Search - Bruckner, Tennstedt, London Philharmonic Orchestra :: Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 In C minor

Tennstedt adds to his legacy with an impetuous Bruckner Eigh

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A year after this live 1981 recording was made in Royal Festival Hall, Tennstedt went into EMI's Abbey Road studio with the same orchestra and made one of the fastest Bruckner 8ths on disc -- at 75 min., it was 8 minutes shorter than Harnoncourt's (Teldec). Here, under concert conditions, another 2 min. disappear, and as a result Tennstedt's customary impetuosity goes up a notch. The Scherzo is the beginning of the ride, the opening movement showing no added intensity over the studio version to my ears. The London Phil. was Tennstedt's own orchestra, and they always play for him with commitment and, if he demands it, abandon. Few London orchestras would do such a thing today -- perhaps the LSO under Valery Gergiev, their new chief conductor.



The Gramophone found two earlier live Bruckner readings, of the Fourth and Seventh, to be rough-shod and messy. Yet this Eighth, which is no more polished or cautious, aroused their acclaim. Who knows how these things work? In any event, Tennstedt's Bruckner has its rough edges, and anyone looking for Harnoncourt's control and Karajan's polish won't be happy. It must also be said that the poor acoustics in Festival Hall, as recorded by BBC 3, yielded a distant sound with dry bass and raspy highs when the going gets loud.



Is this a duplication, then, that only die-hard Tennstedt fans should seek out? I found enough extra energy, expression, and excitement here to counter-balance any deficits. No one today has Tennstedt's ability to shape a melodic phrase so freely. The Adagio is mesmerizing, making you forget that it is a trifle hurried. The bottom line is that you don't run across great Bruckner recordings every day, certainly not many as temptestuous and spontaneous as this one."