Bruckner - Symphony No. 8

[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!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That is the trouble with all these versions ... in the right hands they can all sound unbeatable!

That's not a "trouble"!

[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.

[Beef Oven!]

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)

That's the one I think I heard. Maybe.

I read your post back then, but for some reason it didn't resonate with me. Goes like that sometimes, I guess.

[vinteuil]

The performance was that good that I simply had to buy the complete set of symphonies 00-9!!!

... if you want Bruckner - and you want Skrowaczewski - what you want is

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EXS4OVQ

which gives you all the Bruckner and a whole lot more...

[Beef Oven!]

... if you want Bruckner - and you want Skrowaczewski - what you want is

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EXS4OVQ

which gives you all the Bruckner and a whole lot more...

I should have bought that set. I got the Bruckner and Brahms cycles, and now I fancy the Schumann which will take me over the price of this set, which also includes a Beethoven cycle, some Bartok and Berlioz, plus some of his own compositions.

[BBMmk2]

Haven't played or bought any Bruckner since Abbado's Symphony No.3 and 9 came out, so time to think about some more! The original post by Beefy mentioning the Japanese conductor, looks promising!

[Barbirollians]

The late VPO Karajan 8 is an essential addition I reckon . Albeit the Giulini and Barbirolli still remain my favourites.

[Beef Oven!]

Haven't played or bought any Bruckner since Abbado's Symphony No.3 and 9 came out, so time to think about some more! The original post by Beefy mentioning the Japanese conductor, looks promising!

The Japanese conductor even has a name - Takashi Asahina

[BBMmk2]

The Japanese conductor even has a name - Takashi Asahina

Yes, he does!!

[Beef Oven!]

Revisiting this thread, and having steadily listened to B8 over the months, despite a Brahms distraction mid-year, I would hi-lite:

Wand - NDR Lübeck Cathedral (live) 1890 Haas. RCA Red Seal (Japan Import)

Sinopoli - Staatskapelle Dresden 1890 Novak. Deutsche Grammophon

Karajan - VPO 1890 Haas. Deutsche Grammophon

In that order.

Next I will revisit my various Bohm recordings and Furtwangler’s October 17th 1944 VPO.