Beethoven Orchester Bonn
Stefan Blunier (conductor)
Symphonic Summit
The Beethoven Orchester Bonn under its conductor Stefan Blunier climbs another symphonic mountain of the nineteenth century. Following its recording of Anton Bruckner’s Zeroth Symphony, the dynamic orchestra now takes on the same composer’s Eighth Symphony, a work acclaimed as the “crown of the music of our time” on its premiere in 1892.
First the Cross
Devotion, annunciation of death, mystery – the composer himself remarked on his work with these dark words. And, as was typical of Bruckner, the first version of the symphony from 1887 was not to be the last. Hermann Levi, who had masterfully conducted the premiere of Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony and thus had laid the foundation of the composer’s worldwide fame, judged, “Perhaps much can be attained with a reworking.” Levi regarded the composition as simply unplayable. It was a bitter blow for the composer, and three years would pass before he finished the version recorded here.
Then the Crown
Even all the plans for the symphony’s premiere almost fell through, but Hans Richter ended up scoring a magnificent success with it in 1892 with the Vienna Court Opera Orchestra. The dedicatee was Emperor Franz Joseph, who thereupon provided generously for the publication costs and thus enabled it to gain circulation worldwide.
Resounding Echo
Since Stefan Blunier has led his Beethoven Orchester Bonn, the musicians have produced an impressive discography on MDG. This recording carefully produced in 2+2+2 Recording technique displays all the fine qualities of an orchestra that most recently has gained major notice with its live documentation of works such as Eugen d’Albert’s opera Golem, Franz Schreker’s Irrelohe, and Franz Schmidt’s symphonies. This year the orchestra is the proud recipient of two Echo-Klassik awards.
曲目:
Tracklist 1
1. 1. Allegro moderato
2. 2. Scherzo: Allegro moderato - Trio: Langsam
Tracklist 2
1. 3. Adagio - Feierlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend
2. 4. Finale: Feierlich, nicht schnell 试听: