Bruckner: Symphony No. 8

Discography Browser

  • Schönberg: Orchestral Works
  • Franz Schmidt: Symphony No. 4; Intermezzo from "Notre Dame"
  • Eugen d'Albert: Der Golem
  • Anton Bruckner: Symphony D minor "Nullte"; 3 Pieces WAB 97; March WAB 96
  • Liszt: Totentanz; Tasso; Die Trauergondel
  • Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano; 3 Corali; Pini di Roma
  • Franz Schreker: Irrelohe
  • Nacht der Träume: Orchesterlieder
  • Bruckner: Symphony No. 8
  • Russian Composers Around 1900
  • Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5
  • Mahler: Das klagende Lied; Blumine; Symphony No. 10
  • Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé
  • Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 8
  • Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps - Version for Piano 4 hands and for Orchestra
  • The Romantic Cello Concerto, Vol. 7: Fitzenhagen, Tchaikovsky
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 Eroica; Overtures
  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 2; Various Overtures
  • Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7
  • Schmidt: Symphony No. 2; R. Strauss: Festival Prelude, Op. 61
  • Max Bruch: Die Loreley

Release Date

December 12, 2011

Duration

01:28:25

Genre

Styles

Recording Date

May 12, 2011 - May 13, 2011

Recording Location

  • Bonn, Germany
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Stefan Blunier / Beethoven Orchester Bonn

Bruckner: Symphony No. 8

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AllMusic Review by Blair Sanderson

Even though Stefan Blunier's 2011 recording of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 in C minor is a lot to digest, timed at over 88 minutes and stretched almost to the breaking point, this is a deeply compelling performance and an impressive recording that deserves all the time listeners devote to it. Blunier leads the Beethoven Orchester Bonn at surprisingly slow tempos in the first and third movements, which, with some extra time taken in the Scherzo's Trio and the Finale, add approximately nine minutes to this already expansive symphony. In other conductors' hands, the drawn-out pacing could be lugubrious and lethal, yet the highly nuanced interpretation and sensitive playing keep this music at a level of nervous energy that tenaciously holds the listener's attention, even when the beat is at its slowest. The Eighth is frequently cited for its power and severity, but this rendition is fascinating for its delicacy and moving in its tenderness, particularly in the dark conclusion of the Allegro moderato, and in the heartbreaking aftermath of the Adagio's climax. This, along with the unmistakable feeling that every note has a pulse and a presence of its own, makes the music play out like a profoundly emotional drama that receives just the time it needs to resolve to a satisfying conclusion. MDG's natural, unprocessed sound is a great aid to capturing the orchestra's subtle dynamics, and the live recording has very few extraneous sounds. Highly recommended.

Track Listing - Disc 1

Sample Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108 (Version 1890)
1
Allegro moderato
Anton Bruckner
Stefan Blunier / Beethoven Orchester Bonn 18:14 Amazon
2
Scherzo. Allegro moderato - Trio. Langsam
Anton Bruckner
Stefan Blunier / Beethoven Orchester Bonn 14:19 Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

Sample Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108 (Version 1890)
1
Adagio. Feierlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend
Anton Bruckner
Stefan Blunier / Beethoven Orchester Bonn 29:34 Amazon
2
Finale. Feierlich, nicht schnell
Anton Bruckner
Stefan Blunier / Beethoven Orchester Bonn 26:18 Amazon
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