Search - Anton Bruckner, Daniel Barenboim, Berlin Philharmonic :: Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C minor (Robert Haas Version, 1939) - Daniel Barenboim

"Old School" Bruckner in great modern sound.

Into | everywhereandnowhere | 06/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think there's very little question that Barenboim is the best living Bruckner conductor, and this is certainly one of the best recordings of one of the supreme monuments in the symphonic repertoire. Barenboim's approach to Bruckner leans decidedly toward the "old school" approach of such great Bruckner interpreters as Furtwangler, Schuricht, and Jochum, with more flexible tempi than the slower, steadier approach that has become the norm in modern performing practice.Those listeners who are more accustomed to Giulini's recordings, for example, might initially find this approach a little too histrionic for their liking, but given just a few listenings, the ear adjusts and finds a new level of visceral excitement added to the majesty of this mountain of a symphony. Barenboim's approach fully realizes the spirtual element so essential to Bruckner, and this is aided by a recording that has plenty of depth, clarity, and dynamic range. Like his forebears, Barenboim understands the importance of a good strong bass, and poweful timpani to underpin Bruckner's extended structures, and you will here these elements more consistently, and to greater advantage, in his interpretations than in most other modern recordings. Weak timpani, which doesn't properly underline climactic passages, can handicap an otherwise great Bruckner performance more than almost anything else. Another thing that has come acorss wonderfully in most of Teldec's Barenboim Bruckner cycle, is gorgeous, warm, and majestic horns, also essential to Bruckner, but not always captured on recordings.The Eighth is certainly one of the best of this excellent cycle, whose only weaknesses are the Fourth and Seventh, which are somewhat enigmatically slow given Barenboim's approach to the rest of the cycle. However, the Fourth and Seventh from Barenboim's earlier Chicago cycle on DG are excellent, and make a good supplement to the otherwise great Teldec cycle."