Canadianbucko has been able to attend the following live Bruckner
performances. The listing is in roughly reverse chronological order:
(Note: ** Denotes exceptional performances **)

**(1)Bruckner 8, April 25, 2002. Jung Deutsche Philharmonie. Korean
premiere (!!), Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall.**
(2)Bruckner 7, Fall 2001. KBS Symphony Orchestra, KBS Hall, Seoul
(3)Bruckner 4, Summer 1997. National Youth Orchestra of Canada/ Mario
Bernardi, conductor. Toronto Centre for the Arts
(4)Bruckner 6 (April 1991), 8 (1993?), and 9 (1995?), Gunther Herbig/
Toronto SO/ Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto
**(5)Bruckner 4. Vienna Philharmonic. Claudio Abbado. Roy Thomson
Hall, Toronto. February 23rd, 1991.**

Also, Te Deum performances in Seoul (c.2000) and Toronto (1991), the
latter also at RTH with the late Elmer Eisler and the Kitchener-
Waterloo S.O. Oh, and during Holy Week, the occasional Bruckner motet
encountered in services at St. Michael's Cathedral in T.O.>>>>

CB also was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada in the
summer of 1990, when it performed B6 three times (Niagara-on-the-
Lake, London Ont., and Toronto) with the Danish maestro Ole Schmidt.
Alas, CB's only experience performing Bruckner. Anyone else here have
tales of playing/ singing Bruckner? Do tell....

Hello!

Two contrasting 8s stick in my mind.

Royal Festival Hall, ? orch Tennstedt (throwing himself about non-stop)
about 15 years ago.
Dynamic, powerful, thrilling, moving and generally wonderful. Bravo!

Proms about 10 years ago. The rotten Royal Albert Hall.
BBCSO, Wand. The sound was poor, and the orchestra, especially the winds,
sounded somewhat undernourished throughout. Not very exciting, at all. As
usual, sorry, no, as ALWAYS, the idiotic Proms crowd went wild at the end.
Maybe it's the world's easiest audience. I've never heard a Proms crowd do
anything but clap and shout like mad people, whatever the repertoire or
performance. If anyone dreams of visiting the Proms, take my advice: don't
bother, it's much better by radio. I work about 200 yards (or metres, if you
prefer) from the awful Royal (what does that word mean? - nothing AFAIC)
Albert Hall and never pass the place without a shudder at the awfulness of
what generally happens inside.

I leave you feeling rather andante senza brio,

Adrian

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Adrian,

This is wonderful: I work about 500 metres from the Royal Albert
Hall, (London UK) and this distance seems to lend me an almost
diametrically opposed view!  I never took to the Tennestedt way of
doing things and that 8th at the Royal Festival Hall seemed nothing
special - though I seem to remember him doing a good 4th when he
stood in for Jochum who was too old and ill to turn up.

On the other hand, although I've never got to like the Wand recorded
performances, I found that his 8th at the Royal Albert Hall
riveting.  I think that was the BBCSO and they seemed to play with
uncharacteristic commitment and fervour. So that was a highlight of
my concert memories. (Indeed, all of Wand's Bruckner at the Albert
Hall, except perhaps that last 9th, I found exceptional) Another
highlight at the Albert Hall was when Wand was too ill to turn up
and Skrowaczewski conducted the 6th in a wonderful performance.  But
before they hung flying saucers from the ceiling I remember hearing
the 3rd two or three times over at one concert, so extreme was the
echo - but even that was an immensely enjoyable concert, and I
probably clapped and cheered like all the rest of the prom arena
audience that you find so offensive! (Yes, they are a ghastly bunch -
  but I'm often amongst them...)

At the Royal Festival Hall I heard Klemperer do 7, 8 and 9 in the
early '60s.  They seemed like great occasions, and I can still see
the shaky old hawk perched on a stool in front the orchestra,
evincing an atmosphere of high seriousness. And Jochum too, doing 5
and 7 also by his manner showed that deeply serious business was
afoot, and the rewards were very great.

If ever you're wandering through South Kensington London Underground
Station, one of those people loitering dressed in ghastly royal blue
uniform, with silver and red bits, replete with cap, trying to
excuse the fact that the 'service is subject to delays because of
signal failure at Earl's Court', might well be me. Upon my breast
will be pinned a label saying 'Ken Ward - Customer Care Assistant'.
Say hello, and we can talk Bruckner till the Circle Line starts
running again.


"Adrian Leslie Jones" wrote:

Two contrasting 8s stick in my mind.
>
> Royal Festival Hall, ? orch Tennstedt (throwing himself about non-
stop) about 15 years ago. Dynamic, powerful, thrilling, moving and
generally wonderful. Bravo!
>
> Proms about 10 years ago. The rotten Royal Albert Hall.
> BBCSO, Wand. The sound was poor, and the orchestra, especially the
winds, sounded somewhat undernourished throughout. Not very
exciting, at all. As usual, sorry, no, as ALWAYS, the idiotic Proms
crowd went wild at the end. Maybe it's the world's easiest audience.
I've never heard a Proms crowd do anything but clap and shout like
mad people, whatever the repertoire or performance. If anyone dreams
of visiting the Proms, take my advice: don't bother, it's much
better by radio. I work about 200 yards (or metres, if you
  prefer) from the awful Royal (what does that word mean? - nothing
AFAIC) Albert Hall and never pass the place without a shudder at the
awfulness of what generally happens inside.

> I leave you feeling rather andante senza brio,
>
> Adrian

For some time now there has been an aircheck of the Kubelik NYP performance of
the Bruckner 4th kicking around.
I wonder if anyone here can save me a posting to the NYP archivist and provide
me with a date for this performance.
I recently came into a stereo reel recording of the complete concert, the first
item on the program being Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher.  I don't mind posting
the archivist, though I would prefer to save my pesterings for material that I
cannot claim dates for otherwise.

Thanks in advance

Tom Heilman

Some time in the late sixties I heard a B4 played by the National
Symphony Orchestra of Mexico.  The Fourth was the only Bruckner
symphony you could hear live in Mexico City at that time, or the only
one you could listen to on the radio, and (in spite of an all too
brief acquaintance with the Jochum Berlin 5th c. 1962) the only one I
knew on records —Klemperer/Philarmonia (Walter/Columbia and
Haitink/Concertgebouw would come later).  Then the Concertgebouw Orch.
came to Mexico on their second tour in 1980 and played the 5th twice.
  The first performance at the University Hall (Sala Nezahualcóyotl)
was very good.  But for the second performance at the Fine Arts Hall
(Bellas Artes) everything went perfect and (granted that the public
are even easier than at Albert Hall) the house almost came down at the
end (All Haitink could do was hold the score in his right hand, high
up in the air).

Afterwards I've heard the fourth at least thrice, by the University
Orchestra conducted by Eduardo Díazmuñoz in May 1983, by the
Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch some time in
the nineties, and last year by the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Sergio Cárdenas.  Performances were decent, very good and
good.

Between 1995 and mid 2002 I lived in towns without classicalmusic
concerts.

Then again last year I listened to the Eigth by the University
Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and last June I attended
a couple of B7s by the University Orchestra conducted by Gabriel
Chmura; very enjoyable performances for which I'm grateful.  The local
ensambles are not world class but thoroughly professional and enjoyable.

This month the Mexico City Philharmonic and the University
Philharmonic are playing Bruckner symphonies on consecutive weekends.
  We'll hear the Sixth on the 18 (6:00 PM) and 19 (12:30 PM) at the
Ollin Yoliztli Hall by the City Orchestra, and the Third on the 25
(8:00 PM) and 26 (Noon) at the Nezahualcóyotl Hall by the University
Orchestra.  Both will be conducted by Guido Maria Guida.

I have never heard Guida conduct.  He is currently embarked on a Ring
Cycle in Mexico City.  Das Rheingold was already performed and Die
Walküre is in the makings.  Neither of the orchestras envolved have
big budgets for first class conductors or soloists but their
performances are usually solid, enjoyable ones.  As long as Guida's
conducting is decent I'm sure I'll enjoy these symphonies which I've
never heard live.

If you live in London or Vienna a couple Bruckner concerts by unknown
orchestras conducted by an unknown conductor mean nothing.  But for
those who have harder times catching a Bruckner symphony live, this
would be the time to visit Mexico City.  The weather is usually fair
in October and although it's a chaotic town, it remains endurable and
has always been very interesting.  Getting tickets 10 minutes before
the concerts start is no problem and they are very cheap (10 dollars
US at the Ollin Yoliztli Hall and from 7 to 17 dollars US at the
University Hall).

Anyone in reach of London on November 2nd 2003 can see the film, The
Life of Anton Bruckner (Hans Conrad Fischer, 1974, 135mins) at 3.30
pm at the Barbican.  At 6.30 pm they can hear a talk by Stephen
Johnson on Bruckner's 9th Symphony. At 7.30 they can hear the London
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas perform the
9th Symphony, FOLLOWED BY THE TE DEUM - no interval! So at last
there will be a chance to experience the Te Deum used as a finale
and see if the 'wrong key' objections are minor or major.

In message 1466 I mentioned a "Jochum Berlin 5th ".  I was in a haste.
  I meant «Jochum/Bavarian Radio Orch.», the one in the current DG set.

I had the dis-pleasure of hearing the SFSO perform the Bruckner IX
immediately followed by the Te Deum with "MTT" conducting.  I have always
found, and continue to find a basic lack of musicality in the much lauded
MTT's approach to classic rep.  I must admit to being interested in his
performance of the first movement, but from then onwards the performance
went completely to the dogs (not to insult dogs and those of us who love
them).  I was immediately disturbed by an overlong pause between the first
and second movements -- NOT musically based -- but because "MTT" continually
turned back to the audience to ensure that the late-comers were all seated.
Undoubtedly some of his big funders must have been in the group.  WHen the
orchestra finally got to the Te Deum, the otherwise wonderful SF Chorus,
seemed as if they were on holiday - and all the beloved "MTT" did was
continue to flail his arms and look enraptured.  Of course, once the last
notes rang out - the fans leaped to their feet screaming bravos.  Truly one
of the only times I have actively "Boooed" a performance. An utter disaster!

As to the ongoing question of "finishing" the IX, I just don't know.  As
much wonderful scholarship that has gone into the various reconstructions,
none seem "right" - strictly a gut-level intuitive feeling and completely
un-musically bound.  But neither does the Te Deum seem a proper capstone.
As unfinished as the IX is, there is something final in its completed
version, ending with the Adagio.

Just my Sunday mornig rant,

Regards from SF
Alan Carrier

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>    Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2003 07:08:19 -0400
>    From: theilman5@...
>Subject: Kubelik Assist
>
>For some time now there has been an aircheck of the Kubelik NYP performance
>of the Bruckner 4th kicking around.
>I wonder if anyone here can save me a posting to the NYP archivist and
>provide me with a date for this performance.
>I recently came into a stereo reel recording of the complete concert, the
>first item on the program being Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher.  I don't
>mind posting the archivist, though I would prefer to save my pesterings for
>material that I cannot claim dates for otherwise.
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Tom Heilman
>

Tom,

I have not been able to locate any info regarding the BRuckner 4 with
Kubelik and NY.  I do have a Bruckner IX however....Are you interested in a
trade?

Regards
Alan Carrier
San Francisco

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Alan Carrier wrote:
  I had the dis-pleasure of hearing the SFSO perform the Bruckner IX
  immediately followed by the Te Deum with "MTT" conducting.  I have
always found, and continue to find a basic lack of musicality in the
much lauded MTT's approach to classic rep....

  ...Just my Sunday morning rant,

  Regards from SF
  Alan Carrier

No, you're probably quite right. I've yet to hear him do anything
very effective - let alone tackle Bruckner - but I have to applaud
the effort and will attend with low expectations, and who knows, it
may turn out not so bad after all.  But it's nice to have a day
devoted to Bruckner because his music seems to be steadily
disappearing from the concert repertoired.  Acres and acres of
Brahms in London. So if MTT is almost all there is - then we'll just
have to make the best of it!

Best wishes,
Ken Ward

I remember to have heard once a radio broadcast from one of the
numerous european music festivals with MTT conducting Bruckners
Ninth without Te Deum. It sounded like Prokofiew.
I like some of MTTs old recordings very much: He is great at
Bernstein, Russian Composers, and one of my most beloved readings of
Debussy´s Nocturnes is his old Sony. But on the other hand he seems
to be one of those jet-set-maestros who would never go into details
of adequate performing practice.
Apart from all that, there are various rumours that these days he
could hardly survive any concert without some snow... God knows...
Apart from all that gossip:
I consider a serious problem with the Te Deum if performed follwing
the three movements of the Ninth  is a practical one:
The Te Deum has only triple woodwind, and in many concert halls
there is no organ available (I wonder if Bruckner was already
thinking about the idea to use it as a substitute Finale when he set
the Organ "ad libitum"?).
You may be interested to learn that for my own practice I have re-
arranged the Te Deum for triple woodwind in such a way that even the
organ sound could somehow be recaptured if being played without.

Sorry: this happens if you write in a rush.
The Te Deum is of course for double woodwind. I have re-arranged
them fro Triple.
Best, BGC

DEar Brucknerians:
I would be extremely grateful if you could send me as much feedback
as possible about Harnoncourts Bruckner Ninth recording with
Documentation of the Finale Fragment, of the Naxos Re-Release of the
completed Ninth under Wildner, or the Sony release of the Finale-
Fragment, conducted and arranged by Peter Hirsch.
Also links to internet reviews and copies of articles would be most
welcome.
Thanks a lot, yours
Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs

Il mer, 2003-10-08 alle 13:40, artiumbremen ha scritto:
> DEar Brucknerians:
> I would be extremely grateful if you could send me as much feedback
> as possible about Harnoncourts Bruckner Ninth recording with
> Documentation of the Finale Fragment, of the Naxos Re-Release of the
> completed Ninth under Wildner

Hello,

do not know if you visited this link at Naxos website already.. if not,
go to the following page

http://www.naxos.com/link/newlink.asp?item_Code=8.555933-34

and click on the link "About this recording" that you'll find bottom
left in the page...

Kind regards,

Marco Castellani

Dear Marco, well, ah...:
That´s my own booklet note only.
However, I am out for reviews from magazines or websites, and of
course every personal opinion from members of the newsgroup are most
welcome.
Thanks a lot!
Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs, Artium, Bremen

Ben,
BBC Music magazine, November 2003 issue, has a review by Calum
MacDonald of the Naxos Wildner recording. 50% of the review
summarises main points from "Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs's erudite notes"
It continues:
"(There is a rival reconstruction by the Canadian William Carragan,
which I have not heard.)
It's certainly full of extraordinary music (the discs are worth
buying just to hear the finale's magnificent 'Choralthema' in full
agonised splendour and context) and continuously fascinating.  That
isn't quite the same as continuously convicing: there are moments
when, even though the continuity of voice-leading and harmony
appears seamless, the actual thought seems to wander. Bruckner's
struggles with his materials and conception were evidently not
entirely resolved: but the materials presented here are worth
anybody's hearing. I do not know the rival version by Kurt Eichhorn
on iClassics.  But taking the Symphony overall, if Johannes
Wildner's account of the first three movements is unlikely to
displace Karajan, Tintner or Walter among the classic versions, he
nevertheless directs a very powerful, fiercely focused performance,
emotionally raw in the first movement, tending towards mystery in
the Adagio, and with a sinewy strength that seems to presage Mahler
or even Hindemith. The Westphalia orchestra, which I've admired on
some other recent CDs, is an excellent body and Naxos's recording,
occasionally on the harsh side, captures the alternating dynamic
extremes to perfection"

He awards the performance and the sound 4 stars (out of a possible
5).  If you want the full review, Ben, I can transcribe it all for
you.

I wish he wouldn't talk of 'rival' versions - especially when he
only mentions them to tell you he hasn't done his homework and
listened to them. After all, there are different completions and
different performances, and they can be discussed according to some
objective criteria, and then subjective responses can be added,
often to illuminating effect.  But talk of rivalry seems misplaced.

I think the few words he actually writes about the performance are
not too far from my experience of it, but although he begins his
sentence 'But taking the symphony as a whole..', he is silent about
the performance/interpretation of the finale, presumably because he
has yet to hear the 'rival' versions.  They earn their money easily,
some of these critics.

Ken

So, MTT is from Springfield, MA (I know his grandparents were the great
Thomashevsky's in the Yiddish theatre.  And I am from nearby Putnam CT.
without theatrical or musical grandparents (but dear French-Canadian
farmers)...

And I do agree with at least the thought at trying the Bruckner.  One of the
greatest performances of the BRuckner IX was Rattle conducting the
Tanglewood Youth orchestra one summer (in 1993 I believe) in the old Shed up
on the hill in Tanglewood.  Maurice Abravanel sat in front of me (he was to
die several weeks later).  And the performance by these "kids" - I have
never witnessed a conductor "playing" an orchestra as Rattle did.  And the
look of utter conviction and amazement on the faces of the players.  A
performance that BREATHED.

BTW, Mr. Berky, your discography is such a major undertaking and SO
important!  Many many thanks.  Of course, many thanks too (sarcastically)
for finding so many items to put on my want list!

Regards,
Alan Carrier
San Francisco

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Dear Ken:
Would be great if you could mail me the full text directly to
artiumbremen@...
Even if so much of this demonstrates how little interest reviewers
have in the real thing, I am in the process to collect all reviews I
can get of these three releases in order to report about it later,
or make the collected whole available for all those interested.
Unfortunately the BBC Music Magazine is nowhere in Bremen available
since half a year ago our old railway station bookshop closed...
By the way: I remember I had send you years ago a copy from my Tokyo
concert. But did I also send you the complete Gmunden?
Yours, Ben

(Joseph) Anton BRUCKNER: September 4th, 1824~~ October 11th,
1896.

R.I.P., old friend....

--- In antonbrucknerclub@yahoogroups.com, "Alan Carrier"
<alancarrier@h...> wrote:

< One of the greatest performances of the BRuckner IX was Rattle
conducting the Tanglewood Youth orchestra one summer (in 1993 I
believe) in the old Shed up on the hill in Tanglewood.  Maurice
Abravanel sat in front of me (he was to die several weeks later). >

I was there as well.  Terrific performance -- it might have been a
little earlier than 1993, but I'm not sure.  (Try to remember where I
was living at the time.)  I caught a ride out to Tanglewood that
night with Michael P. Chen -- who, if he isn't a member of this
group, certainly should be!

Haitink did a pretty good B9 with the BSO around the same time.

Urb

BLOMSTEDT is from Springfield, MA?!!!!!!!!!!!!  I thought he was from the
frozen north (Sweden or thereabouts).  Springfield, huh, who knew.

Alan Amazed in SF Carrier

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According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Maurice Abravanel died Sept
22 1993.  So, if Alan Carrier's memory of Abravanel dying a few weeks
after the Rattle Tanglewood concert and the EB date are accurate, the
year must have been 1993.

Speaking of Encyclopedia Brittannica, there's this new project on the Web to
create a free, public domain encyclopedia, Wikipedia. It's at http://
www.wikipedia.org/ .  Anyone can edit this encyclopedia (that's both a
strength and a weakness). I have been working on the Bruckner page, and
now the article has a reasonable biographical sketch and a decent amount of
information on the Symphonies.  What it still lacks is information on the
motets, Masses and other pieces. Also, Wikipedia could use articles on Simon
Sechter, Eduard Hanslick, Ansfelden, St. Florian, etc.

Alonso del Arte

Hello all...

Can anyone recommend a good available recording of the original
version of the 4th symphony (1874)?

I understand that it is significantly different to the regular
version with a completely different scherzo? Is this correct?

Your replies are most welcome.

Thanks in advance

Regards

Alan