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Rattle Bruckner 4
Posted by dieter barkhoff on October 20, 2022, 5:03 am
I love your review of this recording, especially the term 'a certain vagueness', a term which I believe sums up Sir Simon's output. I recall playing all of his Mahler EMI Symphonies in a long journey North one year - before THE FLOODS - and being struck by how Rattle spends whole symphonies highlighting certain 'spots', leaving the rest to reach their destination on their own. I imagined him turning to the audience and beaming - how good was that - then turning back to the orchestra and waving away as the drudgery continued. The most stunning Bruckner 4 I have encountered is the Celibidache Munich performance of 1983 - the final 6 minutes are the most monumental and inspired music-making I've ever encountered. It's on You Tube:
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The whole performance is also stunning.
Re: Rattle Bruckner 4
Posted by Ralph Moore on October 20, 2022, 3:26 pm, in reply to "Rattle Bruckner 4"
Thanks, Dieter; yes, that Celi Bruckner 4 from Munich is special. I was discussing Rattle's Bruckner with friends yesterday evening. We agreed that 19C Romantic music was never his thing; he shies away from big gestures and deep emotion and was always more comfortable with spiky, complex, 20C works.
Previous Message
I love your review of this recording, especially the term 'a certain vagueness', a term which I believe sums up Sir Simon's output. I recall playing all of his Mahler EMI Symphonies in a long journey North one year - before THE FLOODS - and being struck by how Rattle spends whole symphonies highlighting certain 'spots', leaving the rest to reach their destination on their own. I imagined him turning to the audience and beaming - how good was that - then turning back to the orchestra and waving away as the drudgery continued. The most stunning Bruckner 4 I have encountered is the Celibidache Munich performance of 1983 - the final 6 minutes are the most monumental and inspired music-making I've ever encountered. It's on You Tube: