Segerstam/Bruckner 8 - Barbican, 28.2.15

[Nick Armstrong]

Bruckner Symphony No 8
BBC Symphony Orchestra

Leif Segerstam conductor

Last movement to go. This is magical !!!

[Nick Armstrong]

....some audible boos. Many audible cheers (inc. the usual loon shrieking after the final chord has died away )

.

Not sure I'd want to risk Leif spotting me booing and then bumping into me outside afterwards.......

[Alison]

Strange how the cheers seemed to progressively decrease as if put to the test by the boos and not recovering.

Only tuned in having read Cali's post. A definite listen again task for Sunday.

[Flosshilde]

....some audible boos. Many audible cheers (inc. the usual loon shrieking after the final chord has died away )

.Not sure I'd want to risk Leif spotting me booing and then bumping into me outside afterwards.......

Did you hear him on In Tune on Friday? He's up to something like symphony 280. If I remember correctly he says he doesn't compose, but selects sounds, & his symphonies are performed without a conductor.

[Alison]

I am up for a Segerstam and Bourgeois symphonic festival.

[Petrushka]

An incredible performance! Slow, yes, sometimes very slow, but it held my attention from first note to last and I did not look at my watch once. Staggered to see it was 10.20 when it finished. This was definitely not a Bruckner 8 for everyday listening. And great praise to the heroic members of the BBCSO who magnificently held the line throughout with some very fine playing indeed.

I didn't record it, sad to say, but I'll see what can be done from the I-player.

If any Bruckner enthusiasts out there missed this they should make for the I-player but ensure that you have ample reserves of time, stamina and patience. You will most certainly be rewarded.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I was there tonight and , amazingly , sitting right behind the very noisy booer . My wife and I think he was the only one in fact. He was very angry and shouted repeatedly "too slow" . It was a slow perf but the band really gave their all and I thought it tremendous . Despite what you may have heard at home many in the audience were standing and cheering . Leif seemed to find it all a bit amusing. The "gent" wouldn't shut up and I found myself saying to him "calm down mate it's only a bit of music." To which he replied something along the lines "It's Bruckner and I know about Bruckner".Fair point but maybe politer to at least acknowledge the efforts of the musicians. I thought Pogorelich earlier in the week was excitement enough but I've never experienced Bruckner rage before . More seriously -very interested to hear what others thought of what I would agree was a "magical "performance. What a night - I must get out more often .

[Petrushka]

Bruckner rage

[Bryn]

So slow the iPlayer 'Listen Again' version now posted cuts out well before the end.

[The final 5'30" or so of the Bruckner can be found at the start of the 'Listen Again' iPlayer posting of Between the Ears.]

[Beef Oven!]

it's only a bit of music."

I've never experienced Bruckner rage before .

[Petrushka]

Did you listen to this, Beefy? Quite astonishing performance. What a pity it won't fit on to one BBC MM CD.

[Beef Oven!]

Did you listen to this, Beefy? Quite astonishing performance.

No I didn't. But from what you guys are saying, I will definitely listen in and try and record it (if that's legal and I can work out how to do it).

What a pity it won't fit on to one BBC MM CD.

Maybe that's what that bloke in front of Mr & Mrs Heldenleben was worried about.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes I admit "only a bit if music" is not the strongest argument I've ever come up with but ,seriously ,I've never seen some one so upset at a classical concert before and it's very difficult to think of anything to say to calm the situation down. Others were saying "if you don't like it why not just go ?" and in the end he did. It did mar the end of the evening for some I suspect . Incidentally the concert programme gave the projected timing as 83 mins. Petroc T predicted 100 mins in his openng announcement - in the end it was I think a bit more than that.

[Petrushka]

Maybe that's what that bloke in front of Mr & Mrs Heldenleben was worried about.

[Beef Oven!]

Yes I admit "only a bit if music" is not the strongest argument I've ever come up with but ,seriously ,I've never seen some one so upset at a classical concert before and it's very difficult to think of anything to say to calm the situation down. Others were saying "if you don't like it why not just go ?" and in the end he did. It did mar the end of the evening for some I suspect . Incidentally the concert programme gave the projected timing as 83 mins. Petroc T predicted 100 mins in his openng announcement - in the end it was I think a bit more than that.

Celi-sphere?