Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 - BPO/Maazel, Edition: Nowak #Brucknerthon2025

 

EMI, Recorded: June 1989, Berlin Philharmonie

Lorin Maazel recorded a full cycle of Bruckner symphonies with the Bavarian RSO but this singleton effort with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is highly regarded.

Maazel’s back catalogue covered many if not most of the romantic era symphonies and a good deal more besides in an illustrious and long career which started when he was literally in short trousers. His prodigious talent was evident before his teens and in addition to his conducting he was a violin virtuoso.

This Bruckner symphony was recorded in just after the orchestra’s rift with Karajan. It’s a very different beast to Karajan’s three recordings of the work but it has many fine points which make the recording interesting and enjoyable.  There’s some downsides too though.

It’s exciting to hear the brass lines so clearly but there are balance compromises which would not have occurred in EMI recordings of previous decades. The high horn lines aren’t really captured well. The low brass somewhat muted or distant. This leaves the Wagner Tubas dominating the sound picture  with the bass tuba swamped.

The strings are tremendous but occasionally drop out of the sound picture - these are more engineering deficiencies than playing.

There’s phenomenal woodwind playing and both timpani and other percussion, the harps are all in good order.

But as with some of Maazel’s later recordings this reading - brilliant and exacting as it is - comes over as rather soulless. The players dig in to the notes but don’t, I think, react to the musical journey.

Sound: 7 out of 10

Interpretation: 7 out of 10

Performance: 8 out of 10