An enlivening path to retread (15) -- Herbert Kegel and his intense Bruckner 8

This Bruckner 8 (Arioso CD ARI110) is special, in that it is characterised by visceral rawness, in the brass and even more so in the tympani which seems trying to break open the sky.

Intensity, tension, Eastern European timbre, intoxicating passion are all key features to this recording.

It is Bruckner on another dimension.

Hail to Kegel the Brucknerian.

The recording year (1970) as shown on the cover is doubtful; some have considered this studio recording to be contemporaneous to his live recording (on ODE) in 1975.

Stunning realism verging on surrealism

 

This SACD is a gem

Stunning realism verging on surrealism -- SACD reincarnation by Analogue Productions of Fritz Reiner's 1958 recording of Pictures. 

The Bydlo evokes goosebumps even in a hot damp night.

My immediate thought is one of paranoia: go and buy a spare copy lest the present one is robbed.

For SACD-reissue's throne, Esoteric please give way to Analogue Productions.

Inflight Bruckner symphonies

Whenever I fly to other places, I've always checked whether Bruckner's music is included in the inflight entertainment programmes. 

I find the Emirates Airline inflight classical music programmes in flights involving the A380 planes (on routes between Hong Kong and Dubai and London) invariably include Bruckner's symphonies No. 4 to No. 9. With some patient searching, the names of the conductors and orchestras can be found as well. The Korean Airline flights from Hong Kong to Seoul, again on A380s, also have Nos. 4, 5, 7-9, but the performers are not named.

The playlist on Emirates is:

No. 4: Rattle / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (EMI)

No. 5: Bolton / Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra (OEHMS)

No. 6: Nagano / Deutsches Symphonie-orchester Berlin (Harmonia Mundi)

No. 7: Kreisberg / Vienna Symphony Orchestra (Pentatone)

No. 8: Tennstedt / London Philharmonic Orchestra (EMI)

No. 9: Blomstedt / Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (Decca)

In my experience, it is a huge improvement compared to inflight programmes in general many years ago when no Bruckner was included.