The music-making of Stanisław Skrowaczewski

[scottycelt]

That's rather tantalising, scotty. Have you heard him telling these stories or do you think that he may be writing his memoirs?

Yes, I have ... he has been interviewed on a number of occasions and I attended at least one of his pre-concert talks at the Bridgewater Hall!

I don't want to spoil it for you, amsey, so just be patient and wait for his memoirs ...

[scottycelt]

On second thoughts here's something to get your teeth into, amsey ... might just keep you quiet for a bit!

Nah, don't be silly ...

http://www.bruceduffie.com/skrowaczewski.html

[amateur51]

On second thoughts here's something to get your teeth into, amsey ... might just keep you quiet for a bit!

Nah, don't be silly ...

http://www.bruceduffie.com/skrowaczewski.html

Triffic stuff, scotty - many thanks!

[Andrew Slater]

An excellent concert. It rather put the previous night's BBCPO concert into the shade. From where I was sitting I could see that although the conductor had been provided with scores for both pieces, they remained firmly closed throughout.

It was rather amusing to see him drag the leader off the platform after his second recall to avoid having to return for a third time!

[Dave2002]

Davis and Boult, but perhaps Monteux sometime in the 1960s in Liverpool, when he might have been around 86-87.

[Roslynmuse]

Stan is 90 in the autumn (Oct 3rd). A biography has been published (2008):

http://www.seekingtheinfinite.com/

The scores were indeed closed throughout the concert!

[Barbirollians]

Glad to hear it sounds like he has improved since the 1980s!

[AjAjAjH]

Glad to hear it sounds like he has improved since the 1980s!

It's not a matter of his having improved since the 1980s. At long, long last Manchester has recognised what it failed to do when he was the Halle's chief conductor - that he gave us wondeful concerts. Many of them still stand out in my memory. His problem with the Manchester audiences was that he hadn't got the charisma of Barbirolli and Loughren his two immediate predecessors. His was/is their equal in musicianship.

I was priviledged to be at the concert last Thursday evening. What a joy to discover a new work (to me) Lutowslawski's Concert for Orchestra and what an outstanding performance of Shostakovich 5. I was on my feet the moment the concert finished.

As someone has written on a previous post on this thread - Manchester didn't appreciated what it had until he had gone. I hope he comes back again. I'd love to hear his Schumann 2 once more

[Barbirollians]

It's not a matter of his having improved since the 1980s. At long, long last Manchester has recognised what it failed to do when he was the Halle's chief conductor - that he gave us wondeful concerts. Many of them still stand out in my memory. His problem with the Manchester audiences was that he hadn't got the charisma of Barbirolli and Loughren his two immediate predecessors. His was/is their equal in musicianship.

I was priviledged to be at the concert last Thursday evening. What a joy to discover a new work (to me) Lutowslawski's Concert for Orchestra and what an outstanding performance of Shostakovich 5. I was on my feet the moment the concert finished.

As someone has written on a previous post on this thread - Manchester didn't appreciated what it had until he had gone. I hope he comes back again. I'd love to hear his Schumann 2 once more

That might explain his reception in Manchester but the Halle was at a pretty low ebb by the mid 1980s - Martin Milner was getting on and indeed the strings generally needed work . I was a student in Sheffield not Manchester and never heard either of his predecessors in the flesh but his concerts were routine in the extreme to my ears and dominated the Sheffield programmes. Hence when the CBSO/Rattle turned up and even BBCPO and Groves the difference in excitement was palpable.

[Beef Oven!]

Update: I saw a copy of Skrowaczewski's Bruckner 6 for £2.72 and thought I'd take a punt at that price. I wasted my money. Might as well have thrown the money in the mud.

The performance was that good that I simply had to buy the complete set of symphonies 00-9!!! So now I have a B6 that I bought and don't need.

I don't think I'd heard of him until he'd been mentioned on this forum.

So thanks Cockney Sparra, done me a turn in prompting me towards his #8.

The CDs have not arrived yet, so I can say no more at this stage other than on the strength of his 6, I must revisit his 3, of which I really don't remember anything at all!!

Beef Oven - I'm not sure if you are among the Skrowaczewski admirers on the forum? Just wondered if you would consider adding his version to your comparisons (tis a noble exercise you are engaged in here....but I realise it may be an imposition!)

(The Oehms / Saarbrucken recording is avaiable on Naxos Music Library (Cat no OC217) (just updated my Naxos ML post).

Hi Cockney Sparrow, I haven't heard much Skrowaczewski, just Bruckner 3. I shall get to his 8 along the way. It's not a noble exercise, it's just that at the moment I'm in the mood for Bruckner & Vivaldi. The first quarter of the year it was Mahler and most of last year it was Sibelius!

[P. G. Tipps]

Skrowaczewski is probably the most 'low profile' of the first-rate Bruckner conductors. He was well-known to Mancunian concert goers when he was chief conductor at the Halle for a decade during the 80s/90s. In that time he repeatedly conducted all the Bruckner symphonies even including No 0 with the curious and notable exception of No 1 ... a strange omission and I'd have loved to have asked him 'why?', especially as he also managed to find the time and space to conduct the Te Deum and Helgoland.

He has described the composer as one of his 'music gods'. I doubt there any conductors today who conduct Bruckner's music with any more love and conviction. His cycle of the symphonies should be on every Brucknerian's shelf.

Slightly more off-topic I wonder if anyone watched the BPO/Andris Nelsons performance of the Third (1889) on the Digital Concert Hall website a week or so ago. A powerful and convincing account which deservedly won a huge standing ovation.

It nearly made me re-think my preference for the first and second versions. That is the trouble with all these versions ... in the right hands they can all sound unbeatable!

[Beef Oven!]

Skrowaczewski is probably the most 'low profile' of the first-rate Bruckner conductors. He was well-known to Mancunian concert goers when he was chief conductor at the Halle for a decade during the 80s/90s. In that time he repeatedly conducted all the Bruckner symphonies even including No 0 with the curious and notable exception of No 1 ... a strange omission and I'd have loved to have asked him 'why?', especially as he also managed to find the time and space to conduct the Te Deum and Helgoland.

Thanks PGT, I was unaware of all of that.

He has described the composer as one of his 'music gods'. I doubt there any conductors today who conduct Bruckner's music with any more love and conviction. His cycle of the symphonies should be on every Brucknerian's shelf.

Again, I was unaware of such an avowed Brucknerian. Cycle soon to be on my shelf!

Slightly more off-topic I wonder if anyone watched the BPO/Andris Nelsons performance of the Third (1889) on the Digital Concert Hall website a week or so ago. A powerful and convincing account which deservedly won a huge standing ovation.

It nearly made me re-think my preference for the first and second versions. That is the trouble with all these versions ... in the right hands they can all sound unbeatable!

Highly germane I would say, to all symphonies, and to the eighth in particular, perhaps.

IMV, you've hit the nail on the head.

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks PGT...

Again, I was unaware of such an avowed Brucknerian. Cycle soon to be on my shelf!

We are lucky indeed that Stan. Skrow. is still going strong (I managed not to crush him when I gave him a semi-hug after the LPO Bruckner 5 last November reported on here.)

I hope that performance will be out soon on LPO Live - meanwhile you should definitely start with this on the same label:



(There's a Bruckner 7 from 2012 too)

[Stanfordian]

We are lucky indeed that Stan. Skrow. is still going strong (I managed not to crush him when I gave him a semi-hug after the LPO Bruckner 5 last November reported on here.)

I hope that performance will be out soon on LPO Live - meanwhile you should definitely start with this on the same label:



(There's a Bruckner 7 from 2012 too)

Hiya Caliban,

I have that Bruckner 3 by LPO/Skrowaczewsk it's a fine performance.

[cloughie]

Hiya Caliban,

I have that Bruckner 3 by LPO/Skrowaczewsk it's a fine performance.

There's also a Bruckner 4 with the Halle which is very good.