Light On Dark Water

Bruckner’s Bad Night

I've started listening my way through the Bruckner symphonies, and am currently on number 3. Looking around for some information on it, I ran across this woeful story of the symphony's premiere. 

Wagner liked it, and I'm sure Bruckner valued his opinion more highly than those of the members of the Vienna Philharmonic, but it must be pretty tough when the orchestra performing your symphony hates it. Even worse if you are conducting, and they hate you, too. And very bad indeed if you don't really know how to conduct.

There was a discussion here about Bruckner back in 2011 in which I said I "know the 3rd fairly well." I must have been confused. I would prefer to think that than the other possibility, which is that I did know it then but on hearing it a few days ago did not recognize it or have any memory of having heard it before. Maybe I was thinking of Mahler's 3rd. 

I do like the 3rd, though, very well.

 

 

7 responses to “Bruckner’s Bad Night”

  1. Rob G

    Bruckner 3 isn’t one I know very well, although I have listened to it a few times. What recording do you have?

    Reply
  2. Mac

    Jochum/Staatskapelle Dresden. I have the whole set and it’s excellent, and very inexpensive. I have individual recordings of several of them but this is the only 3.

    Reply
  3. Craig

    I also have the Jochum set of all the symphonies, and I love it. I have favourite recordings of some of the individual symphonies, but that’s my favourite full set.
    Mac, when you get to No.9, you should try to hear this recording, which is, as they say in Bruckner circles, awesome.

    Reply
  4. Craig

    Can you fix the HTML? Sorry.

    Reply
  5. Mac

    It wasn’t significantly messed up, but I fixed it.
    In that previous Bruckner discussion I linked to, you mentioned that recording, and I was embarrassed to discover that I have it, and as far as I can remember never listened to it. It was one of those eMusic practically free albums, some of which I still haven’t heard. But anyway I will, when I get to #9.

    Reply
  6. Rob G

    The first couple Bruckner discs I bought were by Skrowaczewski with the Saarbrucken Radio Symphony. I knew nothing about them at all, other than that they were recent digital recordings, and they were cheap. As it turns out, it’s a quite well-regarded set, and I’ve since acquired them all.
    I have a few other versions of my favorites, though — 2, 8 & 9 — and I do have that Wand 9th, which is pretty special. His No. 6 in that same series is supposed to be excellent as well.

    Reply
  7. Mac

    I’m tempted to jump ahead to the 9th, but that’s how I end up getting permanently sidetracked.

    Reply

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