Thomas F. Bertonneau | Oswego, NY United States | 10/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nearly thirty years ago, a former member of the L.A. Philharmonic under Otto Klemperer said to me that he thought of Bruckner as a composer who "had had his day," despite the efforts at the time (the mid-1970s) to foster a widespread revival of interest in his work. The individual in question was Austrian by birth, a man of profound musical education, and an admirer of Bruckner's symphonic art. It simply struck him as implausible that these gargantuan scores, with their extreme demands on audience attention, had much of a future in the concert hall. With slightly less tenacity, perhaps, than Mahler, Bruckner has proved my old friend (long since departed from this earth) wrong. One symptom of the curious peristence of Bruckner is the proliferation of recorded versions of his scores. The Fourth and Seventh Symphonies in particular may be obtained in dozens, if not scores, of competing performances. But it is a mark of how central Bruckner has become to the symphonic repertory that a half a dozen complete sets of his symphonies bedizen the "B" pages of the recorded music catalogues at any given time. To call attention to itself, then, any new traversal of the Bruckner symphonies must possesses extraordinarily individual character. The late Georg Tintner's cycle, for Naxos, is one such, and his interpretation of the mighty Eighth Symphony (C-Minor) tells us why. Tintner - who died, in his late eighties, a year ago - lavished studious attention on the different versions of Bruckner's scores. For his recording of the Eighth, he chose the rarely visited first-version of the work, which is the longest of the two major competing versions, and whose First Movement is significantly different from the one that most of us know. In the familiar version, the First Movement ends quietly; in the original version, it ends with a tremendous fortissimo dominated by the brass and underpinned by the tympany. Minor differences distinguish the other movements of the first version from those of the revised score. The difference that distinguishes Tintner's delivery of any of the Bruckner symphonies in any of their versions, however, is his slow tempi; only Celibidache takes a slower Eighth and not by much. But the slowing-down results in no loss of tension: This is Bruckner the religious visionary yearning for his God. It is "Geistlicher Bruckner," "Spiritual Bruckner." (Note: In the Scherzo, Tintner is not noticeably slower and is, in fact, faster than some other interpreters.) The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland is a first-rate orchestra. We also get Bruckner's early D-Minor symphony, "Die Nullte," also called Symphony No. 0. Superb."
Eighth Symphony (1887 Version) and the "Zeroth" Symphony
"PERFORMANCES: 9 out of 10.RECORDINGS: 9 out of 10.THE 1887 VERSION OF THE 8th SYMPHONY:There are 2 authentic versions of the 8th -one from 1887 and one from 1890. (The Haas edition is more than just a composite of the 2 authentic versions. Starting with the 1890 manuscript, Haas added a passage from the 1887 Adagio. He then restored 4 of 7 passages from the Finale which Bruckner had crossed out of the 1890 manuscript. Finally, Haas cut several bars from the Finale in order to insert a passage the he composed and which was only sketched by Bruckner!)The 1890 version contains cuts to the Adagio and Finale. These are (almost) universally condemned. Thus, the 1887 version clearly scores a point here.Many speak of the 1890 Trio section as being "new". It is only a rewrite. In the 1887 version, after a slightly different beginning, the melodies are recognizable. At its climaxes, instead of harp splashes, Bruckner uses light winds and horns - still delightful. I question the wisdom of the harp in the later version of the Trio. Bruckner's late Adagios are often likened to "long, ecstatic prayers". The harp is used to "celestial" effect in that movement and perhaps should be confined to it.This brings us to the matter of the first movement coda. Many state that it was a mistake for Bruckner to end the 1887 version of this movement with a loud coda in C major when so much of the movement is in the minor and the passage leading up to it is soft. I would suggest that the 1887 coda should be seen as a statement of defiance against the prevading gloom of the first movement and a typical Brucknerian "prophecy" of the Finale Coda.Therefore, I suggest that the usual criticisms against the 1887 version (the Trio and the first movement Coda) are erroneous. I believe that, except in the case of the 4th symphony, Bruckner's original thoughts are always superior.SYMPHONY #0 "DIE NULLTE":I really dislike the term "Die Nullte" ("The Annulled"). It is a wonderful piece. It is every bit as good as the 1st symphony and, in places, as good as the 2nd. (The latest scholarship shows that it was written completely between those two symphonies and that there was only ever one version.)SUMMARY:These CDs live up to the high standards that Dr. Tintner and Naxos have set. I heartily recommend the entire series to all those who are unfamiliar with the composer and to comparative "Brucknerheads"."
A great performance of a major musical landmark.
davidsbundler | 03/18/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Some of the world's greatest orchestras and most celebrated conductors have recorded Bruckner's monumental 8th Symphony, but this wonderful effort by lesser-known forces ranks right up there with the best. The National Symphony of Ireland is surely not the Vienna Phailharmonic, the Concertgebouw, or the Berlin Philharmonic, but it conveys the conductor's vision well. And if Tintner isn't as celebrated a Brucknerian as Furtwaengler, Jochum, Klemperer, or Karajan, then it may be time for the musical world to expand its long-held opinions. Tintner knows this complex work well, and he pilots this Titanic symphony with a clear vision of where he wants it to go, and how he wants to take it there. Yet, within his unflappable big-picture conception, there are many moments of seemingly improvisational serendipity; little plashes of detail or intensifications of expression reminiscent of that ultimate dionysiac Brucknerian, Furtwaengler. But unlike the usually murky and distorted recordings of the latter, this reading is captured in fine modern sound. And at a budget price, this set is well suited for those hesitant about a composer rumored to be difficult, as well as for converts who already have the piece but who would welcome another view of a cosmic work that can have no single "correct" interpretation."
A near-perfect performance of a hitherto unperformed work
Rick Williams | San Francisco, California | 06/08/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The first thing to say about Georg Tintner is that he is perhaps the greatest Bruckner conductor who ever lived. In virtually ever case, Tintner's interpretations of these massive symphonies beat the competition in every category -- except, possibly, the quality of the orchestras. Although I have listened to Bruckner's 8th innumerable times for the past 30 years, I have never heard a recording that seems so "right" in terms of "getting" the elusive, inner emotional/spiritual power of this work in actual performance. Next to this recording, von Karajan almost sounds superficial.That said, it needs to be emphasized that this is not the Version of this symphony that everyone knows. This, the First Version of Bruckner's 8th, is so radically different from the later version, written after the devastating blow (to the composer) of Hermann Levi's disapproval, that it almost seems like an entirely different symphony. A few of the transitional passages eliminated from the First Version were actually reincorporated in the Robert Haas edition of the Second Version, which is one reason why that particular edition is to be preferred to the Nowak edition, which does not restore those passages. These brief transitional passages (found in the Adagio and the Finale) hint at some of the forgotten glories of the original version. In my opinion, it's a pity Haas didn't reintroduce at least one additional transitional passage found in the development section of the First Version of the First Movement. One of the benefits of this recording is that you can now hear that passage, played beautifully.This recording is an absolute must for any Bruckner lover. Not to know the original version of the Eighth, written so soon after the success of the Seventh, is not to understand Bruckner. At this point, I really can't decide which version I like better. I do prefer many of the changes Bruckner made in editing this symphony for the Second Version, particularly his deletion of the loud coda found in the First Movement of the First Version, and his change of the climax of the Adagio from C major to E flat major. But -- but -- there are so many lovely, inspired moments in this First Version that were unconscionably cut in producing the Second Version!The bottom line -- this is a magnificent recording which every Brucknerite should own. It's just a pity that Tintner didn't record the Haas version before his untimely death. The pairing with Symphony No. 0 is an added bonus. This is probably the best available recording of that relatively unknown symphony, actually the third one Bruckner wrote (between the First and the Second)."
Time to Discover Bruckner's "Original" Eighth Symphony
"I recommend this set to anyone who has puzzled over the darkening sky in Bruckner's last two symphonies. The Seventh, despite its elegiac slow movement, is basically as optimistic as earlier Bruckner symphonies, while the Eighth, in the revised version we all have come to know and love, projects a more ominous horizon that is not entirely transcended by the triumphant tone of the final movement (despite Robert Simpson's argument). I suggest, based on the evidence of this recording by Tintner, that Bruckner's "original" vision is as authoritative here as it has proven to be in the other symphonies that were revised (often many times) at the behest of others. Innumerable differences in orchestral color and weight (generally toward the lighter end of the spectrum), plus the anticipation of the final movement at the end of the first movement, create an entirely different total experience, one rather more like Wagner's Siegfried than the Goetterdaemmerung that is often evoked by the revised version of the Eighth. I think that the ominous tone in Bruckner's revised Eighth and Ninth is less a product of his own approaching death (and possible weakening faith) than of the devastating emotional effect of the rejection of the original Eighth by Hermann Levi. If this is true, then the Bruckner legacy needs to be reconsidered. I think we stand to benefit by coming to know and accept the very human, often garrulous, but ultimately encouraging Bruckner that this first version of the Eighth presents. Thanks to Tintner (as to Inbal in his previous recording) for giving us this opportunity."
Track Listings (3) - Disc #1