Composer: Anton Bruckner
Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Conductor: Paavo Järvi
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Alpha
Catalogue: ALPHA987
Release: 2023
Size: 1.42 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Symphony No. 8 in C minor
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Scherzo. Allegro moderato – Trio. Langsam
03. III. Adagio. Feierlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend
04. IV. Finale. Feierlich, nicht schnell
Anton Bruckner called his Symphony no.8 in C minor a ‘mystery’; others have seen it as an ‘apocalyptic’ work. For Paavo Jarvi, it is the composer’s ‘most unusual symphony’ and the ‘pinnacle’ of his symphonic output. In the history of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, the Eighth Symphony occupies a special place, since it was the first Bruckner the orchestra performed – in 1905, twelve years after the premiere in Vienna of what was then the longest symphony in the history of music, and Bruckner’s only work to call for harps: ‘A harp has no place in a symphony, but I couldn’t do otherwise!’, the composer reportedly said.
With the approaching 200th anniversary year of Anton Bruckner’s birth in 2024, recordings of the master Romantic symphonist’s works have become even more prolific. Conductor Paavo Järvi and the Tonalle-Orchester Zürich continue their symphony cycle with Bruckner’s mighty Eighth, following the release of the Seventh earlier in 2023. Järvi is no stranger to recording these works, as he has already issued a complete cycle relatively recently with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. This reading of the Eighth is more deliberate overall than his earlier venture, coming in five minutes slower yet just slightly longer than an average duration. This is not a detriment, as Järvi and the Zürich orchestra are able to maintain forward motion throughout. Bruckner enthusiasts will likely be happy that Järvi chose the Novak critical edition of the 1890 revised version. As expected, the conductor has this orchestra well-drilled and gets some strong performances from the musicians, especially from the large French horn group. While some will miss (and many prefer) the extra weight of the Berlin or Vienna Philharmonic, this interpretation is worthy of hearing and continues the promise of this ongoing survey. The sound from the orchestra’s home hall is ideal, and Alpha does well to capture the full orchestral landscape.