Germany Bruckner: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Andris Nelsons (conductor). Livestreamed from the Berlin Philharmonie on 14.12.2024 and available on the Digital Concert Hall. (GT)
Bruckner – Symphony No.8 in C minor (1890 version, ed. Robert Haas)
In this penultimate concert marking the Bruckner 200th birth anniversary, in what is often considered the greatest of the symphonic cycle, the Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons was an intriguing choice for the Eighth Symphony. Nelsons’s cycle of Bruckner symphonies was set down with the Gewandhaus Orchestra over several seasons on either side of the pandemic for Deutsche Grammophon. That cycle used different versions by Robert Haas and Leopold Novak. He used the 1890 Novak edition for his DG recording – yet for this concert – used the frequently performed Haas Edition of 1890, which is a ‘mixed form’ by combining elements of the original score with the revisions of two years later. These changes appear mostly in the Adagio and the Finale. In the Berlin Philharmonic’s past recordings, the orchestra used the Haas 1890 edition for Karajan’s recordings.
In his pre-concert interview, Nelsons said he was attracted to Bruckner since his student days. He believed conducting Bruckner was a challenge and that in the present world situation, the symphonies are a ‘glorification of life and that they go beyond life itself, and this music recharges one’s batteries against the difficult trials of the present day. This music opens up new horizons and looks forward to eternity after one has accepted the realities of life.’
The Allegro moderato opened with a rather ominous theme on the strings and brass yet was interrupted by a plaintive idea on the clarinet and accompanied by a forbidding idea on the horns. A secondary idea on the strings gave hope leading to a woodwind passage of great beauty, which grew to a serenely overwhelming beauty before descending to a wonderful pianissimo. From the beginning, it was clear that Nelsons was building a performance of great stature through his superb handling of the delicate switches in tempo and the grasp of the transitions. In the Scherzo, the lively strings were supported by the brass and the bubbling clarinets, and drama from the thuds on the timpani. What seemed like a reveille emerged in the magnificent horn solo by Yun Zeng – the first of several magnificent solo passages – the mood became more reflective as the three harps brought more celestial beauty. Nelsons allowed all the allure and nuance of Bruckner’s score to be heard. The repetitive horn calls from Zeng were almost hypnotic in their timbre, and the ever so charming Trio section was splendid in its brilliance enhanced by the timpani beats, and the musing on the clarinet brought us to a poignant close.
In the Adagio the searingly emotional mood was evinced by the strings in a heart-rending passage – here, Nelsons took great care in the intensity – as if a requiem with the three harps offering serenity and beauty. All the depth of tragedy emerged as Nelsons coaxed every ounce of feeling from his musicians. The entry of the four Wagnerian horns brought a magisterial nobility and there began a slow build-up, yet there was a modicum of reserve, just holding back for what was yet to come. The passage was distinguished by delightful playing from the flutes, clarinets, and oboes before a section of enhanced intensity from the strings developed. This then died away and then rose again to even greater passion in a passage of heavenly beauty during which Nelsons was bending down to charm even more sensitivity from the orchestra. Finally, as the theme appeared to vanish, there were two crashes on the cymbals – with an ever so slight pause between each clang – and the sequence closed on the harps in a serenely exquisite passage accompanied by the four horns heralding the dying away by the strings, pianissimo.
The Finale (Feierlich, nicht schnell) opened with terrific playing from the brass group, and thrilling blows on the timpani created magisterial playing heightened by the exhilaration of the trumpets and the trombones. The secondary woodwind theme was followed by a tremendous sequence on the timpani and the full orchestra rising to a crescendo. This was repeated before plunging into a decrescendo and the rise of tension again evinced magnificent playing from the entire orchestra under Nelsons’s guidance. A slight pause led to all four themes being united in the triumphant culmination on fff – and as if by the hand of fate – at last bringing a positive climax to this masterpiece.
The choice of Andris Nelsons for this penultimate concert dedicated to the Bruckner anniversary was a masterstroke because he produced one of the finest readings of this great symphony in my memory. This was a magnificent performance in which the orchestra played at the heights of musical craft and artistry and was masterfully directed by Nelsons who presented a different, healthier looking figure compared to recent years. The conductor showed that he is a truly magnificent in this repertoire. This was the most satisfying performance of Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony that I have heard for many years.
Gregor Tassie