Korstvedt’s note to the 1888 recording by Vanska is vital reading:
Note the comment about the numerous new tempo and expression marks Bruckner introduced at this stage. His letters to various conductors involved in premieres and other performances include comments such as “many important tempo changes are not marked in the score”. He wanted to trust the performers to use their musical instincts for such expressions, but finally felt he had to introduce some of them explicitly into his text for the first published edition. Recordings by Knappertsbusch, Volkmar Andreae, Furtwängler and others exemplify this very flexible approach in their own various subjective interpretations of it. (Which often vary considerably within their own catalogues).
So what has become known as the “one basic tempo” interpretational approach, where recordings are praised for their narrow range of derived or related tempi, especially prevalent in conductors of the earlier stereo era (and commentators such as Cooke and Osborne), working from editions like Haas and Nowak with far fewer such markings, is not something Bruckner wanted at all. It can still be seen as an interpretive choice of course, but the need for a natural, flexible flow to the musical line becomes vital - as Rattle manages very well.
Note the comment about the numerous new tempo and expression marks Bruckner introduced at this stage. His letters to various conductors involved in premieres and other performances include comments such as “many important tempo changes are not marked in the score”. He wanted to trust the performers to use their musical instincts for such expressions, but finally felt he had to introduce some of them explicitly into his text for the first published edition. Recordings by Knappertsbusch, Volkmar Andreae, Furtwängler and others exemplify this very flexible approach in their own various subjective interpretations of it. (Which often vary considerably within their own catalogues).
So what has become known as the “one basic tempo” interpretational approach, where recordings are praised for their narrow range of derived or related tempi, especially prevalent in conductors of the earlier stereo era (and commentators such as Cooke and Osborne), working from editions like Haas and Nowak with far fewer such markings, is not something Bruckner wanted at all. It can still be seen as an interpretive choice of course, but the need for a natural, flexible flow to the musical line becomes vital - as Rattle manages very well.
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