26 November 2010

Lorin Maazel, the as-of-yet equivocal Brucknerian

The recently released Bruckner cycle by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra adds more substance to our understanding of Lorin Maazel as a Brucknerian. His first Bruckner recording was way back in 1974 (Vienna Philharmonic, the Fifth), a strange performance, and it was followed in the 1980's with the Seventh and the Eighth (Berlin Philharmonic), again very idiosyncratic ones.

His approach to Bruckner has fundamentally changed based on the comparison of these 3 symphonies with the "new" set recorded in 1999. Such drastic changes are seldom seen in Brucknerians, albeit with the exception of Celibidache in his late years. Even Celibidache had changes which can be expected to run through all, or at least the late, symphonies in a global sense, but Maazel had changes which were just equivocal and segmental.




Maybe just because of his revolutionalized (as far as his own is concerned) approach that this new set is interesting in itself. More later...


7 comments:

  1. Hello Horace;
    I enjoy your post. I remember hearing Maazel in concert conducting Bruckner 8th with LAphil in '08. Much better than I expected. BTW, How is the sound on these CDs? Did they edited out the applause at the end?
    Thank you!
    Henry

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  2. Hi Henry,
    Thank you. The sound on this set is good, but you have to take into account that I'm not a hifi person. The applause was included, usually lasting 20+ seconds and then faded out.
    I said that Maazel is equivocal because I cannot say that his performances were "bad". In fact he could invariably give a very good show, but in Bruckner, or classical music in general, a good show is just a good show and lacks something endearing to our heart or taste. I don't mean to offend anyone but to me he sounds like an upscale incarnation of Arthur Fiedler.
    Kind regards,
    Horace

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  3. the 7th remind me of pretre's 7th in weitblick.
    just don't have a clue why they performed like this.

    i've been to his concert with nypo once. the sound is excellent. he can give a very delicate sound of strings. it's brahms 4th btw.
    eaquson

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  4. Thank you for your comments eaquson.
    Do you mean Maazel's EMI or BR-Klassic Bruckner 7th?
    I'd never doubt that Maazel could evoke a delicate sound in the strings, given that he is a violinist and a well-known orchestral disciplinian. I just feel that the fine line between a showman and an artist is often blurred in his case.
    Horace

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  5. BR-Klassic Bruckner 7th. maybe the conductor didn't consider it a performance that will be recorded and issued? but i think it is still a little irresponsible to the audience.

    have you bought Thomas Dausgaard's 2nd in BIS?
    just listen to his 2nd with vienna symphony orchestra. a very different first movement.
    eaquson

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  6. Dausgaard seems to change the way strings played to introduce the next rhythms played by the winds. i don't find this in 1877 version he uesd.
    i think rhythms are an important element in bruckner's music,and changes like this (rather than change in tempo) is more intresting to me.
    i don't know how to discribe things, haha eaquson

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  7. Hi eaquson,
    I didn't bought Dausgaard's B2 on BIS, but I'd be interested after reading your comments. After all I've bought too many CDs recently and I have to take care of my pocket. LOL.
    Horace

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