Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

Daniel Barenboim is an expert in exploiting the impact of cyclical performances of composers works: This time he focuses his sharp intellect on all six of Anton Bruckners mature symphonies. Der Tagesspiegel described Barenboim's performance of the works with the Staatskapelle Berlin on six nearly consecutive evenings in June 2010 as a superhuman accomplishment and went on to praise how: His Bruckner is conceived and performed very theatrically, like an opera without words.

Composer: Anton Bruckner
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

Daniel Barenboim is an expert in exploiting the impact of cyclical performances of composers’ works: In this series he focuses his sharp intellect on all six of Anton Bruckner’s mature symphonies. Der Tagesspiegel described Barenboim's performance of the works with the Staatskapelle Berlin on six nearly consecutive evenings in June 2010 as a “superhuman” accomplishment and went on to praise how: “His Bruckner is conceived and performed very theatrically, like an opera without words.”

Bruckner’s famous “Romantic” Symphony No. 4 forms the prelude to a spectacular DVD series from Accentus Music and Unitel Classica, exploring Bruckner’s symphonic cosmos.

Composer: Anton Bruckner
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

Reviews: It could very well be that maestro Daniel Barenboim's greatest contribution to music has been in filmed performances. Perhaps, none of his Wagner opera recordings, though "generally" excellent, could be considered reference versions. Yet, his filmed Ring and Parsifal (with Harry Kupfer), and three excellent Tristans (Ponnelle, the much missed Muller, and the recently departed enfant terrible Patrice Chereau) have no serious competition in the DVD market (it remains to be seen whether Barenboim's 2010 Ring with Cassiers, coming to DVD this year, will hold its own).

Barenboim's recordings of the Beethoven piano sonatas, again, while A contender amongst contemporary pianists, will not retire the likes of Schnabel or Serkin. However, his filmed traversal is an epic and indispensable record of sound and vision. Likewise, the recent DVD production of the five Beethoven Piano Concertos with the Staatskapelle Berlin. The 2005 Ramallah Concert with his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, despite the naysaying of a few hardened cynics, is one of the most joyously filmed musical celebrations extant.

Though not generally known as a top conductor of Verdi, Debussy, Mahler, Schoenberg, or Boulez, Barenboim has collaborated in excellent filmed performances of the Requiem, La Mer, the 9th Symphony, Variations for Orchestra, and Notations. Of course, Barenboim has maintained a lifelong commitment to Bruckner with two complete cycles (the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic). Both have their proponents and critics, possibly because like Barenboim himself, they are an uneven lot (and while all conductors are uneven, Barenboim is almost radically so). Regardless of one's stance, few would argue that Barenboim's way with Bruckner can displace acclaimed masters Furtwangler, Karajan, Kna, Jochum, Wand, Klemperer, Cleibidache, or Giulini (although I would subjectively argue a few of these). Accentus with Unitel Classics has produced Barenboim's performances of the mature symphonies with Staatskapelle Berlin. So far, the 4th and 5th have been released and although Barenboim has considerably more extensive Brucknerian competition in the DVD/Blu-ray medium (Karajan, Wand, Celibidache) his first two entries have already met with critical accolades.

Bruckner once said that his music, like his faith, was boundlessly expansive. With that in mind, the inherent spiritual quality and devout Catholicity of Bruckner cannot be blanketed, but there is little worry in this since such is rarely the case (although some have argued that Boulez's Bruckner does just that). The trend has long and often been the reverse: promoting the transcendental qualities at the expense of the music's corporal muscularity and direct earthiness (which, just about Catholic would say are far more pronounced tenets, despite the trappings, of that epically complex faith).

While Barenboim acknowledges the composition's religiosity through the music's hushed qualities, he commendably keeps it latent and opts for a red-blooded, dramatic reading that emphasizes the theatrical German tradition that he belongs to (and that is the key to Barenboim, as opposed to the tiresome, often repeated claims that he is a mere Furtwangler clone. Barenboim has about as much in common with the likes of Klemperer and Walter as he does Furtwangler).

The camerawork and sound are lucid and non-intrusive. This a welcome release to the DVD/Blu-ray market and can be acquired without reservations. Hopefully, symphonies 6-9 will be forthcoming in a timely manner.

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

The Süddeutsche Zeitung summed up this highly acclaimed performance of Bruckner's monumental Fifth Symphony by saying: Both Bruckners belief in God, as it majestically wells up out of the chorale of the Fifth, and his deeply tragic world view, collide with one another in Barenboims interpretation. The operatic experience of the conductor was almost tangible, revealing the sheer dramatic instrumental battle between Bruckners God and the Devil between heaven and hell without betraying Bruckners unerring sense of striking proportions. The release of this contrapuntal masterpiece (as Bruckner, not without pride, referred to this work) is part of Daniel Barenboims Bruckner cycle with the renowned Staatskapelle Berlin.

Composer: Anton Bruckner
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

Reviews: Given the forces on stage here—over 100 players, with the wind and timpani parts reinforced—you might well expect to be crushed. But while there’s plenty of gleaming sonority as the 23 brass players ring out the final pages, Barenboim’s performance as a whole is less self-aggrandizing than you might expect. Indeed, while this is an installment of Bruckner: The Mature Symphonies, the series (as I’ve pointed out elsewhere) might equally well be branded “Barenboim: The Mature Conductor.” Having developed an enviable mastery through his long experience in this repertoire (his first Bruckner cycle, with Chicago, was begun more than 40 years ago), he no longer has anything to prove—and with unfailing poise, he coaxes out the music’s beauties without exaggeration and illuminates its spiritual depths (especially in his eloquent, if surprisingly quick, reading of the slow movement) without the kind of self-absorption that mars so many of Karajan’s late performances.


Will those looking for an extremely personal reading be disappointed? Perhaps. Barenboim—not as streamlined as Zander, as apocalyptic as Furtwängler, or as nimble as Kempe (whose performance is seriously underrated)—does not impose a strong interpretive profile on the music. Still, his performance, if generally temperate in mood, is anything but matter-of-fact. There’s plenty of impetus in the faster sections; there’s a fair dose of schmaltz where needed in the third movement; tempos, if never eccentric, are often quite elastic; and there are welcome jolts of humor, especially in the third movement and the quirky opening of the finale. Barenboim exhibits a superb sense of dynamics, too (quiet passages, especially well handled, offer a keen sense of anticipation)—and while the tone of the orchestra, especially in the finale, is wonderfully plush, it never muddies the counterpoint. Most important of all, there’s Barenboim’s sure sense of the symphony’s formal layout (the slow movement is especially well gauged). In tepid hands, this symphony can seem to last forever; but except in a few of the densest of the finale’s contrapuntal excursions (where, as in many performances, the rhythms seem to stall), we always know where we are and where we are headed.


The orchestra responds magnificently—the strings have a luxurious glow, and the solo winds interweave as well as on any performance I know. Kudos, in particular, to the ear-caressing first flute and first oboe—it would be worth acquiring this disc for their contributions alone. As on so many orchestral videos, I find the emphasis on close-ups and the constant motion of the cameras more than a bit distracting—but the sound is rich, detailed, and enveloping. Warmly recommended.

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

Anton Bruckner's 6th Symphony was written between 1879 and 1881: a very happy time in his life. Unlike most of Bruckner's symphonies, the 6th was not revised. Of all his works, this one seems to come from a single source of inspiration. Bruckner himself called it his "boldest" symphony probably due to its extreme degree of motivic, rhythmic and harmonic originality. This live recording of the seldom-performed 6th Symphony is the next instalment of the acclaimed Bruckner cycle by the Staatskapelle Berlin and Daniel Barenboim.

Composer: Anton Bruckner
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

Reviews: Having dearly loved Bruckner’s music for decades, I must confess that his sixth symphony with its many quirky and seemingly unrelated motifs, strange harmonies and frequent lack of linear development has not been among my favorites. My friend Clive Goodwin (see his excellent review of the same disk) recently directed my attention to Bruckner’s use of the Phrygian scale and thus opened my ears for a new appreciation of the work.

We are now fortunate to have Daniel Barenboim’s June 2010 live recording of the Sixth at the Berlin Philharmonie with his Staatskapelle Berlin in exemplary video and audio (once again: bravo Accentus!). Needless to say, the Staatskapelle musicians are consistently superb, in solo and group passages as well as in the overwhelming ensemble in the tutti sections. Barenboim – he conducts without a score and never ceases to amaze me – is sensitive to every nuance, every mood change, and he brings out a cohesive structure in the entire symphony I found missing or obscured in other interpretations. He displays the ideal balance between gravitas and occasional bold jauntiness in the first movement, highlights the melancholic beauty of the Adagio, the festive “hunting” aura of the Scherzo, and pulls all the stops in a highly dramatic, powerful finale that will leave you speechless. It is difficult to bring off a symphony with predominantly slow movements (Maestoso – Adagio – Nicht schnell – Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell), but Barenboim, with flexible tempi and swift interplay between instrumental groups, does it irresistibly. This reading will keep you spellbound from beginning to end. It certainly has brought Bruckner’s Sixth much closer to my heart. Now I can hardly wait for the release of the remainder of this remarkable Bruckner cycle. Meanwhile: who will give us an equally excellent Third on DVD?

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

In Anton Bruckner’s 7th Symphony, the listener encounters a music characterized by great spaciousness and profound solemnity, a music which speaks of grief and lamentation, but also of their transcendence. With its monumental architecture and intensity of sound, the symphony has moved listeners ever since its triumphal premiere in 1884. The Guardian calls Daniel Barenboim’s London interpretation “Tremendous … Barenboim and the Staatskapelle seem to have this work in their systems, and the overall impression was of music unfolding organically at its own pace rather than of a work being self-consciously interpreted or led.”

Composer: Anton Bruckner
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

Reviews: It’s a bit confusing for Accentus/Unitel to refer to this Bruckner Seventh, filmed at the Berlin Philharmonie on June 25, 2010, as a performance of the symphony’s “original version.” The booklet for this Blu-ray release reproduces the title page of the 1885 Gutmann edition, which incorporated changes urged upon the composer by Franz Schalk, Ferdinand Löwe, and Arthur Nikisch, who conducted the premiere in December of 1884. In my mind, the score utilized for the first performance would be the “original version” and the only extant autograph copy already includes after-the-fact changes by Bruckner and his always-eager amenders. So, as far as is known, no “original version” of Symphony No. 7 exists. Amusingly, the Wikipedia entry for Robert Haas describes Daniel Barenboim as a proponent of the Austrian musicologist’s Bruckner editions. The most obvious feature of the Haas edition for non-specialists (such as me) is that the infamous cymbal crash (with triangle and timpani) at the climax of the Adagio is not included. The percussion is there in all its glory for this performance, as it is in Barenboim’s 1992 Teldec recording with the Berlin Philharmonic. So much for the idea of Barenboim as a Haas partisan.


With textual issues out of the way, I can report that Barenboim’s 2010 performance is a very effective one. His interpretation is less “architectural” than many others; Barenboim is happy to highlight small details in a score he knows very, very well (he conducts from memory) without at all underplaying the work’s monumentality. Some may prefer that the dotted figures in the third movement be more tightly wound—Bruckner’s scherzos work best when a maniacally insistent subject contrasts with sunny, relaxed interludes—but that’s a minor complaint. This is a coherent reading that delivers the big picture and pulls the listener in, as it clearly did the audience present at the Philharmonie.


The sound is good, though the strings are a little dull at the outset of the Adagio, as if upper partials are missing. Passages with the four tenor tubas possess a thoroughly Wagnerian sonic density—the composer’s intention, of course. Video quality is superb, with the detail provided of string instruments often eye-popping. (Unfortunately, some knuckle hair is part of the package with this degree of visual resolution.) The editing style is a little jumpy for my taste; especially with a work such as this, I’d prefer more longer takes of the conductor building his performance. Still, this is a video performance of Bruckner’s E-Major Symphony well worth considering.

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

“Clarity was one thing that made this performance a marvel. Another was the flexibility of Barenboim’s speeds…. The flexibility of Barenboim’s tempi meant that Bruckner’s charm – an often overlooked aspect of his genius – shone through, especially in the genial Trio.” (The Telegraph) Bruckner’s 8th is the last symphony completed by the Austrian composer. Many of his contemporaries regarded the symphony as “the pinnacle of 19th century music”. Even today, this monumental work fascinates listeners with its virtuoso orchestral technique, its immensity of sound, and its inexhaustible richness of detail.

Composer: Anton Bruckner
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

Reviews: Barenboim outdid himself here. I wish I had the musical education and background to state specifically why this performance connected so powerfully with me. I am a Bruckner fan and have listened closely to many of the symphonic cycles available on both audio disk and DVD. This Bruckner is at the top, and I highly recommend it to all Bruckner lovers.

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

“This music is more serious and more significant than one had thought”, the Berliner Zeitung summarized in its review of Daniel Barenboim’s celebrated Bruckner cycle with the Staatskapelle Berlin. Bruckner’s unfinished Symphony No. 9 brought to an end, in a poignant manner, the work of one of the greatest symphonic composers of the Classic‐Romantic era. Once more the essential elements of Bruckner’s symphonic style are present; the technical standard, the intensity of sound, and the enormous richness of expression are in this singular work brought to an unsurpassed niveau.

Composer: Anton Bruckner
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

Reviews:As Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin are packing their bags for this week's concerts in London, here is a DVD of them playing Bruckner at home in Berlin. This recording of Bruckner's last, unfinished symphony completes their cycle on DVD of what they term the mature symphonies numbered four to nine. The performance is grand without being portentous, impassioned but never febrile, and is distinguished by a poised musicianship in the finest classical tradition. The DVD filming, like the playing, is devoid of tricksy effects.

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close

×

Daniel Barenboim - Anton Bruckner - The Mature Symphonies: Symphonies Nos. 4,5,6,7,8,9 (2013-2015)

Close