Bruckner -- Nagano -- Vatican

Kent Nagano and the Bavarian State Orchestra (Bayerisches Staatsorchester) performed Bruckner's Ninth Symphony in Vatican on 22 October 2011. Bruckner's Te Deum was also performed by soloists from the Bavarian State Opera Choir and the 92 member strong Audi Youth Choir Academy (Audi Judendchorakademie) for Pope Benedict XVI.

Nagano was interviewed just before the concert and the audio clip can be heard from the Vatican Radio.

While still on Bruckner Ninth, a very interesting and thoughtful "walk-through" by pianist Peter Tiefenbach was broadcast on CBC Radio 2.

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I've listened to Nagano's latest B7 disc on Sony and been impressed by his fine use of rubato and the light touches he applied to his phrasing. It was a live recording made on 23 September 2010, during a long European tour, in a cathedral in Gent, Belgium -- Saint Bavo Cathedral or Sint Baafskathedraal. After this concert, an orchestral member spoke of this unique experience of playing a Bruckner symphony in a cathedral and having a feeling of conversing with something higher. The Adagio is particularly affecting.

WOW

My heart beats faster knowing Paavo Järvi's next Bruckner disc will be released in December in Japan: a June 2009 recording of Bruckner 5th in Alte Oper, Frankfurt before their successful European tour. His B7 recording is one of my favourites. The B5 will be a hybrid SACD/CD disc (Sony SICC 10120).
Update (April 2012): This recording is re-scheduled to be released in Japan on 9 May 2012. Listed price 2940 yen. 

Around the same time, Günter Wand's second round of NDR Bruckner recordings will appear in SACD format in Japan: B3 (1992) (Sony SICC 10125), B5 (1989) (SICC 10126), B6 (1995) (SICC 10127) and B8 (1993) (SICC 10123). 

They can become the best Christmas presents, at least for me.

A tale of two concurrent issues of Keilberth's 1960 BPO Bruckner Ninth -- Part 2

Testament's release has revealed the sonic decapitation and overzealous noise reduction of Orfeo's corresponding release.

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In Part 1, the inferior sound of Orfeo's Keilberth 1960 Salzburg Festival concert live recording has been noted. After comparison with Testament's release which I just got, it is clear what Orfeo's has missed sonically. It is also evident that the original master does not have the state-of-the-art sound of that period; not least it is in mono only. However comparison is always cruel. The Orfeo's release has truncated upper frequencies and applied overenthusiastic noise reduction, resulting in the poor sound it (re)produces. It also robs the vitality of sound as shown in the Testament release. The timbre of the woodwinds is particularly affected, and so the delectable Lother Koch's solo oboe, Karlheinz Zöller's solo flute and Karl Leister's solo clarinet in the middle part of the Scherzo, which can hardly be appreciated in Orfeo's release, have been captured nicely in Testament's transfer.  Even Karlheinz Duse-Utesch's trombone becomes more vividly portrayed. This is the Berlin Philharmonic in the early 1960s we are familiar with, in sound and in character. The frisson of the concert can now be felt in Testament's transfer.

Compared to his 1956 studio recording, Keilberth had more agogic accents in the live performance with the Berlin Philharmonic. The gesangperiode is so beautifully played as can be heard in the Testament disc. The same subject group in Orfeo's transfer is marred by a sound picture turning dim inexplicably and it becomes quite difficult to enjoy the beautiful dialogue between the strings and the woodwinds. However, at the beginning of the third subject group, there was a sag in tempo and Keilberth had to give the orchestra a push, resulting in a rather abrupt accelerando. The distinguished woodwind soloists whom Karajan brought in did not disappoint. 

The magic of Keilberth is that he could make the Scherzo sound so musical instead of the militant feel that permeates so many other performances or recordings. It is so in both his 1956 studio and the present 1960 live recordings, but the latter is more animated and exciting, fully exhibiting the thrill of a live performance.

The Adagio is affecting, more so in the Abschied vom leben (starting 2'50") and it is where the present live recording becomes more loved than the 1956 studio one. Pauses are shorter in the live performance and the reading on the whole is more urgent. The brass plays a major role in this great Adagio and it is exactly where another reason to prefer the Testament transfer comes in: the Orfeo brass sound is just not up to par. After the climax, Keilberth gently eases the music into silence, but then not long after, starts a build up on the dominant of F major as if another climax of dissonance is coming. But it is not to be, because the resigning coda sets in at this moment. Keilberth fully enthralls the listener here. In the dying moments of this movement, Karlheinz Zöller's flute is truly riveting.

A live recording not to be missed. The music in the companion disc is no less attractive.