Bruckner: Symphonies No.1-3

[Richard Tarleton]

The first two 'positively-numbered' Bruckner symphonies are absolute gems as far as I'm concerned. The influence of Schubert is strong and at they very least both symphonies indicate that the composer was perfectly capable of composing in a more free-flowing, lighthearted manner than the heavier slower-paced later works.

I made the Schubert-Bruckner connection as a relative beginner back in 1972 (not having heard 1-2) by virtue of buying the Bruno Walter recordings of Schubert 9 and Bruckner 4 at the same time - it seemed obvious, perhaps down to the spaciously Brucknerian tempi of the Schubert

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Schubert 9 and Bruckner 4 at the same time - it seemed obvious, perhaps down to the spaciously Brucknerian tempi of the Schubert

- those two works specifically were what made the connection between the two composers clear to me, also. (Probably not the Walter recordings - at least, not of the Schubert, which I can't remember ever having heard.)

These days, I tend to prefer Bruckner taken at a livelier, Schubertian pace

[Richard Barrett]

These days, I tend to prefer Bruckner taken at a livelier, Schubertian pace

Venzago would be an obvious choice for you then, no? I found it very difficult to get into the first three symphonies before doing so through his recordings. Norrington's 3rd deserves a mention too. A problem that many conductors seem to have is that they perform the early symphonies as if Bruckner was always trying to head in the direction of the monumental scoring you find in the 8th and 9th, an approach that weighs down 1-3 with a portentousness that isn't in the scores.

[Beef Oven!]

Cool, Beefy! Also what edition does he use?

1889 Version (aka 1888/89) Ed. Leopold Nowak [1959]

[Beef Oven!]

Venzago would be an obvious choice for you then, no? I found it very difficult to get into the first three symphonies before doing so through his recordings. Norrington's 3rd deserves a mention too. A problem that many conductors seem to have is that they perform the early symphonies as if Bruckner was always trying to head in the direction of the monumental scoring you find in the 8th and 9th, an approach that weighs down 1-3 with a portentousness that isn't in the scores.

I bought the London Classical Players Norrington B3, pretty much when it was released - But I haven’t caught up with the RS Stuttgart des SWR. Which one are you referring to?

[Richard Barrett]

I bought the London Classical Players Norrington B3, pretty much when it was released - But I haven’t caught up with the RS Stuttgart des SWR. Which one are you referring to?

The first of the two.

[Beef Oven!]

The first of the two.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Venzago would be an obvious choice for you then, no?

Yes. Also on the "Wish List" - I need to find about a dozen bottles with Genies in them!

A dozen bottles containing something quite different is on a different Wish List.

A problem that many conductors seem to have is that they perform the early symphonies as if Bruckner was always trying to head in the direction of the monumental scoring you find in the 8th and 9th, an approach that weighs down 1-3 with a portentousness that isn't in the scores.

A problem often facing performances of Brahms' orchestral Music, too - and, whilst I understand that you're not talking just about the number of instruments used (but about the way they're used) it's interesting to notice that the orchestras of Brahms' and Bruckner's second Symphonies are identical. (Well - nearly - Jo adds a Contra Bassoon.) Even in the later Symphonies, Bruckner doesn't use orchestral forces very much bigger than Tchaikovsky's - just the Horn section is larger, to accommodate Wagner Tubas.

[Thropplenoggin]

"Venzago would be an obvious choice for you then, no?"

Yes. Also on the "Wish List" - I need to find about a dozen bottles with Genies in them!

A dozen bottles containing something quite different is on a different Wish List.

Alternatively, for £9.99 a month you could try the Venzago on Qobuz, along with Norrington and Nézet-Séguin's 1873 3rd (and hundreds of other must-hear discs, though the Simone Young is tantalising there but unavailable, I guess for rights purposes. )

[Thropplenoggin]

The Gerd Schaller 2 is on Youtube. You'll find the sublime adagio below. Many thanks to JLW for the recommendation (again!). It makes me curious as to what the rest of his cycle is like. Jayne? Anyone?

[BBMmk2]

Just listening to the Bruckner 3 by Simone Young

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Alternatively, for £9.99 a month you could try the Venzago on Qobuz, along with Norrington and Nézet-Séguin's 1873 3rd (and hundreds of other must-hear discs, though the Simone Young is tantalising there but unavailable, I guess for rights purposes. )

Yes - I really must stop worrying and learn to love streaming. But I just don't listen as closely to streamed Music (?is that the right expression?) as I do to a CD that I have taken off a shelf, out of its case, put in a machine - the physical activity and the sight of light rainbowing off the disc, and the look of the booklet cover; it all sets me up for a completely different attitude to listening. (There's a similar difference between listening to a broadcast concert as opposed to the rigmarole of actually going to a venue to hear it - except that there's the occasional enticement of seeing a piece I've wanted to hear in concert announced on the listings - the preparation there is important.)

[teamsaint]

Alternatively, for £9.99 a month you could try the Venzago on Qobuz, along with Norrington and Nézet-Séguin's 1873 3rd (and hundreds of other must-hear discs, though the Simone Young is tantalising there but unavailable, I guess for rights purposes. )

The Simone Young is available in the Naxos library, free with your local library card. Well free with mine, at any rate.

@Noggo, we also managed to track down all the excellent liner notes from the Young recordings. all linked here

[Thropplenoggin]

Yes - I really must stop worrying and learn to love streaming. But I just don't listen as closely to streamed Music (?is that the right expression?) as I do to a CD that I have taken off a shelf, out of its case, put in a machine - the physical activity and the sight of light rainbowing off the disc, and the look of the booklet cover; it all sets me up for a completely different attitude to listening. (There's a similar difference between listening to a broadcast concert as opposed to the rigmarole of actually going to a venue to hear it - except that there's the occasional enticement of seeing a piece I've wanted to hear in concert announced on the listings - the preparation there is important.)

Fascinating. I wonder if Roger Scruton has written on this. He's quite good on the aesthetics of music. I'm sure someone somewhere is researching this phenomenon. They certainly are with regard to links between the experience of food and colour/sound/etc. in Oxford.

[Thropplenoggin]

The Simone Young is available in the Naxos library, free with your local library card. Well free with mine, at any rate.

@Noggo, we also managed to track down all the excellent liner notes from the Young recording. all linked here

Cheers, TS. Great find! Thanks for sharing.