The midrange is weak and the horns in particular disappear into the background all too often (the build up in the main theme of the Scherzo and the chorale opening of the Finale spring immediately to mind). The base is thin and lacks the earth shaking punch that the trombones, tubas and timpani should provide. All told, this record would benefit from DG's OIBP re-mastering/re-engineering but have, so far, neglected to attempt an improvement (this could seem quite strange when one considers the praise heaped on this record and the fact that a lesser performance of Bruckner's 7th got the nod for the Karajan Gold series ahead of this 8th). There is, ultimately, less room for the sound to expand into a full stage than on other supper recordings.

Karajan's interpretation is not without its drawbacks. The breadth of tempo may not always be welcome and this goes for the legato phrasing as well. These factors may be particularly unwelcome in the Scherzo which has less rhythmic life than other performances. However, the virtuosity is enough to keep one's attention and the trio is exceptionally well played.

So, if you are willing to accept a few caveats then this one will reward on its own merits. The truth is critics have generally qualified their regard for this record so heed the warnings. If you now feel turned off buying this try not to be - quality music making deserves a fare chance. Otherwise, there are sterling alternatives around. Giulini with the VPO on DG or with the BPO on Testament are praised highly - to the same extent as this recording. Of Course, Wand and Celibidache are well thought of but here I can't make too much comment. If it's a Karajan you want then his 70s recording with the BPO on DG has most of this record's strengths without its weaknesses (any weaknesses it does have are less troublesome than those here). This means purchasing a complete Bruckner symphony cycle, however, as DG have neglected to issue those recordings separately. That leaves the excellent performance with the BPO on EMI from the 50s. The early stereo sound is not as bad as the complaints might suggest and many still regard it as one of (if not) the best recorded performances of this symphony. If you feel really adventurous, Karajan's wartime (1944) recording of this symphony remains complete but for the first movement. Amazingly, the 4th movement survives in reasonable stereo. It was available on Koch but it may no longer be obtainable.

To conclude, this must have been a fantastic musical event. The performance is generally outstanding if not consistently excellent. The sound is problematic as is the interpretation (in the first and second movements). The wealth of competition provides excellent alternatives even from Karajan himself. This record stands, quite successfully, on its own two feet.

-----UPDATED-----

I'm going to leave my previous comments in place. I will try to keep this update brief but it should be understood that there has been a massive shift in my opinion, hence the change from four to five stars.

Not long ago, I took the liberty of re-listening to this performance... and what an impact it had! Karajan invokes great spirituality in the outer movements and the adagio. The only let down is the scherzo though this has great cumulative power. The trio is also well realised but the harps are no where near as good as they were in Berlin. The Vienna orchestra is at least as good as the Berlin Phil but Karajan's approach to sound-scapes and -worlds is very much of the orchestra. Thus, the sounds he evokes from both orchestras are quite different.

The sound is not as bad as I made it out to be. The unremastered early-digital presents some problems at extremes of dynamic while robbing the performance of some spaciousness and air. There is good clarity and detail though weight is delivered when necessary as well. I am unmoved in my opinion that the higher registers have some coarseness and brittleness - particularly in the trumpets but my comments about the total lack of warmth are baseless.

Overall, this is a fantastically moving experience with only a little slackness in the second movement. It stands alone amongst Karajan's other recordings of this work; its major differences are more focus on the musical line and greater propulsion and volatility. It bares some remembrance to the 70s Berlin recording but it is a fare cry from the broad accounts of the 60s, 50s and 40s. Whether you prefer his older accounts over this is, in reality, a matter of taste. I'm not so sure I do prefer them anymore.

I suppose what all this means is that this review is now totally unhelpful. Oh well...

This was the third last recording Karajan ever made (the other two are Bruckner's Seventh Symphony and Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera, all with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra), and it was also the Bruckner Symphony Karajan revered most. He had conducted it countless times during his life, but in these last performances Karajan builds the symphony like a towering Gothic Cathedral, with the orchestra that first performed the work. Throughout the entire recording one is aware of Bruckner's immense orchestration but one never gets the impression that it is overdone. The beginning of the symphony with its piannissimo tremolo's in the string section, followed immediately by the basses' rising motive already gives the listener goosebumps. The second movement's three sections are magnificently contrasted, the allegro moderato overpowering, the Trio:Langsam melancholic and peaceful. The highlight of the wonderful recording is the Adagio. It is the longest movement of the symphony (about 25 minutes), and is undescribably beatiful. The finale builds from one awesome climax to the next. Early in the movement there is a beautiful short motive on the flute, bright and cheerful, followed immediately by an echo on the clarinet darkening the mood immediately. You have toe listen to it to understand. The climaxes are sustained and driven to complete bliss. There is a short violin solo in the fourth movement, not long after one of the huge orchestral outbursts, which shows Bruckner at his best, showing us a huge, beautiful mountain, but never failing to show us the beauty of the small flowers growing on it. This recording is not simply a recording one would buy just to have Bruckner's 8th symphony. It is a total experience, and admittedly, one needs to understand the state of mind Karajan, who was in the last few months of his life, at the time. Nothing but the music matters here.

This is the recording of a superb performance of Karajan's favorite symphony with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He repeated such a performance in February of 1989 in New York. I was among those who attended it and believe me: it was a unique and moving performance. No one dared to make any noise in the Hall. Such was the rapport with the audience! The present recording thou made earlier (1988), whenever I hear it, brings me back to that magical night in Carnegie Hall. Wholeheartedly recommended!...

No single conductor can uncover all the secrets of such an inexhaustible masterpiece as Bruckner's Eighth. Nevertheless, Karajan came closer to giving us a "definitive" account than any of his contemporaries. Perhaps the success of his VPO version from the early digital era can be explained by noting that Karajan is one of only two conductors who was privileged to make three commercial recordings of this piece (the other was Günter Wand); and more notably, each time Karajan did it better. In 1958 for EMI (with the BPO) he gives a dark, richly textured, brooding interpretation that tends toward excessive introspection, and, at times, sluggishness. In the late Seventies for DG he gave a more objective, even severe, account again with the BPO; riveting it surely is, but the olympian detachment can be off-putting.

Finally, toward the end of his career, Karajan went south--so to speak--and evoked an altogether warmer response from the VPO than the BPO provided in either of his previous versions. This time the tempos are just right (not too slow in the great Adagio, never rushed in the Scherzo, urgent but not frenzied in the finale). Only the first movement hangs fire at times--but maybe that's just a subjective impression from one deeply impressed by Furtwängler's furious ride to the abyss.

In any case, there has yet to appear a better balanced interpretation than Karajan in 1985. The playing of the VPO is altogether more idiomatic than their counterparts in Berlin--sweeter, more characterful, yet never cloying. If you've enjoyed Böhm's famous recording of Bruckner's fourth with this orchestra, then you know what to expect. Indeed they play like angels throughout, and with greater discipline than under Böhm.

There are many fine versions of the Bruckner Eighth (both in the Nowak and in the Haas editions--Karajan prefers the longer text of the Haas), but Karajan, with the VPO, is uniquely effective at conveying the sublimity of the work, with total dedication and without exaggeration.

The recording is sumptious but also crisp and detailed--a model of what a great orchestra playing Bruckner should sound like.

The only drawback is that DG is still offering this at full price; perhaps it will soon appear in one of Universal's budget editions, such as "the Originals." But don't let economic considerations deter you!

I will only say that, for me, the EMI recording with the Berlin Philharmonic is ideal. Frankly, I prefer the sound of it: warmer, the brass sounding almost bronze-toned, with trumpets adding the right amount of brilliance, the winds in perfect contrast -- chaste, angelic -- the strings richly blended from bottom to top. In 1958, the Berlin Phil retained vivid memories of Furtwaengler, and in this recording (along with a TRISTAN stage production in the same year)von Karajan revealed a new-found maturity, moving beyond the overt mastery of der Wunder Karajan.

There is a hard-edge glassiness to this last recording that leaves me a bit cold. I traded it off; I have the EMI on lp, and in the fine CD version that includes the Brahms Tragic Overture and Hindemith's "Mathis der Maler" symphony -- all splendid, an excellent, de facto, concert on disc.