George M Cummins IV
My favorite Bruckner conductor, Hans Knappertbusch never recorded a complete cycle of A. Bruckner’s symphonies; are all of them during this spiritual journey of his conducting are an authentic and monumental contribution. He conducted those which inspired him, like the 3rd many times, 4rth, 5th, 7th, 8th and the 9th symphony.
Bruckner’s mature symphonies are the ones between 3th-the unfinished 9th, while the 6th is very unusual (H. Knappertsbusch did not record this one), though also a mature work, represents certain exception heading to the composer’s less targeted Brahms’s-like absolute music, at least represents the gesture towards the late Beethoven’s texture in that particular line. Nonetheless all Bruckner symphonies are the monumental catharsis and awakening inside a great cathedral, a tribute to Beethoven’s 9th and late Schubert symphonies, while he himself stands as certain “moon-rock” with a seminal position with no precursor or succession in composition, certain space in distance between (not in time) of Brahms – that of an absolute music and Wagner, the music programme, Liszt, Berlioz.
As to his characteristics, B. uses ostinato, mediant relationships, massive cathedral-like blocks, unexpected modulations, complex experiments with the harmony and massive contrapuntal fusion of sound-masses, rooted in structure of faith. He admired late Schubert and Beethoven’s 9th upon which are his symphonies based, Austrian folk song and Wagnerian chromaticism, renaissance and baroque organ, this all inside the spirit of Catholic mystical sensibility. His symphony is a hallmark crying in the wildness alone.
Using H. F. Schalk’s transcriptions of the symphonies and not the original versions of B.’s works, Knappertbusch still delivers the most authentic and intense, solemn, ritualistic vision. With Vienna Philharmonic he delivers monumental and a grandeur yet mystical experiences we can observe in Bayeriches Staatsorchester or Muncher Philharmoniker, like in his his later famous Wagner’s Parsifal performance.
While remaining liturgical, spiritual, unhurried and emotionally elemental, he’s unified each time and delivers the absolute of his present exploration in his vision of conducting. Tempo is spatious and his style brisky though, yet not on the account to exploration of the notes. His 8th and 9th with Muncher Philharmoniker is rather a breath-taking performance. Vivid and his slow movement in the 9th with Bayeriches Staatsorchester is not only pure “death and release”, it is a true transcendence rooted in liturgical tradition of Austria, like delivering the notes before then they suppose to be played. As if expressing faith and trust this way. Humility breaths through candle light in his cosmic transformation in what is the something exceptionally peculiar about the Bayreuth orchestra of the postwar period.
Berliner Philharmoniker represents more as to the release, while Vienna the spiritual journey opens way to find itself and final Muncher Phil. and Bayeriches S. culminated its journey in the transfiguration within the absolute transcendence.