Composer: Anton Bruckner
Orchestra: Venezuela Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Eduardo Chibas
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Size: 279 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Feierlich. Misterioso
02. Scherzo. Bewegt. Lebhaft – Trio Schnell
03. Adagio. Langsam. Feierlich
Thank you
I will quote an opinion from Robert McColley, who did many Bruckner reviews for Fanfare Magazine. He wrote this about Chibas’ recording of Bruckner’s 7 and 8:
“Eduardo Chibás proves a thoroughly sympathetic and powerful interpreter of Anton Bruckner’s music. His vision is distinctly his own, but it rivals in quality those of legendary conductors whose names come up most often when we think of great interpreters of Bruckner, for example Furtwängler, Jochum, Karajan, Klemperer, Knappertsbusch, Tintner, and Wand.”
It is also interesting that the web page abruckner.com recommends his recordings.
I repeat it: all these “things” are opinions, not GOSPEL.
In my umble opinion Sir Georg Solti has made the greatest performance/recording/interpretation of Bruckner’s 8th Symphony….but if you are interested, I have all Bruckner Symphonies by DGG by Jochum (I will post them somewhen)….if you ever listen to them, you never again in your live will think of Chibas or other “Maestri”….and think of the fact, that Jochum never was considered to be one of the top conductors.
In order to reply the unfair comment around this performance, I just want some points in clear.
First at all, the term amateur – far from being a derogatory term- designates the one who loves what he does.
Second the well reminded Sandor Vegh expressed a brief but beating comment about Chibas conducting in superlative terms (as well as Daniel Barenboim).
Third, Eduardo Chibas is a very respectable and thoughtful conductor who assumes the role of conductor to express the insights bellow the score. Listening you feel every single bar is part of a whole. In fact he has been invited to Portugal, Spain and Germany to conduct and he had the honor to conduct the Salzburg Orchestra in 2000 with absolut success of critics and audience.
I’m absolutely sure the reviewer has not listened Mr Chibas in any other perfomance. And that’s a pity because you can’t judge a book by its cover.
He has recorded Bruckner’s Symphonies 7, 8 and 9, the whole cycle of Beethoven’s Symphonies and piano Concertos (with Luz Moura Castro as soloist) in several opportunities.
According this trajectory (who began in 1992) and having watched him more than a dozen times, I have to express he’s a conductor with multiple virtues.
Sorry by that regreatable opinion, my dear readers. But it’s time for you to pay more attention to this clever and prominent talent of the baton.
Hi my friend…I’m sure, gatojotas never had in mind to denigrate “per se” the work of Chibas, so I think to call his comment unfair is a little too arrogant. He wrote “it seems to him…” and “in his opinion”. I think everyone has the right to get an opinion about something. You also have another opinion about, where is the problem?
Believe or not, I don’t agree with the “whole” world that applaudes Chelibidache and Stokowski as great conductors. In my eyes (ears) Chelibidache is quiet OK and Stokowski is a little-one-that-always-wanted-to-be-great-never-being-this.
;)
So what?
I agree with you higropa 300%.
I had the privilege to listen to Mr Chibas Beethoven symphonies performances (recordings) as well.
True, they can call him amateur, which he is but in my opinion in the best possible way – ON STEROIDS. I enjoyed his performances plenty and I bow low to this gentleman from Caracas and I wish him all the best in his efforts.
More “amateurs” as this gentlemen, please !
Thank you
Thank you!!
Hi, Whatever. Chibas, a total unknown name for me… untill now. Thank for this post, but I think that Mr. Chibas is not a member of the Bruckner Club. His interpretation is quite debatable (in my opinion, of course): irregular tempi, strepitous percussion and winds, very little control in the orchestral breahing… It seems to me an amateur interpretation: neither Chibas nor the Venezuela Symphony get approved in this difficult score. Horenstein, Furtwängler, Böhm, Walter, Giulini, Jochum… but not Eduardo Chibas.
In any case, thanks, Whatever. All of us must know all the approachings to this Masterwork.
I find it strange that you say that Chibas’s interpretation is “quite debatable” due to “irregular tempi” and “very little control in the orchestral breathing”.
Regarding the “irregular tempi” comment, it’s interesting that you mention it and then go on to praise Horenstein, Furtwängler, and Jochum. All of whom had irregular tempi, especially Furtwängler who deployed massive tempo shifts, complete with accelerandos that make you head spin. Jochum and Horenstein both praised and used the same style that Furtwängler did, and the results (especially comparable in the case of Horenstein, who did not have access to top-tier orchestras most of the time, and was given very little rehearsing time) are rough but incredibly heart-felt. In the case of the “little control in the orchestral breathing”, I cannot say I know entirely what you mean, but I’m assuming you’re referring to the orchestra’s rough time in some of the harder passages of the composition. Which is completely agreeable; there’s no doubt that they have a hard time with the piece, it isn’t a world-class orchestra, and I doubt that people would even consider it 2nd tier. But if you take into consideration the underdog status of the orchestra, and the fact that it was their first time performing the piece, then I think you can find a better appreciation of the performance. There is an incredible sense of discovery about the performance that I think makes up for the rough playing.
In my view it is an excellent interpretation with some rough execution that nevertheless still manages to impress.