# Bruckner's 8th



## pasido

Everyone's favorite symphony... The Bruckner 8th. Favorite movements? Favorite recordings?

My favorite movement is the Scherzo. Even after 4 years of listening to classical music, this Scherzo came as a shock to me on the first listen. I've never heard anything so structurally _cool_ since the 3rd movement of Schubert's 9th.

My favorite Scherzo goes to Furtwangler 1944. Absolutely breathtaking. A fanfare for the gods.

Karajan EMI - a slow broiler yet a lot of power, especially with the brass.
Boulez DG - Too "perfect"
Jochum Dresden - Same as Boulez, maybe a bit slower.


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## Vaneyes

BPO/Jochum (DG, 1964)


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## EarthBoundRules

The first time I appreciated this symphony is when I was out camping about a year ago. Before then I had only listened to works from the Classical era apart from some Tchaikovsky and Brahms, so it was a real shock. I remember listening to the first movement and feeling in awe and intimidation due to the sheer power of it. Then after soaking it in for a few minutes, I would play the next movement. Even to this day I often only listen to one movement at a time; it's too overpowering to listen to the whole thing through to the end.


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## maestro267

This is the only Bruckner symphony I've fully grown to appreciate so far. My favourite sections are the 'second subject' of the Adagio (the strings rising, then descending string chords accompanied by harp), and the recapitulation of the Finale, where the brass blare out, first in F#, then B, then E. Incredible moment!


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## kv466

For as long as I can remember I have had the Solti/CSO set and the (or one of the, I don't know) von Karajan/BPO set...I also have Gunter Wand with I don't know who but I remember that being my favorite. Gotta go back and listen as these were never among my tops. Curious to see what everyone else likes.


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## Manxfeeder

pasido said:


> My favorite movement is the Scherzo. Even after 4 years of listening to classical music, this Scherzo came as a shock to me on the first listen.


Someone called that movement God's engine room. I think that's a good description.


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## afterpostjack

My favorite movement is also the second movement (I likewise love the 3rd movement of Schubert's 9th). I like Karajan/BPO with DG. All of Bruckner's scherzi are great though, although this is one of my favorites of that bunch. His finales are also great, check the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th symphonies. I have a hard time picking out my favorite out of these.


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## CVM

First time I ever heard the Bruckner 8th - first time I'd even heard of Bruckner! - was in c.1960, live performance by the Los Angeles Phil. cond. William Steinberg. I was overwhelmed - and all these years later, still am. (I was thrilled to learn that a Steinberg performance in Boston is soon to appear on DVD. I shall be buying - my very first music DVD!) 

CD versions that I cannot live without:

Pasido, who started this thread, already mentioned Furtwängler '44, to which I would add Furtwängler '49, rugged sonics in every edition I've ever found, but worth the annoyance.

Knappertsbusch, Berlin 1951. Yes it's the 1892 version, but so what?

Knappertsbusch, München 1962. A lot of people don't like this, they think 'Kna' had lost it by this time and was much too wandering and vague. I disagree; it's just very, very ethereal (and slow!). Again, 1892 score.

Celibidache, München 1980s. (NOT his Stuttgart one!) Slowest in history, I think - but for me that's great! Play this a few times and you will know every nuance of the score, and will have 'heard' every space between notes, which is what Celi's Zen approach was aiming for.

Simone Young, Hamburg. She uses the first edition (1887) of the score which is very, very different (incl. an entirely different ending to the first movement). Also a slow performance. Much, much better than Tintner or Inbal in this version.

Rudolf Kempe, Zürich 1971. The Haas score. The Tonhalle isn't the A-1 best orchestra on the planet, but Kempe brings out every single thing they are capable of and makes them sound in the Top 10 of the world for this overwhelming score. This is, these days at least, my "reference" recording, the one I would take to the proverbial desert island if only the island had electricity....

Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Orch. Metropolitain de Montreal. (Sorry, don't know how to do French diacritics.) Haas score. This is one phenomenally impressive young conductor with a keen sense of the inherent drama throughout every single movement; his Adagio rivals Celibidache's in both breadth and intensity. Even if you don't go buy this version, keep your eyes on this conductor, he promises very great things.

Horenstein, London Phil., c.1970. This performance has popped up in reissues over and over for years, and is essential for the 8th lover. This is Bruckner as theatre, every dramatic possibility explored to the fullest, and I know many people who would choose this for the desert island over my Kempe. 

Is that enough? The above are my great loves above all; I happen to own (weird collector that I am) many, many diverse versions of this symphony, which is by far my favorite single symphonic work of them all, by anyone, except perhaps certain Haydn gems....


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## teccomin

I have listened to :
Karajan Wiener 1988
Karajan Berliner 1970s
Bohm Wiener
Jochum Berliner
Celibedache Stuttgart?

But this remains my Favourite: Giulini Wiener
http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Symphonie-No-8-Anton/dp/B000001GNS
Just read the reviews on Amazon makes you want to buy it.


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## superhorn

I like the way one English critic has described the Scherzo : It's as though the mountains themselves were dancing !


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## Frasier

Yes, a wonderful work. My favourite recording *apart from the last movement* is by Klemperer with the NPO. Why he had to make such ill-considered cuts is anyone's guess: certainly his brief note doesn't explain. Another favourite is Asahina with the NHK Symphony but he's also done a few nice ones with the Osaka and Tokyo. 
I have heard a few recordings and the one thing I can't tolerate is recording engineers bringing forward the harp in the Adagio as if it's meant to be a solo. Bruckner didn't mark the part thus so why they do it beats me! But there are many fine recordings - no matter what version/edition the conductor is using, a good performance is a good performance (as long as they leave the harp in the orchestral texture)!


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## JustinR

This was my first excursion into Bruckner, some 20 years ago and it took a good many years to fully appreciate and fall in love with this music. Furtwangler and Barenboim are personal favourites, although a friend recently gave me a copy of an unreleased performance by Carlos Paita, with The Philharmonia - its fast, furious, completely over the top and strangely compelling.


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## tahnak

pasido said:


> My favorite Scherzo goes to Furtwangler 1944. Absolutely breathtaking. A fanfare for the gods.


I have heard many readings.
The definitive is the 1944 Furtwangler that you are referring to. No one yet has improved on that performance recording. Just about a fortnight back, I heard Zubin Mehta perform live with the Berlin Philharmonic. I subscribe to their feed and was able to hear the performance by means of visitor coupons to the BPO. The performance was a little spine less for the adagio and the finale and Mehta could not keep the intensity of the first two movements as he had started.
I preferred his Israel Philharmonic reading of 1992.
Pierre Boulez has given a powerful performance of Bruckner's apocalyptic eighth after Furtwangler followed by Gunter Wand and the Bavarian Radio. I haven't heard Jochum yet nor Celibidache.


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## elgar's ghost

The 8th seems especially blessed with fine recordings. One which I absolutely love is Giulini's with the VPO but I'm more than happy with my others - Tintner, Wand (with BPO), Karajan (EMI), Maazel, Boulez and Barbirolli.


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## Guest

Sinopoli: DG
Simone Young: Oehms (SACD)
Christian Thielemann: Profil (SACD)


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## brianwalker

CVM said:


> Knappertsbusch, München 1962. A lot of people don't like this, they think 'Kna' had lost it by this time and was much too wandering and vague. I disagree; it's just very, very ethereal (and slow!). Again, 1892 score.


Just want to second this.

That is all.


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## tahnak

EarthBoundRules said:


> T Even to this day I often only listen to one movement at a time; it's too overpowering to listen to the whole thing through to the end.


I totally agree. This symphony has to be heard a movement at a time.


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