Bruckner 9; the four movement version

[ahinton]

Ah, they're all pretty much the same, innit? Boulez could not tell the 5th from the 8th, or so he once claimed.

Presumably that was before he conducted the latter.

I wonder whose work PB might have described as "third pressing Bruckner"...

[Bryn]

Presumably that was before he conducted the latter.

I wonder whose work PB might have described as "third pressing Bruckner"...

Varèse? Not a composer I think Boulez's showed the greatest sympathy with in terms of the performances he directed.

Come to think of it, what he conducted was pretty much "third pressing Bruckner", i.e. the Haas edition.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Isn't it strange that in the same month we get perhaps the fastest performance of the 9th that I have ever heard, and the most sluggish from Haitink and the Lucern Festival Orchestra?

- I knew that you were referring to the Haitink Eighth . I deleted a passage from my OP making a similar comment about how - for me - the two performances summed up how the older way of conducting Bruckner has nothing left to "say" about the Music, whereas younger conductors (at least two of them "younger" than myself - just!) make the Music sound refreshed, vigorous, and vital.

[Flay]

for me - the two performances summed up how the older way of conducting Bruckner has nothing left to "say" about the Music, whereas younger conductors (at least two of them "younger" than myself - just!) make the Music sound refreshed, vigorous, and vital.

Silly me.

Good points, ferney

[ahinton]

Varèse? Not a composer I think Boulez's showed the greatest sympathy with in terms of the performances he directed.

Varèse? Quoi?

[Bryn]

Blocks of sound, innit?

[ahinton]

Blocks of sound, innit?

Really? I'd never have guessed such an arcane(sorry!) association, especially in the present context, particularly given whose work it was that PB notoriously accused of being "third pressing Mahler"!...

[Bryn]

Really? I'd never have guessed such an arcane(sorry!) association, especially in the present context, particularly given whose work it was that PB notoriously accused of being "third pressing Mahler"!...

It was the vacuity of PB's DSCH quip which set me thinking of a similar association he might have baulked at, even though it was of similar tenuity. He might as well have cited Stravinsky as third press Tchaikovsky, though perhaps with somewhat more substance.

[ahinton]

It was the vacuity of PB's DSCH quip which set me thinking of a similar association he might have baulked at, even though it was of similar tenuity. He might as well have cited Stravinsky as third press Tchaikovsky, though perhaps with somewhat more substance.

OK - understood now! Yes, PB might indeed have done what you say but, sadly, he didn't! (and, of course, the conductorial attention that he gave to our egregious Igor would rather have undermined any such statement had he ever been minded to make it!)...

[Bryn]

O.k., so we had the Glasgow performance on October 3rd last. Now, last Friday, we had the Edinburgh. I have temporarily lost track of the recording I saved of the Glasgow but I have a feeling Dausgaard speeded up his tempi by the time of the Edinburgh performance. They do the whole 4 movements in less than 70 minutes. Anyone else listen to this high ambient level recording on Ao3?

[BBMmk2]

Ferney, must've been something rather special that performance1 I will listen to that sometime this week. I have the Berliners and Rattle, doing the whole gamut but was not convinced by the Finale. It didn't seem to work for me, really, but will have a listen definetely soon.

[ahinton]

O.k., so we had the Glasgow performance on October 3rd last. Now, last Friday, we had the Edinburgh. I have temporarily lost track of the recording I saved of the Glasgow but I have a feeling Dausgaard speeded up his tempi by the time of the Edinburgh performance. They do the whole 4 movements in less than 70 minutes. Anyone else listen to this high ambient level recording on Ao3?

I've not heard it, but under 70 minutes? That sounds more like an Olympic race than Bruckner's final symphonic utterance!

[Cockney Sparrow]

Just in case the uninitiated come across this thread, I presume PB is referring to P Boulez? If I haven't made the correct connection, after a minute's thought (and dammit names are beginning to elude me, although not, of course, titans like P.Boulez) feel free to correct me.

[Bryn]

I've not heard it, but under 70 minutes? That sounds more like an Olympic race than Bruckner's final symphonic utterance!

An earlier message in this thread reported the Glasgow performance as taking around 71 minutes, I guess that falls with 'margin of error' territory when breaks between movements and whether applause is included are taken into consideration. Do give it a listen. I prefer it to Rattle's performances of the edition I have heard.

[ahinton]

Just in case the uninitiated come across this thread, I presume PB is referring to P Boulez? If I haven't made the correct connection, after a minute's thought (and dammit names are beginning to elude me, although not, of course, titans like P.Boulez) feel free to correct me.

Yes, PB = Pierre Boulez in this context.