Barenboim's Staatskapelle Berlin Bruckner Symphony No. 7 -- An embodiment of tragic beauty and elegiac mellowness

If Dudamel's Bruckner Symphony No. 9 recording contained in his 3-CD set issued in August last year was not counted, we've had to wait for 7 years since the last release of a new recording of a Bruckner symphony from Deutsche Grammophon, of Thielemann's Bruckner's 5th in March 2005. In a sense it reflects the saddening fall of the recorded classical music industry. Now after listening to the new Barenboim's Bruckner Symphony No. 7, the first Bruckner recording released since his 'reunion' with DG, I'm glad to say that the wait is worth it. (By the way, the same could not comfortably be said of Dudamel's B9).

Recorded at Philharmonie, Berlin in June 2010 (live)

Recorded at Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Berlin in February 1992

Recorded at Orchestral Hall, Chicago in March 1979

Bruckner Symphony No. 7 in E Major is one of his most popular symphonies, and it has been well served in recordings. For this reason, one can easily find several different recordings of the Seventh by a certain conductor with some inclination for Bruckner. Barenboim, who has a natural affinity for Bruckner, now gives us a new live recording, making his total number of commercial recordings of the Seventh to three. The pictures and the recording dates and venues of these 3 recordings are shown above. His last Berlin Philharmonic endeavour was arguably one of the least successful members of his memorable cycle with this orchestra in the 1990s. His earlier recording in Chicago has the blessings of the famous Chicago brass and he has made very prudent use of them to good effect.

In fact the BPO recording is not without merits. The orchestra, as usual, played superbly. Barenboim conferred the music an elegance that made those beautiful melodies more lovable. He was also capable of achieving fluidity in whole movements, a masterstroke of the Seventh thanks to the presence of very few general pauses which were otherwise so often employed in Bruckner's earlier symphonies, together with organic flow between thematic groups. This fluidity is also evident in this new recording, but the emphasis has shifted from elegance to rich chromaticism. The orchestral palette and tone colour of the Staatskapelle Berlin is marked with magnificent sumptuousness, an attribute which is best appreciated in their live concerts.

In the subtitle of this post, I describe this new recording as an embodiment of tragic beauty and elegiac mellowness. The Seventh is widely known as one of the mellowest in Bruckner's oeuvre. However I'd say that this mellowness can be very different in different conductors' hands. Even subtle colouration can move your hearts in different directions. My experience in communicating with other listeners and reading articles or books tells me that people can have disparate ethos on the Seventh. Exactly for this reason, Barenboim's new recording can make those who fixate on what Derek Watson describes in his book about the Finale being "one of grand jubilation, uniting gaiety and grandeur" wince at the defiance and tragic unease which Barenboim nursed the exposition in the Finale. The Coda, however, makes me marvel at the transfiguration from darkness to light, the very arrival of the metaphorical Resurrection. After listening to the performance of this Finale, which moves me very much, I immediately took out the book Bruckner Studies and re-read Timothy Jackson's chapter on this Finale about tragic reversed sonata form. He asserts that the reversed recapitulation here has "tragic, programmatic implications". And then I listened to the CD again. The performance is indeed hand in glove with the tragic form.

In the first movement, the opening arpeggio of the cellos and horns is absolute beauty with a thin tragic overtone. It exudes an aura so captivating that, in my experience, only Wand's BPO Bruckner 4 opening can match. Barenboim has put to good use his wide experience in and good understanding of Wagner's operas here. The powerful crescendo arc in this movement's coda from pp/ppp to fff is overwhelming and unforgettable.

The treatment of the great Adagio can make or break an impressive performance of the Seventh. Barenboim's is touching to the heart. What a lament the first theme is! The second theme (from 4'14") is exemplary of what tragic beauty is. I'm lost in words as how painfully beautiful it is. I feel grateful to this experience because it occurs at a time when I have vague doubts about whether I would become numb to this wonderful music after having listened to more than 150 different recordings of the Seventh, many more than once, albeit over a long period of time. The long crescendo buildup to the summit (with timpani, cymbal and triangle at 17'06") is unusually peaceful, making the climax all the more shattering. DG has tried to recapture the atmosphere of the live concert by including a long pause (24 seconds) after the Adagio: the music ends at 21'18" but that track ends at 21"42". So if you listen through this recording without jumping tracks, this pause, together with the immediate sound by close miking, will give you an impression of being there. A thoughtful touch I'd say.

The Scherzo is marked sehr schnell (roughly equivalent to presto), and I just don't quite understand why so many conductors have made it so laggard. Although Barenboim is not fast here, the lively rhythm and his delicate inflections leave no sluggish feelings at all.

This new release will surely join those few who make it into my list of favourite recordings.

P.S. Daniel Barenboim is to conduct the Staatskapelle Berlin in "The Bruckner Project" in Royal Festival Hall, London with B7 on 16 April, B8 on 17 April and B9 on 20 April. You can listen to the B8 concert on BBC Radio 3 Live in Concert within one week after the performance.