BRUCKNER 7 : AGAIN & AGAIN
The most beautiful creature of Anton Bruckner performed, recorded and listened to again and again…
Impossible to get tired of this amazing piece and nothing on Earth can compare to its grandeur, refinement, sophistication, spirituality and transcendency. Perfectly mastered strong basement, background of cosmically deep perspective, strong frame where the action takes place without time passing. Time is disabled in Bruckner’s symphonies independently of how fast or slow they are performed, but definitely rush and fast tempos aren’t a path to discovering the essences of the darkest depths of these pieces. The 7th symphony brings us very close to understanding of God as it has no resemblance with any terrestrial or cosmic or humanly-psychological object. The scenery is beautiful by all means but the basement, background and framing is something very special Bruckner could do unlike anybody else in history. All the long years he took to study on top fo his perfectionism brought unparalleled results going so far beyond his time that no wonder he wasn’t widely understood in late nineteenth century. Even these days only a few musicians and even conductors can understand what that strange person Anton Bruckner was “saying” by his crescendos and culminations beyond any limits, by Bach-grade polyphony in romanticism and only spiritually connected sections without any transitions. This bad understanding often leads to poor performances repelling listeners from these heavenly pieces to so earthy (but also beautiful) pieces of Brahms.
The reason for this humble and simultaneously frivolous review is the newest recording by Paavo Järvi with Tonhalle-Orhester of Zurich. Both conductor and ensemble are among s few in the world who know and understand Bruckner. And, or heaven, it sounds so gorgeously! I intentionally want to refer to the edition of Apple Music as it is (probably the first) recording of Bruckner’s 7th bearing all of these badges at once: Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Lossles, Apple Digital Master.
https://music.apple.com/ua/album/bruckner-symphony-no-7/1655839935
Listened to this on a Mac with external hi-res DAC and professional studio headphones, as well as Apple Pro Max and an iPhone. NAD amplifiers and Dynaudio speakers will follow but what I’ve already experienced was quite enough to be fascinated by both stunning performance and sound. My compliments to Maestri: conductor, the orchestral musicians and sound engineering team!
There were some passages of part one I disagreed with but that is nothing but my personal impression and vision, probably influenced by Haitink, Celibidache and Skrowaczewski. Now Paavo is bringing us another standard! Some moments were too fast as to my ear and some flute solos weren’t clear enough. Being amateur woodwind player I expected more rounded and thicker performance of those but it they didn’t really stand on the way of total admiration of Allegro Moderato with all of its themes and tempos and counterpoint. The ending is so well done that it feels like the orchestra began to run at cursing speed right at that moment.
Adagio was and probably is the most popular part of this symphony and it was done so perfectly well that I probably will not listen to Haitink’s early recording with Concertgebow for at least a couple of months… The modern dynamic range and resolution of this Paavo Järvi’s recording is making it more of a historical gem. Clarity of polyphony and wonderful appearance of “second-row” parts, especially the woodwinds, was simply amazing. And, probably the widest ever sound of brass I’ve ever heard.
Scherzo went so far beyond its main theme in all the richness and attention to every detail and perfect performance allowed to admire every instrument so that every mistake, if present, would immediately be heard. Again, my favourite flute corks were somehow lightly offended, and now I strongly suspect sound engineers! But like with the first movement, these small disadvantages didn’t spoil the whole picture, so rich of colours, perspective and sublime feelings.
Finale of 7th Symphony isn’t any summary of the “above written”. It exists by itself as any separate book of Bible. Here, like in the first movement, I disagree with some tempos which I would take slower. One may say “who are you?” and would be totally right as I am nobody but grateful listener.
Chromatic passages making semitones or minor seconds as wide as the whole perfect fifth is a very distinctive characteristic of Bruckner’s melodies. And how beautifully the orchestra performed all of them here! Thank you, again and again!
Writing this review from Ukraine in the state of war with world’s most terrible nation trying to reverse the history and return us all to the dark ages where it’s been dwelling until now. And I must admit this music brought so much joy to this evening that I even could for seconds forget the horrific time and disable it, just like Bruckner did in his symphonies. Dear Paavo, please, go ahead with Bruckner’s symphonies and continue to append the beautiful side of this world.
