Daniel Barenboim claims first US Bruckner cycle
mainHe will conduct the Staatskapelle at Carnegie Hall in the complete symphonies in January.
Announcement:
24.11.2016 | Januar 2017: Daniel Barenboim und die Staatskapelle Berlin bringen in der New Yorker Carnegie Hall erstmals in der nordamerikanischen Musikgeschichte den kompletten Bruckner-Zyklus zur Aufführung<
Vom 19. bis 29. Januar 2017 kehren die Staatskapelle Berlin und Daniel Barenboim nach einer Pause von acht Jahren an die Carnegie Hall zurück, um dort zum ersten Mal in der nordamerikanischen Musikgeschichte alle neun Bruckner-Sinfonien über einen Zeitraum von nur elf Tagen aufzuführen.
In ihrer 175. Saison als Sinfonieorchester reisen über 120 Musikerinnen und Musiker nach New York, um diesen »musikalischen Marathon« zu realisieren. »I was fascinated by the Bruckner universe, which gave me the feeling that he’d traveled over several centuries. The form is really Baroque, classical Baroque; the musical language is post-Romantic, post-Wagnerian. And so I felt that in the Bruckner symphonies there was a huge journey through the history of mankind. One often talks about the architecture of the music. But with Bruckner symphonies, sometimes I have the feeling that it goes deeper and deeper, more like an archeological expedition rather than an architectural building.«, so Daniel Barenboim zu seiner Faszination für den österreichischen Komponisten.
Clive Gillinson, Intendant der Carnegie Hall, ergänzt: »We’re thrilled to welcome Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin. We can’t imagine artists more ideal to take our concertgoers on this extraordinary musical journey«.
Komplettiert wird das Programm durch Mozarts Klavierkonzerte Nr. 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27 sowie seine Sinfonia Concertante KV 297b für vier Bläser und die Sinfonia Concertante KV 364 für Violine und Viola mit Gregor Witt (Oboe), Matthias Glander (Klarinette), Ignacio García (Horn), Mathias Baier (Fagott), Wolfram Brandl (Violine) und Yulia Deyneka (Viola) als Solisten.
Für Daniel Barenboim, der in der Doppelfunktion als Dirigent und als Solist am Klavier zu erleben sein wird, steht während der Konzertreise mit seinem 60-jähriges Bühnenjubiläum an der Carnegie Hall ein weiteres besonderes Ereignis an: »I am delighted to return to Carnegie Hall on this occasion, marking the 60th anniversary of my first concert in January 1957. I am particularly happy to do this with Mozart and Bruckner, two composers that have been very important for me in past programmes at Carnegie Hall with different orchestras. To now come with the Staatskapelle Berlin with whom I have done the cycle several times is a very special joy for me.«
Megalomania.
Huh!
I assume this had to be planned for some time, even if it’s announced just two months out; Carnegie Hall doesn’t just leave a ten-day hole in its schedule in the middle of the season, I’m sure. So nine (or more?) Bruckner symphonies, six Mozart piano concertos, the two sinfonia concertantes. Gotta assume that’s at least 8 concerts. Should be quite something.
It was announced 10 months ago, although the orchestra is not doing anything wrong by beating the drums for the concerts now.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/barenboim-to-conduct-bruckner-symphony-cycle-at-carnegie-hall/
This was mentioned in the NY Times last January:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/arts/music/carnegie-hall-announces-its-2016-17-season.html?_r=0
I wonder which edition of each symphony he will use.
re. editions:
a never heard, new version of the completed 9th is about to be released on CD, completing the highly acclaimed cycle (00-9) by Gerd Schaller, who chose interesting versions, mostly in Carragan’s editions.
https://www.abruckner.com/store/CDsandDVDs/symphony_no_9_Schaller_Finale/
Oh, neat! Thanks for the info. I’ll ask Bill about it next time we get together. He and I have talked about his edition of the 9th.
As I am one of those who thinks that the Bruckner Ninth is complete in the three movements, I have listened to the “completed” symphony and find it unconvincing. While the music is interesting in my opinion it is not up to the standard of what precedes it.
I have written to Prof. Carragan wondering if the “completed” fourth movement could stand alone as a “concert piece” and performed as such.
while I don’t agree with you (a three mvt symphony seems highly un-brucknerian and leaves me unsatisfied), Kent Nagano certainly does!
very interesting interview:
https://vimeo.com/109139489
If past is prolog …
cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/114/MI0001114541.jpg
It’s only news to the US. We’ve had this here in Berlin before…
No other conductor, not even Bernstein, or Ashkenazy, could’ve done or can do what Barenboim is doing, conducting all of Bruckner and 6 Mozart concerti, presumably all from memory (not even Mozart himself because Bruckner did not exist yet).
Barenboim is to be presented with the Bruckner Medal by the Bruckner Society of America after the final concert.
All Bruckner’s symphonies? Seems to be a rather indigestible menu for a small market. I quite like Bruckner but not in that concentration. One symphony a year would be enough.
Looking at how many tickets have already sold, it seems a good amount of New Yorkers are willing to tempt indigestion.
Bruckner’s symphonies are all alike:annoying .
Given Barenboim’s penchant for using it for everything, this will likely be the first Bruckner cycle ever to be performed in the USA to use the only authentic orchestral-string layout for this music — divided violins AND cellos center-left AND violas center-right. The results should be increased clarity of the string lines, especially the violas, as well as full realization of Bruckner’s various opposing-violin antiphonal effects.
It’s likely to be the first such cycle because the “old”, 19th-early 20th string seating arrangement described above fell out of use in the USA before there were such things as complete Bruckner cycles.
PS — I continually astonished about the inability of orchestras named after Bruckner himself and/or otherwise professing some specialization in Bruckner’s music to use orchestral-string layouts that are manifestly anachronistic and which grossly distort the composer’s musical intentions. And so far the ONLY Bruckner cycles on CD to do it right are those of Tintner and Blomstedt.
Rewrite of PS — I am astonished at the continued use, either by orchestras named after Bruckner himself (Achtung, Linz!) and/or conductors (Skrowaczewski, Young, Janowski and others) professing some expertise in Bruckner’s music, of orchestral-string layouts that are manifestly anachronistic and which grossly distort the Bruckner’s musical intentions. They should all know better. So far the only Bruckner cycles on CD I know to have gotten it right are those of Barenboim (though only his most recent with the Staatskapelle), Tintner and Blomstedt. I’d be glad to be informed of others (Venzago only gets some of them right).
It seems that this ‘cycle’ will bring both composer and conductor to their knees, but for different reasons: Bruckner clasping hands in prayer, and Daniel clasping trowel and brush…..