I coined the term the Big Eight just for convenience’s sake. This group includes, in alphabetical order, Sergiu Celibidache, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bernard Haitink, Eugen Jochum, Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer, Hans Knappertsbusch and Gunter Wand.
But why are they in the same group? Their recordings are usually readily available, except perhaps Knappertsbusch. They are all well-known conductors in general and revered Bruckner interpreters in particular. They all have box-sets of their “cycles”, some complete cycles like Haitink, Jochum, Karajan and Wand, and some incomplete ones like Celibidache, Furtwängler, Klemperer and Knappertsbusch. Klemperer is a special case. He has recorded B4-B9 with the Philharmonia or the New Philharmonia, but no box-set for this series of recordings as such has been issued – a rather expensive way to buy this series in the form of individual CDs. The Big Eight's Bruckner output is huge with many versions of the same symphony, a fact much aware of by seasoned listeners or collectors.
The obvious exceptions to this list, you may have wondered already, are Bruno Walter and Takashi Asahina. Walter is undoubtedly a very good Brucknerian, but his recorded output is scanty. Asahina is altogether another story. His Bruckner discography is a prohibitively long list. With much time and effort, I still haven't collected all of his CDs. I still have a few of his CDs lacking. Fortunately all his cycles (box-sets) are there in my cabinet. His recorded Bruckner output is unsurpassed in the world, but his name is still not popular in the Western world except to some seasoned Bruckner lovers, hence he is not included in the Big Eight.
The choice of Haitink may raise a few eyebrows, not just because he is the only conductor still alive in this group. Even if one can have many criticisms on his Bruckner, one cannot argue with the fact that his Bruckner is never objectionable or fuss-riden. His cycle with the RCO was the first budget-priced Bruckner box-set issued back in the early 1990's by a famous conductor, at a time when the Karajan, Jochum and Wand complete cycles were sold at full price. The only inexpensive exception around that time was the set by Inbal (at mid-price?), which was interesting mainly because of the different, usually the first, versions used and the inclusion of an attempted completion of the Finale of B9 by Samale and Mazzuca (1984 draft). But by and large, the Haitink set is preferable, not just because of the price, but also of the artistic value. In fact his later recordings with the VPO have much to be admired, particulary B3.
So, where to begin? As I've just finished listening to B3&4 by Jansons, a good place to start is the long line of conductors associated with the Bruckner tradition at Concertgebouw. It is an exercise which can bring back a lot of fond memories.
"The Bruckner tradition fostered and perpetuated by van Beinum, Haitink, Chailly and now Jansons at RCO" will begin the journey.
But why are they in the same group? Their recordings are usually readily available, except perhaps Knappertsbusch. They are all well-known conductors in general and revered Bruckner interpreters in particular. They all have box-sets of their “cycles”, some complete cycles like Haitink, Jochum, Karajan and Wand, and some incomplete ones like Celibidache, Furtwängler, Klemperer and Knappertsbusch. Klemperer is a special case. He has recorded B4-B9 with the Philharmonia or the New Philharmonia, but no box-set for this series of recordings as such has been issued – a rather expensive way to buy this series in the form of individual CDs. The Big Eight's Bruckner output is huge with many versions of the same symphony, a fact much aware of by seasoned listeners or collectors.
The obvious exceptions to this list, you may have wondered already, are Bruno Walter and Takashi Asahina. Walter is undoubtedly a very good Brucknerian, but his recorded output is scanty. Asahina is altogether another story. His Bruckner discography is a prohibitively long list. With much time and effort, I still haven't collected all of his CDs. I still have a few of his CDs lacking. Fortunately all his cycles (box-sets) are there in my cabinet. His recorded Bruckner output is unsurpassed in the world, but his name is still not popular in the Western world except to some seasoned Bruckner lovers, hence he is not included in the Big Eight.
The choice of Haitink may raise a few eyebrows, not just because he is the only conductor still alive in this group. Even if one can have many criticisms on his Bruckner, one cannot argue with the fact that his Bruckner is never objectionable or fuss-riden. His cycle with the RCO was the first budget-priced Bruckner box-set issued back in the early 1990's by a famous conductor, at a time when the Karajan, Jochum and Wand complete cycles were sold at full price. The only inexpensive exception around that time was the set by Inbal (at mid-price?), which was interesting mainly because of the different, usually the first, versions used and the inclusion of an attempted completion of the Finale of B9 by Samale and Mazzuca (1984 draft). But by and large, the Haitink set is preferable, not just because of the price, but also of the artistic value. In fact his later recordings with the VPO have much to be admired, particulary B3.
So, where to begin? As I've just finished listening to B3&4 by Jansons, a good place to start is the long line of conductors associated with the Bruckner tradition at Concertgebouw. It is an exercise which can bring back a lot of fond memories.
"The Bruckner tradition fostered and perpetuated by van Beinum, Haitink, Chailly and now Jansons at RCO" will begin the journey.
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